Your home · 10 guides
Handyman: problems and fixes, explained by Lindsay
Lindsay Myers is the only handyman member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- What a handyman costs in Dallas, and why flat-rate pricing changes the math There is no single price for handyman work. The number comes from the scope, the materials, the access and how many jobs you bundle, and the way a handyman bills matters as much as the rate. The honest answer to the price questionThree ways handymen bill, and what each means for youWhat makes one repair cost more than anotherWhy the lowest quote is often the expensive one
- The storefront repair list: keeping a small business space safe, open and presentable A dragging front door, a loose railing and scuffed walls cost a business more than the repairs would. Here is how to decide what is yours to fix, what comes first and who should do it. The practical answer for a busy ownerRead the lease before you fix anythingThe repairs customers notice firstAccessibility is part of upkeep, not a one-time project
- Powder coating, galvanizing or paint: choosing a finish for a metal gate or railing The finish on a steel gate or railing decides how soon rust comes back. Here is how galvanizing, powder coating and paint compare, and why the longest-lasting answer is often two of them together. The finish that lasts longest, in plain termsHow each finish keeps rust awayWhat Texas weather does to steelSide by side: what you gain and give up
- Heat, hail and the odd hard freeze: a season-by-season upkeep plan for North Texas Generic maintenance checklists are written for somewhere else. Here is a year of upkeep built around what actually wears out a North Texas house: storms, heat, moving soil and the occasional hard freeze. A year of upkeep, summarizedWhy national checklists miss the point hereSpring: storm season and the walk after every stormSummer: heat, sun and wood that will not sit still
- Custom built-ins from first sketch to final coat: what the process looks like Built-in shelving and cabinetry look simple when they are done, but the result depends on decisions made long before anyone cuts wood. Here is the process from first conversation to final walkthrough. The process at a glanceBegin with what the built-in has to doDesign choices that shape cost and lookMeasuring a room that is never quite square
- Can a handyman do plumbing or electrical work in Texas? Where the legal line sits A handyman who says yes to every job on your list may be saying yes to work they are not licensed to do. Here is where Texas draws the line, why it protects you, and how to split a list between the right people. What Texas law says, in shortWhy a small job is still a licensed jobMyths that lead homeowners to hire the wrong personWhat is at stake when the line is crossed
- Before you hire a handyman: the questions that separate pros from guesswork A few direct questions tell you most of what you need to know about a handyman before they set foot in your house. Here is what to ask, what a good answer sounds like and what should make you walk away. The short list of questions that matterHow do you price, and when will I know the total?Are you insured and bonded, and can I see it?Who will do the work, and have they done work like mine?
- A wobbly stair handrail: what you can tighten yourself and when it needs a rebuild A handrail only matters in the second someone falls, and that is exactly when a loose one fails. Here is how to find what is moving, what you can tighten yourself and when it needs real repair. Tighten it or rebuild it: how to decideWhy a loose rail deserves attention nowFinding exactly what is movingWhat is safe to do yourself
- A door that sticks or will not latch: what it is telling you about the house Most sticking doors come down to loose hinges, swelling wood or a strike plate that drifted. A few are early signs of a house that is moving. Here is how to tell the difference. Usually a small fix, occasionally a signalRead the gaps before you touch a toolThe usual suspects, from simplest to most seriousWhy doors in North Texas houses have a hard life
- The repair list that has been growing for months: what to fix first and who to call Every house has the list: the gate that drags, the fence post that leans, the caulk that failed. Here is how to decide what matters, what can wait and what kind of professional each item actually needs. The list nobody gets toWhy small repairs pile up in North Texas housesHow to sort your list in fifteen minutesWhat to do yourself, and when to hand it over