Rent A Husband

"The Rubbermaid closet system the member wanted installed was in a finished basement on the downstairs staircase. The drywall studding varied considerably, and took longer than usual to locate. The studs also did not run vertically consistently, so different attachment methods had to be used, requiring extra trips to my truck for supplies for the right one. I would work for the member again. Nice dog!"

"Leaving electrical junction boxes uncovered is a N.E.C. violation, as the wire connections are no longer contained in the event of a fire. That is the first purpose of the code---to prevent fires. The second is exposure to shock, also a reason to cover junction boxes. Good member---I would work for her again."

"The member works only ten minutes away, who makes it very convenient to get an installation check before I do it. Also has a good dogbell protecting the sofa! I definitely would go there again. Maybe spring clean-up/organizing, when I charge half-price for just schluffing up the stairs from the basement."

"The hinges went on well, and the dryer vent was properly metal taped after the clamps were installed. The smoke detectors did not work properly, even after new batteries were installed. One smoke detector was not attempted due to its height on the ceiling and its length of service. I told the customer I would replace that one and the others if she purchased the new smoke detectors with the quality she wanted. I am awaiting her call."

"The member's present difficulty is under-tile floor heating that I have not practiced installing yet. To save her money, I suggested contacting an Angie's List service provider for this work."

"The customer requested removal of some tiles before doing the actual job of installing the tiles, but the drywall was weak and the tile pulled more sheetrock away during removal than the first row I removed. This caused some deep depressions in the substrate, up to 3/8" of an inch. The customer had purchased the job supplies, including some fast set mastic, according to the bag. I tried to use his materials, but the mastic didn't set up fast enough to start laying in the new tiles. I got the job prepped, but the 3-hour limit came quickly. It is Angie's policy to collect the money on Big deal coupons, as they receive a commission. On regular Angie's List jobs, I get paid after the job is done, a normal procedure. It appears that the customer was unfamiliar with the tiling process, as tile removal can expose unsuitable substrates that must be corrected before the job can proceed. That alone can take three hours and a scheduled day before returnning."

"I am a bit surprised about this, as the member accepted the work without any further requests. The stucco originally was very thin---only one coat over a foam substrate. This did not give much material to scuplt any texture finish. I used all the purchased material without wasting it, but one or two more trowels of mud would have required another 60 pound bag with a trip to the store to get it. I think the time problem came when I repaired more of the deck boards than originally appeared to need work, as the prep work loosened more weak material than her visual complaint of her deck requested. I would have explained this more significantly if there was a stronger question on the time quote, but only briefly mentioned it during the inspection. Good customer, though. I would work for her again."

"The mailbox post was definitely bent! Excellent choice by Member on the replacement post and box. The job went well. I plan on working there now that that leaves have dropped."

"As I remember, the member's wife said she had been waiting three weeks for someone to put her oven in, so I wanted it done that afternoon. Other than the electrical service needed an oven receptacle, the owner had done an excellent job in prepping the area. I would work for them again."

"This member requested the removal of an isolated-handle lavatory faucet whose cold water anchor nut had rusted and I wanted to be extremely careful not to damage the pedastal-supported sink. Penetrating oil and a heat gun got it loose. Also, I liked the customer's decision to replace their exterior garage fixtures to some very strong, bold units that fit their house well. Good people."

"The member replaced the disposal switch, but may have inadvertently tripped the circuit breaker putting the switch in the junction box. When they tried the disposal, nothing worked due to the handle of the circuit breaker not flipping completely off, who is normal for some breakers, and they didn't see it in the middle/tripped position. Electrical troubleshooting under the sink verified all circuit wiring was good, but the power wasn't there for the disposal switch. Resetting the circuit breaker completely solved the problem. I also installed her fire extinquisher bracket to an emergency access position, as it was stuffed away behind the sink trap. Thank you!"

"Her roll-up screen door was an excellent choice for her entry to her garage----saves a lot of room. Also, the building contractor put her outside faucet in the garage. The vacuum breaker leaked on the floor every time she shut the water off. The member thought she had a bad faucet that needed replacement, but all that was required was to remove the vacuum breaker. Apparently the house was built before the vacuum breaker code was started."

"Thank you!"

"Thank you!"

"The customer is right. This is the frist scheduling error in 11 years----I goofed! There's nothing I can say or do now about the customer's plans . Although through this post I offer the member 3 hours of work at no charge, a $99 value for the inconvenience whenever she wants it."

"The member gave me my first referral and entry into Angie's List, so he is a very special customer!"

"The member's health was immobilzing her housework, so I really dug into her storage closet!"

"One item was to remove a broken candelabra bulb, whose socket kept turning. The member's fixture looked like a complete casting, but I was able to remove the base, and tightened the bayonet socket. I did the same for the other fixture who was also loose, and explained to the member how the unit worked so she could repair it herself if it ever happened again, who was unlikely. The member also has two very nice cocker spaniels!"

"The member did a good job ordering the unit after she got the rough-in numbers. She let me clear the trim enough to get to the house frame so the new unit went right in correctly. Good job!"

"The member was told to flash his windows to stop rain leaks, but the inside water stains did not line up with the window exterior, so I told the member that the flashing expense may not work and would be a waste of money. He agreed to getting a water hose and spraying the windows from the base up to see where the leaks started. Then he could decide what to do based on the actual facts. We also discussed the electrical wiring practices where electrical contractors will stab the wires into the back of a receptacle for joining wires rather than pigtail the wires for a pressure connection. Stab-lok receptacles work for about 5 years, then the load surges accumulate micro-arcings, causing intermittent service through the receptacle. This causes unexplainable power outages in a room where everywhere else the power is still on. Correcting the wiring solves these fast-built-home electrical problems."

"A house is not a home when little things don't work---electrical dimmers, sink pop-ups, light switches, doorbells, cracks in the front stoop, garage door glass. The member does need heater cables in the gutters and downspouts to stop regular ice dams in winter, though. Pleasant to work for. I will be returning after her insurance inspection."

"The one item this member especially needed was a walkway over her grass yard when the snow was 3' deep to deliver a washer,. I have such a snow blower that could do it, and did. I also cleared a walkway to the street, as her driveway was 4' deep, and she didn't use a car."

"The member just recently called me, and said her garage floor is now so well sealed she has to mop up the melt water from her car, whereas before it just soaked into the concrete, causing damage. But she said she didn't mind, as this protects against a total slab replacement!"

"The member attempted to change a shower head, but the shower arm broke off, leaving a piece of pipe in the elbow. I've seen this before and was able to remove the pipe without breaking out the wall to replace the elbow. I would go there again."

"This member constantly improves his house to make his wife happy!"