My name is Larry. I’m the guy that’s been in the building trades for over 4 decades.
Over that time, I acquired a wealth of knowledge and a uncanny knack for knowing what problems to look for, before starting a home improvement project, as well as the solutions to solve your problems in the mist of a project.
Plus, I’ve already made the mistakes you don’t want to make, and have learned the tips and tricks you need to know. I can tell you about the things you might miss when planning a DIY project, and can advise you whether you should do it yourself, or call in a professional.
Basiclly, I can offer you all the things you need to “succeed with speed”.
I started in the construction trades, as a laborer, working for a small construction company that built energy efficient panel homes. I installed concrete forms, poured concrete, moved materials and most of all, I paid attention. Later I moved on to learning layout and framing.
Soon I went to work as a framer on a new subdivision. I learned more about framing, sheathing, stacking (roof building) and doing drops (drop ceilings). I finished my tract home experience doing pickup (inspecting the homes, finding the mistakes and correcting them).
I then moved on to the custom housing market as a framer. I picked up knowledge in plumbing, electrical and HVAC from the pros on the job. After building many custom homes I started working on commercial buildings, and learned more about their engineering, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems.
Next I designed, engineered, permitted and built my first home. It was a modest 1800 sq ft two story home in the mountains of Colorado. Two of my best friends and I built the house, with some assistance from a plumber, electrician and a drywall/painter. We built the house — start to move in — in 90 days and $1.17 under budget. The bank that loaned me the money said “Great job, quite impressive”.
My next endeavor was to build a log home. I designed and built the log home, once again, with the help of my two friends. This time it took a bit longer due to the log construction learning curve. We erected the house in only 103 days (even with the learning curve, I came in over budget by only $3500 on a $110,000 project).
Later, while designing kitchens, baths and garages for one of the nation’s largest home centers, I was responsible for the most sales by any designer, in my first year.
From there I worked for a “house flipping” company where we would renovate old and worn down homes and then resell them for a profit. This included everything from kitchen and bath upgrades, painting, layout redesign, remodeling and of course bringing the houses up to current health and safety standards. A tough job with lots of travel, but an excellent learning experience.
My last position, outside my current business, was with a large home building company as a facilities manager. My good friend/boss and I were responsible for close to a million sq. ft. of office, commercial, multi-family and merchant properties. My duties were to keep all facilities running in a safe and efficient manner including, but not limited to;
- Scheduling all regular maintenance and safety checks for the building systems
- Writing/spec maintenance contracts
- Supervising contractors
- Recommending cost saving equipment upgrades
- Reviewing designs for new buildings
- Developing new commercial building standards and writing the company emergency plan
Within the first month, I was able to save the company hundreds of dollars a month by simply adjusting the outside lighting schedule on the buildings and parking lots. A simple solution with a substantial benefit.
I’ve always keep my handyman business going on the side, as I found that there were many people out there that just needed a little help with their DIY home improvement projects.
While some needed help with planning their specific DIY projects, many others were stuck in the middle of a project and needed answers to get their DIY projects back on tract. And still others just wanted me to design and build their projects start to finish. So with all those DIY’ers asking for my help, my business has been quite successful, but most importantly, I’ve had the opportunity to help educate so many do-it-yourselfers.
So for this, I offer my thanks to you all.
Over these past years, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge and a uncanny knack for knowing what problems to look for before starting a home improvement project,as well as the solutions to solve your problems in the mist of a project.
So when you have a question or problem concerning your DIY home improvement projects, just call on me, your personal DIY Consultant.
I’m here to help you succeed with speed.
Thanks again for dropping by.
Larry – Your DIY Answer Guy