Today's Transitions Winter 2019/2020

Page 20

: D E T N WA

A HANDYMAN

By Lucy M. Pritchett

Follow these tips to find the help you need to paint a room or fix that broken light.

M

y father was many things, but handy around the house he was not. Oh sure, he could pound a nail into the wall to hang a picture or use a screwdriver to tighten a doorknob, but beyond that I don’t remember seeing him do many chores involving tools. But, give him a trowel and let him outside to tend his tomatoes and he was a happy man. Because Dad handled rental properties, he had a list of independent contractors and plumbing, painting, and electrical companies he used to maintain those properties. He used them for our own house repairs as well. So if there’s one thing he taught me it was that you can always hire somebody to do the jobs that you don’t want to or cannot do. I have come to rely on that knowledge. I have owned my own home for 15 years and about 10 years ago totally remodeled the interior — knocking out walls, updating the bathroom, and pretty much changing every single surface in the house. I was lucky while doing that project — which went on for several months — in that I had a friend who owned a masonry company and served as my contractor. He had a crew of workers who did the demolition work and he hooked me up with a painter, an electrician, and a drywall person. I had wood floors installed and he had a source for that job as well. My brother inherited from our mother the Fearless Gene. He will try anything once. He has also been a source of help. Although he doesn’t live in Louisville, when he comes to visit I usually have a list of little chores for him to do, and he doesn’t mind helping PAGE 20 >>

18 Winter 2019-2020 / TodaysTransitionsNow.com


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