Let GW Do It – but not everything!

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Our logo shows a roof line that is supposed to represent the fact that we will do almost anything that is under your roof. I’m constantly being asked if we do this or that.  Despite having a very comprehensive Honey-Do list, many people want things done that fall outside our comfort zone. Writing about what we don’t do seems kind of odd, but I wanted something to point to so it doesn’t appear to be an arbitrary decision to turn down work when asked. There are also projects we do that are not exactly under your roof.  We’ll discuss these near the end.

For example, do we do “cleaning”?  Yes and no. Cleaning as a broad category is not something that we generally perform.  We don’t do your dishes or clean your windows.  We think it is better to use a temporary maid service for cleaning floors, walls, etc.  However, many other projects require cleaning as a step in the overall process.  Painting, for example, sometimes requires cleaning of surfaces with special solutions like TSP (TriSodium Phosphate) for them to be properly prepared for new paint.  Renewing ceramic tile grout sometimes requires cleaning the tiles and grout before the application of chemicals to rejuvenate the grout or before adding new grout to an old floor.

A type of cleaning that we do perform regularly is pressure washing. Decks, driveways, garage floors, etc. all need regular maintenance in the form of pressure washing. Fences, siding and walkways all need occasional pressure washing to keep them looking fresh and clean. Even sidewalks can be made to look fresh and new with a good pressure wash.

Do we move furniture? Yes and no. We’re not movers.  Furniture moving is not something we do as a stand alone project.  That is best left to professional movers. Some furniture takes special equipment like automatic stair climbers or grand-piano dollies.

However, moving some pieces of furniture is a crucial part of painting; carpentry work like trim or crown molding installation all require furniture to be moved to make way for ladders to reach the work areas. Sometimes it’s a matter of convenience for our project to move things out of the way. Other times, we simply cover furniture rather than move it for protection.

There can also be a question of repair or replacement versus installing  brand new. Take for example the ceiling fan-light.  We can replace any ceiling fan, with or without a light very easily. However, to install a new ceiling fan, with or without a light in a room where there was none before is not something we can do except in special circumstances.  First of all, the cost of labor to open up the ceiling to run electrical cables and install a switch in the wall and then installing the heavy-duty fan bracket in the ceiling is normally too prohibitive.  It could run upwards of $500 plus the cost of the fan. Unless the room is being gutted or the owner has lots of money to burn, we say “No” to installing ceiling fans where there is not one existing.

Another installation that depends on the situation is air conditioners.  Central air compressors, no.  Window air conditioners, maybe. The maybe is based on whether or not there is the right kind of outlet near enough to not require an extension cord  Some larger window air conditioners need 220-volt outlets installed.  This would require the running of a large cable from the breaker box to the area where the unit is to be installed with a 220 volt outlet added.  This can be very expensive.  Sometimes there is not room in the electrical box for a new circuit. That makes installing a new unit almost impossible.  Of course, not completely impossible, just very expensive to add a sub-panel so that a new breaker can be installed for the new air conditioner’s circuit.

Outside your house, and not exactly under your roof, we do more pressuring washing of  walkways, pool-deck surfaces and even pools themselves.  Once you have it emptied we can pressure wash it for you.  However, we don’t provide any pool services like chemicals, cleaning, opening for the season or winterizing.  But, if you have a plumbing repair, above ground for your swimming pool filter, we’d be happy to take care of that for you.

Also, in your yard, we install and repair wood play-sets, repair wood fences, posts and deck or gazebos supports. Any wooden structure that needs repair, including sheds and garages. Speaking of garages, we also install garage storage systems for our clients that want the utility of their garage with the neatness of their house. Your know the saying, “a place for everything and everything in its place”.  Garage systems makes this a reality.

Whole-house heating and air conditioning systems are not part of the services we provide.  These systems are best left to certified HVAC (Heat, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) persons who specialize in home comfort systems. Termite prevention is another area of specializing but termite damage repair is a gray area.

I hope this helps!

-gw