Shoot, I can do that.
Can anyone can be a professional handyman? “Just give me a truck and a few tools and I can do that”. “Oh yea, I’ll need some business cards, then I’ll be in business”. This is why the handyman industry gets a black eye. Just because a guy helped his Uncle paint the bedroom when he was a kid, does not mean he knows how to repair houses. How can a homeowner trust someone to work on their house with all the horror stories out there? The answer is simple, they won’t unless the handyman is a qualified professional.
There is a lot to learn.
A true handyman is experienced and knowledgeable about every aspect of house construction, maintenance and repair. It takes years of hands on to gain the experience necessary to be a professional handyman. The fact is, a handyman never stops learning. There are always new products, tools and techniques to consider. There are always going to be new and updated building codes. There is always something unique when you think you have seen it all.
Professional Handyman?
A professional handyman will always want to do things the right way. This includes following state and local laws regarding handyman work. A professional should be licensed and insured. All handyman professionals should have written contracts that specify every aspect of a job. Customers appreciate having things in writing. Above all, a professional will not take on a task he is not comfortable with or qualified to do just to get the job.
I do tile work; fabricate stone for counter tops, shower seats, curbs, etc. ; and make Terrazzo floors. My worst enemy is the guys your talking about. One of the top trades that is totally misunderstood and done wrong most of the time is tile work. Most of all showers. After their shower leaks, damages their house, and mold is growing all over in their walls, they decide to call someone like me. Oh, and by the way don’t think your homeowners insurance covers faulty workmanship, it doesn’t and I don’t see how your so comfortable with gambling like that. Then they don’t trust me the whole time I’m there, because of the previous guy. I charge more but I do quality work and longevity is always on my mind. Or the homeowner wants to know why the floor is coming up all over the place. Wrong materials, because these guys want to use the cheapest possible way to make it “look” finished. Or skip steps because it will add another day, or cost them more, and they already bid it too low just to get the job. Like the infamous I’m not putting a pre-slope in that shower.But the customer is to blame for all this too. I noticed with the economy the way it is, everyone is looking for the lowest possible price across the board. It used to be pick the middle price or I really want security so I’ll pick the high price. Maybe I should pick someone like a real plumber to do my plumbing, or a trained tile mechanic to do my tile work. I’m talking something more involved than a back splash in your kitchen, or a new valve under your sink. Most of these “handymen” think they know all about tile from the book at Home Depot. I read it so I guess I graduated. I’ve finally graduated. I was a “mud” helper for 3 years before they let me set a lick of tile. I started 20 years ago. Everyone comes to me for advice or to solve problems. House’s are unique as the people that live in them and most times require adjusting, securing, even adapting the structure to ensure the tile installation stays in. I still pull mud floors, especially for that addition that sunk lower than the house. I still remember when my boss said, “This new durock stuff will never last on the walls, you pull mud up walls.” So yes; materials, standards, and procedures constantly change. But the changes are to adapt to the other materials that have been installed previous to your own. It is always if and then. So you guys that are out there doing this please stop. Take professional tile classes and leave it alone. Stop tiling to the subfloor, stop using mastic on people’s shower floors. If the job requires the use of a waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane than use it. Explain to the customer why it is needed. If you want to read a book about tiling get one from the tile association of america. And if you find galvanized pipe that is being used as a water supply, change it. Don’t cover it up, even if the customer tells you to. It’s not ethical and you have the right to stop work. I saw this at Lowe’s. These guys drug in pipes that were galvanized with copper on the end of them. They wanted to know what the “silver” pipe was. LOL The copper part is what you see, and almost all home inspectors will pass it. I pass what I see. The other excuse is the pipes are old and calcified, nothing to worry about. Hope they don’t buy a system for their house that cleans that out of their pipes.
This is a little taste of what I run into in my trade. I hope I’ve helped the customer think about their responsibilities. I know you want to talk to one guy. Pressuring a handyman to do things they are not comfortable doing just because you like their price, or they won’t know how to price it right so I’ll get it cheaper, this isn’t fair to you or them. It will hurt you bad. To the handyman, don’t put yourself in a bad position. If you’ve installed something wrong it can come back on you and I mean class action lawsuit bad. Don’t think yeah, I have a year who cares. That doesn’t apply. A lot of jobs I do now are insurance claims and lawsuits. So it better be done right. Do what’s right……..
You are right Paladin, tile is a trade that a professional can make look easy to do. Also the shows on TV can be deceiving. I have seen more bad tile jobs than anything else. People thinking it’s easy and decide to do it themselves or hiring a so called contractor that didn’t know what he was doing. I have been around new construction and remodeling for nearly 30 years and I still won’t do tile showers. I have seen it done many times but I know there is more to it than meets the eye and would require experience to be done right. The slow economy, I think does influence homeowners to go with cheaper prices. And since so many people are out of work, there are a lot more of those “business card contractors” out there to compete with. This means we professionals have to work harder to sell our jobs for what they are worth. And we have to help the homeowner realize they are making an investment decision.