Last months jobs

Please note: Due to picture sizes and to reduce repetitiveness in displaying similar jobs, the following are only some of our jobs and only a few of the picture taken. Some of our jobs are under our drywall page.

April 2012

Dry rot near tub

In this project album we will see the results of contractors ignoring core issues and simply applying superficial remedies that end up costing thousands more than it should. These customers simply wanted some basic cosmetic work (a new tiled floor, some drywall work, and new vanity and linen cabinet installed). Unfortunately, we will see that 'quick fixes' from contractors can lead to costly repairs!

Here all looks well right? At this point we were simply going to remove the linoleum and particle board to prepare for tile installation.

Let's zoom in on the small dot under the curtain. Apparently it's a small dime sized hole with a little discoloration on the linoleum.

This small hole was the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'! What you are seeing is the dry rot on the particle board (the linoleum substrate).

After the tub was removed, we could then see that the sub floor was severely damaged as well. The previous contractor (a local bath fitter company that apparently installs bathtub liners over existing tubs in a day) that specializes in acrylic based tubs and surrounds had noticed this damage a few years ago (apx. 2009). They had noted to the customer on their invoice that there was damage that would not be liable for. They simply installed a 1/2" plywood layer over the damaged sub-floor (which is not seen here) and continued with their installation.

In addition they noticed that the two bottom plates (the 2x4's at the bottom of the wall) where rotted as where some wall studd's. Their solution was to sister (attach) good studd's to the dry-rotted studd's which can be seen here. NOT A GOOD SOLUTION!

We came in and replaced the dry rot on the bottom plates with pressure treated lumber and tore out all the dry rotted studd's and started from scratch. This not only provides the appropriate solution but peace of mind for our customer knowing that all is well from the unseen to the final finished product!

We later installed new drywall, tile backer board, and tub surround.

The finished product! After tile installation, toilet and plumbing fixtures (vanity faucet came in later), vanity and linen cabinet install, new bath fan/light, and painting!

The moral of the story is be careful with contractors that promise 'quick turn around' on bathroom remodeling. In this particular case, it lead to thousands of dollars in repairs! Again, these where the type of contractors that have displays at malls claiming they can remodel your tub and surround in a day. In fact, one of such companies websites asks, "Why spend tons of money—not to mention grueling hours—on bathroom remodeling? **** ***** offers top-quality, customized bathroom renovation products and services…and can complete the entire installation in one day!" I'll tell you why...Look at the pictures above! Avoid such companies and get the job done RIGHT by calling Wonderman Handyman Services or other reputable contractors in your area!

January/February 2012

Dry Rot project Hillsboro

Dry rot near tub

Underlayment sponged with moisture and mold

Subfloor with moisture

Evidence of old moisture behind tub surround

Dry rot discovered in subfloor under tub

Mold and rot found behind tile tub surround

Dry rot confirmed under the tub and tiled tub surround after the tile and tub were removed. Notice the rot on the corner and bottom plate of the wall.

Here we had replaced the rot on the sub floor outlined in red

Here we replaced the and 2x4's (studd's and bottom plate)

After we had installed the tub, drywall, and tub surround

After the tub, surround, plumbing fixtures, drywall texture and painting, flooring materials were all installed. We also installed an oversized splash guard.

Dry rot damage Portland

Notice the slight swelling and dark area in the circle

Under toilet

Damage to underlayment. Here we had to remove the vanity to prepare for installation of vinyl flooring on the entire floor of the restroom

Evidence of moisture having reached the sub-floor. We had to dry and treat the mold on the sub-floor

A bit of overkill but we like to make sure our work stands the test of time by installing a PVC 40 mil layer prior to adding underlayment in the unlikely event that moisture escapes the toilet bowl again.

After we installed the new underlayment, vinyl flooring, vanity, and toilet.

Stair stabilization and gravel pathway NW Portland hills

Extremely steep and short treads make this stair set an accident waiting to happen with all the moisture and leaves

After we increased the tread length and added a solid PT surface and hand rail

This river rock pathway is very slippery so we decided to add some gravel leveling steps

During

After

Dog damage

After

December 2011

Gym Addition

After wall were painted and preparing for flooring installation

Flooring installed

Upper view (with pull bars and TV with receiver installed). This also required installing an additional

outlet below the TV to conceal the power cables for the TV and receiver.

Gym with equipment installed

Before

After

August 2011

Before (grout replacement)

After

May 2011

Stair repairs

Before

During (new stringers)

After

Tub surround replacement

Before

During

We found mold and dryrot

After

(Treated mold, installed green board, sealed perimeter of tub surround with silicon, install new panels, and another layer of silicon)

POST PHOTOS IN PROCESS

This project included drywall installation and a glass tile backsplash.

Before

After

(Note: the customer was going to clean up the drywall around the tile backsplash by sanding and applying texture.)

Laundry room remodel

Note: We removed popcorn texture from ceiling, repaired drywall damage, applied new orange peel texture, painted the walls and ceiling, installed new light fixtures, outlets, switch, tile flooring, and replaced all the dated items like toilet, vanity, and utility sink. We also installed a new mirror and cabinet plus towel holders, toilet paper dispenser, and custom fit blinds.

Before

After

Before

After

April 2011 projects

This project included mudding and texture application. The customer was going to prime and paint the finished product.

Before

After

Ceiling texture matched

Before

After

March 2011 projects

This project entailed removing a suspended ceiling, framing the ceiling to match the living area, install the can lights that where temporarily removed, and drywall installation with matching texture.

Before

During

After

Deck stairs installed

Before

After

February 2011 projects

This is drywall installation with texture and matching a special profile on the ceiling of a master bath.

Before

AFTER

This customer wanted to better utilize an attic space so we installed a man door and drywall on the interior for storage use.

Before

AFTER

January 2011 projects

This is a working area that we installed insulation and drywall.

Before

AFTER

Here we built some masonry steps between levels of the customers back yard.

October 2010 projects

Tile surround installation

Drywall and lathe and plaster repairs.

September 2010 projects

Partial restroom remodel including floor replacement, new toilet, new vanity and sink.

Deck rail replacement, sanding and clear stain applied.

Dry rot surrounding the shower stall penetrated beneath the underlayment and affected a portion of subflooring below the shower stall. We had to remove the shower stall and a wing wall to remedy the problem. This turned out to be a restroom remodel.

August 2010 projects

Acid staining and sealing

Before

After

Deck build

July 2010 projects

Deck sanding and staining

Before

After sanding

After oil sealer was applied

Deck sanding and staining

Before

After

After staining and sealing

Installation of a 70'+ fence line using post brackets. We also had to install a retaining wall because our customers yard stands proud of the neighbors grade.

June 2010 projects

During (installation of a 55'+ privacy fence)

Posts setting on a slippery, sloped surface

After

After staining of the fence with a cedar tone

May 2010 projects

(House painting) Before

After

Before

Drywall, baseboard, prime and painting

Note: This wall was warped because of two of the studs stood proud from the rest. The drywall that was originally installed was 1/4" and was covered in multiple layers of wall paper (the brown is our customer attempting to remove a portion of said wall paper). We recommended that we remove the drywall on this wall, replace the warped studs and install new drywall and texture.

During

After

April 2010 projects

Before

After

Before

After

March 2010 projects

Fascia and garage door trim replacement (before)

After (including gable vent and Hardie plank siding replacement)

Before

After (note fascia and garage door trim)

Siding replacement and painting (before)

After

Before

After

Before

After

Deck plank and bench replacement (before)

After

February 2010 projects

Before

After

Before

After

Shower door installation

This door was taken back to the shop along with another interior door and sprayed with a fine tip. We used Sherwin-Williams custom matched paint. The results speak for themselves.

Before: This restroom floor has a serious slope because the house has settled a bit more than usual.

During: Here we had added a couple of layers of leveler to reduce the slope.

After:

January 2010 projects

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Here we patched an area of ceiling with knockdown texture. The texture had not dried but we matched the surrounding texture pretty well without making a mess. We later returned to prime and paint the patched area.

Before: This customer wanted to have a LOT of blocking added before some drywall installation so he could have a solid back to install peripheral boxes.

During: Here we added the blocking he supplied (2x4 and plywood)

After: After we installed drywall and a first coat of joint compound that he would later sand.

December 2009 projects

Before

After

This customer had major problems with moisture penetration in her basement walls. To remedy the problem we had to divert standing water with a French drain, remove drywall and a section of cabinetry, remove all the old dingy carpet, have a mold specialist come out and treat the mold, remove wall paper, and seal the walls with a water proofing system. We then had to close up the drywall, install a closet where the cabinets where removed, install baseboard, apply drywall texture, and paint the walls and ceiling. Enjoy the pictures

Before

After

We dug a 2 foot trench and installed perforated pipe to divert any standing water to the front yard away from the foundation. Note the pipe sock used to help keep the pipe clear of sediment for years of un-clogged drain pipe.

Before (Note the old carpet and wall paper backing not to mention all the heavy furniture that had to be removed)

Here one of our technicians are removing what was left of the wallpaper backing

At this point we had removed the old carpet and padding, the mold specialist had removed the drywall, a section of the cabinet, and treated for mold.

During

Here we had already framed a new closet, closet up the drywall, and painted all cabinets and trim. We were getting ready to shot texture throughout the basement walls and ceiling.

After

Here we had installed new drywall, baseboard, framed and drywalled a new closet with a new panel door, painted the cabinets, baseboard, window and door casing, painted the walls, ceilings, and duct work. We also changed all the electrical outlets and switches, and installed new efficient light bulbs (including a new light fixture). All that was left was to have carpet installers finish the flooring to make this an enchanting livable space.

November 2009 projects

Before (this customer wanted to get their house on the market and asked us to help with multiple tasks geared to help make the house presentable. It includes roof moss removal, yard debris removal, pressure washing, painting, drywall work, complete house cleaning, and carpentry. We will only show a few pictures that reflect some of the work we did.)

After

Before

After (painted ceiling, walls, wainscot, and added texture)

Before

After (moss was removed off entire rooftop)

Leaf Relief system installation

Before

During (this picture reflects the surface after we removed the existing backsplash and tile preserving the face trim and underlayment for a quicker turn around time on the project.)

After (this reflects the new tile, sink, and faucet that we installed. Notice the inlay in the center of the tile)

Before (we did the same here as the previous pictures reflect. Basically, we removed the existing tile and sink and installed new ones)

After

Before

After (we removed the wall paper on one wall but noticed it had two layers of very stubborn wallpaper that was coming off only with the drywall paper. We decided to prime over the rest of the wall paper and shoot texture for the customer to paint later. The results where seamless.)

October 2009 projects

Before (Dry-rot above garage trim board. This was caused because there was no flashing installed to prevent water intrusion)

After (this is once we removed the damaged wood from both the stud and OSB. We then covered the area with 1/2" plywood, paper, and flashing)

Before (note the mold on the ceiling. This fan had not been working for some time which did not allow for proper ventilation thus producing the perfect environment for mold.)

After (after removing a section of rotten drywall we installed a new piece of drywall and a new fan)

Before (actually during)

After (we matched the existing shelving and paint. This smart design allows for a concealed melamine desktop useful for a computer, monitor, peripherals, and other storage that easily conceals behind french doors.)

Before and After (On this project we patched over 16 drywall holes made by a plumbing contractor that replaced all the water lines in this house.

Note: The after pictures reflect our work while the drywall mud was still drying. The finished look is a powder white. These walls had a smooth finish and the customer preferred to paint the patched walls.)