Tomcat Home Repairs

Tomcat Home Repairs,                               NOTE:  I recycle clean styrofoam packing material!

Don't replace - It can usually be repaired!

When I am not busy with my orchid activities, I like to utilize my skills with carpentry, sheetrock, glass & concrete.  I offer minor repairs to homeowners in the area (serving Maplewood, Chatham, Millburn, Livingston, Short Hills, Summit, South & West Orange and nearby communities).  I specialize in:

  

  ❶  Repair of old wooden doublehung windows, replacing:        Broken Sash  (cord or chain)
Cracked window (or door) panes.
Missing or brittle glazing.
    
  ❷  Fire Protection Package:     Fire extinguisher(s) supplied & installed.

Smoke/CO detectors; I inventory, test, and quote update as needed (see form below).
Clother dryer vent line cleaning; if required, quote repair/correction (see form below).
    
  ❸  Patch & spackle holes in walls or ceilings (water damage, plumber needing access to fittings, etc.).

  ❹  Tile repair/replacement and minor tile installations (floor, backsplash, etc.).

  ❺  Furniture assembly (IKEA & other brands), minor repairs and/or modifications.

  ❻  Installation of window treatments (shades, blinds, etc.).

  ❼  Installation of replacement windows.

  ❽  Deck repairs (incl. stair replacement), working with either wood or composite materials. 

  ❾  Raised vegetable beds (with or without rodent screens), cold frames & greenhouse construction.

In the past I have worked on many other projects.  Please see a partial listing with some selected project photos below.

Are you working from home now?

This is the ideal time to schedule home repairs, so you do not have to take time off from work once the crisis is over.

Free estimates.  Please call/text 973-495-4863 with details.

Concerned about COVID-19?

For lack of testing, I can't be positive, but it is possible that I have already had a (mild) case of the virus.  I was sick in early February 2020, with symptoms matching those given for COVID-19, with 5-6 day incubation from time of exposure and lasting close to 3 weeks.

I have since been vaccinated, and I have received a booster shot.

  • OUTDOOR:

    • Taken apart and re-assembled commercial size greenhouses.
    • Built custom greenhouses from scratch.
    • Designed & built custom shade tables for orchids.
    • Designed & built squirrel proof tomato cage.
    • Repaired fences & decks.
    • Replaced clapboard siding.
    • Built (& later removed) handicap ramp
    • Built raised vegetable beds.
    • Created custom privacy fences.
    • Built patio from scratch.
    • Constructed water lily pond with a small water fall.
    • Yard pruning & clean-up.

  • INDOOR:

    • WALLS & CEILING:
      • Rebuilt drywalls following mold remediation.
      • Installed access panels/doors where plumbers need to access fittings & controls.
      • Patched major holes left behind by clumsy movers.
      • Repaired minor water damage in ceilings & walls.
    • WINDOWS (please refer to diagrams in files below):
      • Replaced chains & rope in doublehung windows.
      • Replaced broken glass panels in doors and windows.
      • Rebuilt window frame in outside door, where burglar had broken through.
      • Reglazed antique doublehung windows.
      • Stripped & refinished cast iron window frames.
      • Installed shades, blinds & other forms for window treatment.
    • FURNITURE:
      • Installed high end (CADO/Royal System) wall furniture systems.
      • Assembled (& modified) IKEA furniture.
      • Assembled & finished unpainted pine furniture.
      • Changed height on custom breakfast table.
    • CLOTHES DRYER VENT:
      • Duct cleaning
      • Replaced soft duct with hard duct.
      • Re-routed duct that could not be cleaned or accessed.
      • Rebuilt duct that could not be  cleaned.
      • Installed 'Hard Duck' adaptors.
    • OTHER:
      • Rebuilt banister knocked down by clumsy teens.
      • Installed grab/support bars in bath room.
      • Installed railing in stair case.
      • Replaced attic folding stairs.
      • Fixed non-closing attic sliding stairs door.
      • Installed weathered board wall.
      • Installed floating laminate flooring.
      • Installed tile floor in powder room.
      • Repaired tile floor after installation of french drain.
      • Installation & removal of room air conditioners.
      • Installation of ceiling fans.
      • Hanging mirrors & art works.
      • Installation of fire extinguishers, smoke & carbon monoxide detectors (NOTE:  New regulations in Maplewood).

 NEW:  My van is large enough to pick up & deliver IKEA                         cartons up to 8' long and 48" wide.  

               With my trailer, I have also transported a washer                         and dryer, grills, furniture, air compressors, a                               hydraulic press and a 4 foot fire pit.

               Moving large items usually requires a helper.  If the                   home owner cannot assist, I will have to hire the 2nd                pair of hands.  

An example of of IKEA furniture assembly and modification.  This wall consists of 4 'Billy' book cases (2 each 15.3/4" and 31.1/2") with:

  • Larger units having IKEA glass doors added
  • Fabricating an extra deep shelf for each of the smaller units, to serve as night stands.
  • Fabricating a custom hutch straddling the bed (from another maker).
  • All components attached to each other with screws hidden by shelves, and secured to the wall.

For another member of the family, I built a display case for a beer can collection.

For such lightweight items, I produced shelves only 1/2" thick.

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Lint in the vent line causes fires.  Clean the vent line regularly, and make sure that your vent line is designed correctly (see file below).

Here a squirrel proof tomato/vegetable cage with 2 doors.  While this version was small, these can easily be scaled up to 8'x8' or 8'x12'.

                

To keep out rabbits & ground hogs, chicken wire will suffice.  For squirrels & chipmunks, the finer metal cloth is required.

And finally a set of deck stairs rebullt (with improved support):

I do not undertake major construction or kitchen/bathroom renovations, but I do have the tools and skills to take care of many home repair jobs.  Please call 973-495-4863, or email TomcatHomeRepairs@aol.com to set up an appointment for a free estimate.   If possible, please email photos of the damage to be repaired in advance. 

This file outlines what might be involved in doublehung window repairs.  I replace broken sash (cord or chain), broken panes and re-glaze as needed.

Doublehung window diagram.pdf Doublehung window diagram.pdf
Size : 61.959 Kb
Type : pdf

This file outlines what might be involved in replacing glass windows in doors (& built-ins).  Don't live with the cracked glass, let's replace so it looks good again.

Replace glass in doors.pdf Replace glass in doors.pdf
Size : 55.22 Kb
Type : pdf

This file addresses cleaning of clothes dryer vent lines, and also dryer vent line design.  I have found a number of very bad (& dangerous) vent line installations, which had to be rebuilt.  To date, I have been able to correct what I have encountered.  

dryer vents, rev 3.pdf dryer vents, rev 3.pdf
Size : 1328.413 Kb
Type : pdf

Fire Protection Package:  Are selling a house?  Smoke/CO detectors and fire extinguishers must be brought up to date.  I inventory & test what you have, and quote on what you need.

Fire ext & Smoke det.pdf Fire ext & Smoke det.pdf
Size : 718.118 Kb
Type : pdf