davis_square | Entries tagged with home repair

Edited to add: Someone has already claimed the kitchen-aid. Thanks!

Good condition wooden two-drawer lateral file cabinet. It's in great shape; I just need space so I went on a scan-and-shred spree. Free to the first person who can pick it up in east Arlington.
A Kitchen-Aid mixer (a 5-quart Artisan series cobalt blue KSM150PSBU), needs repairs. The deal with kitchen-aid small appliances is that kitchen-aid doesn't offer repair services for small appliances anymore (grr argh), and they're supposed to be user-serviceable. And they are! But not if you're a person with disabled hands. So I tried and failed to repair it, and gave up and replaced it, but I hate to waste a gorgeous kitchen-aid that should last decades. The repair options I know of are:
- Maaaaybe you can get it repaired by Kitchen-Aid? Their website still has the info to get a shipping kit for repairs. When I tried it a couple of years ago I ended up in phone rerouting hell and so I don't know if that service really still exists. But feel free to try!
- Do it yourself. Requires buying the right grease, and having fine motor control and hand strength. There's an iFixit guide and tons of youtube videos, I'm just not strong enough to do it.
- Taking it out for repairs. The closest place I can find that does small appliance repairs is Fix Masters in West Roxbury, and I can't drive. But if you drive and are regularly down there, that one seems super easy.

So the Kitchen-Aid is free to the first person who can pick it up in east arlington and also is intending to repair the mixer.

staccato_tenuto

We're looking for someone to build a custom enclosure for an outdoor heat pump unit we had installed recently, which is about 6 feet high, 3.5' wide. The enclosure would need to be made of something like a lattice to avoid blocking airflow, and it would most likely need to have posts dug into the ground to make it sturdy enough to stand up in the wind.

Do any of you have recommendations for someone who can take on this kind of job? We've consulted local handypersons who have said it's too large a project for them, and carpentry and fencing companies who have said it's too small.

Current Location: Porter/Davis Squares

vonelftinhaus

So I have checked the city website and do know options exist to get rid of some items we have but don't need anymore along with items that need special disposal. But I wanted to ask before I either brought them to the DPW or just threw stuff out

- have a number of the cfl light bulbs that we don't need anymore and I believe all of them work and some are still packaged; we switched to LED a few years ago. Does anyone want these or is there a group that can put these to use?

- also have a number of "traditional" light bulbs and will dispose of these unless they can be of use?

-I went to Save that Stuff in Charlestown to dispose of a bunch of Styrofoam; seemed yes they take the white packing material but I got the impression they would not take or just throw out the food/colored material even though it was clean. I know the city has 2 pickups during the year and I missed the last one cause i thought the company that did it went out of business - would be great to get a few more pickups from the city during the year. Also was curious if anyone knows of a place that does take all types of Styrofoam? travel is not a problem

- Looking for referrals for slate roof work

Thank you

olliesix.livejournal.com

Our 1920's cinder block detached garage is of the classic Somerville style. It's pretty sound, but needs repair of rotted wood frame around the garage door and some cracked masonry/facade issues. Seems too small for major contractors, but might be more than a handyman usually does. Since there are so many of these garages around Somerville, and many have been fixed up, I'm hoping some of you can recommend the folks who do this work. Hoping to fix this spring. Thank you!

mkwatt.livejournal.com

Does anyone know and recommend a carpenter who would be willing to take on a smallish job? We are looking to install a door and some framing at the bottom of the stairs leading to our basement.

bobobb.livejournal.com

A piece of siding has fallen off of the third floor of my house and I can not find anyone to go up on a ladder to replace it. I still have the siding. I've called every siding person and handyman within 5 miles of Davis Square - including those listed here - and the job is either too small or they won't go up that high. Anyone know anyone who might be interested in this job? I'm at a total loss.

bobobb.livejournal.com

Hi Folks,

I'm in need of a handyman for lots of random and annoying jobs - sometimes involves getting dirty, sometimes involves climbing ladders, sometimes involves painting etc. Might not get a call for months, and then a few things might pop up that need quick attention.

Any suggestions?

phpanda.livejournal.com

Thanks for the updates on pricing and recommendations a new hot water heater. Does anyone have advice about considering a tankless system compared to traditional. The plunber said there wasn't a big price difference which surprised me.

phpanda.livejournal.com

Our 6 year old water heater IS apparently really a 6 yr model as we need to replace. The first quote was $2100 which is way more than I pexpected. Has anyone replaced yours lately and do you have a recommendation or can you confirm a ball park price range? It is a 50 gallon short with power vent if that makes sense to you.
Thanks!

siderea

Last autumn, my landlord had someone get up on a ladder and wrap the external part of my wall-mounted air conditioner in plastic and duct tape to protect and insulate it for the winter. That was great. It's now May 27th, it's over 80 degrees in my apartment, and he still hasn't gotten around to having someone get back up there and remove the plastic so I can use my AC, though he keeps telling me he's going to do it.

Can anyone recommend someone to hire to fix this situation for me? I don't expect it would take long for someone with a sufficient ladder and a razor blade. Indeed, I might be willing to retain the person to also unwrap the five other air conditioners of the neighboring apartments, depending on what it cost.

My AC and four of the others are on the second floor. A fifth AC is on the third floor.

emcicle.livejournal.com

Hi all,

I'm here with another long-shot question, but DSLJ so rarely lets me down that I thought i'd give it a try.

We are contemplating changing our furnace to a direct vent furnace, which would make our chimney completely unused, allowing us for the first time to consider/explore having it removed. I plan to reach out to contractors to get quotes, but again fear this falls into the too big for a handyman, too small for a name brand co to want to take on... Has anyone, fairly recently, had their chimney removed? If so, can you give an idea of the cost, and also what it entailed (how they actually do it)? Does anyone know if they can remove part of it (i.e. the part in the basement) and shore up/leave the rest in the walls? Or does it all have to come down?

Thanks!

Current Mood: hopeful

kapara19.livejournal.com

I have two skinny stained glass windows on either side of a regular window on the front of my house. One of the Windows has been cracked for at least a decade and last night a piece of the window finally broke out. I don't think it can be repaired as the window looks pretty bowed at this point. Would love to replace with stained glass again but don't know who to call. Since these windows are pretty common in the area, I'm hoping someone has had some experience with this or knows a good contact I can call??

Thanks!

wobblymusic.livejournal.com

We've got a huge couch that's got some tears, is generally showing it's 20-something age, and definitely needs to be reupholstered. It's a huge couch that I don't want to have to transport out of the house. I know that there are services that will come to your house and do all the work right there in your living room. Has anyone used such a reupholstery service (or know of one) that they would recommend? DIY is not an option for us.

bobobb.livejournal.com

Does anyone have any recommendations for lead testing and/or abatement companies they have worked with before? Looking for someone excellent.

olliesix.livejournal.com

We are hoping to add a window to a window-less bedroom in our Somerville mansard home, requiring a 'dormer' window. This seems to be a medium size job that some contractors are not interested in. Any suggestions on who might be suitable? I'm sure there are many Somerville folks who have done this before. And any tips with Inspectional Services? I assume this is a routine thing (the neighbors have no windows facing this side of our house, so there shouldn't be an issue with privacy). Thanks!

emcicle.livejournal.com

Good morning DSLJ,

I did search the previous tags back a few years before asking this, and have put calls into a few of the suggestions, but wondering if anyone could recommend a handyman/carpenter for a smallish renovation job? We have closets in two bedrooms that adjoin each other (the two closets' share their back wall) and are very oddly shaped (like good New England closets usually are). We'd like to have the wall between them taken down and put back up to make them equal/standard size closets. Apparently this is too small of a job for the bigger name company's, the three I have called so far have all said it is too small to be worth their time. Any recommendations? (we have a call into the Kris, who was recommended here on the furniture repair post). If no recommendations come from here, we'll likely start calling random people off craigslist (but I always like some sort of referral if possible!)

Thanks!

Current Mood: hopeful

she-of-emeralds.livejournal.com

I got my futon frame and a couple of other pieces of wood furniture fixed, and the guy deserves a recommendation. His name is Kris Kroutt, phone number 617-230-5050. Besides furniture repair, he does these things (quoting from his flyer): "painting, carpentry, masonry, tile, plastering, sheetrock." Also shovels snow, I think, and he took my AC unit out the window for me. "No job too small," he says, "and free estimates."

He repaired the furniture nicely including part of a treasured antique dressing table, was prompt in showing up when he said he would, and is generally businesslike. I'd hire him again.

(Ron, I am not sure how to tag this.)

acidgalore.livejournal.com

My place needs a little bit of flooring work done. The floor is hardwood, and a couple of floorboards need to be replaced.
Any recommendations for a contractor? Thanks.

hahathor.livejournal.com

I'm looking to re-roof my place; probably about 3 years after I should have re-roofed it, and am looking for recommendations.

mary388.livejournal.com

Does anyone have suggestions for a good gutter cleaning company?

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The Davis Square Community

Entries tagged with home repair

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free to a good home: lateral file cabinet, kitchen-aid mixer

Carpenter for smallish outdoor project?

A few Local questions

Seeking contractor/handyman to repair classic Somerville detached garage

Carpenter

A man or woman with a tall ladder....

Handyman suggestions?

hot water heater - tank vs tankless

new water heater

ISO a handiman with a tall ladder for outdoor job

Chimney removal?

Broken Stained Glass Window

Reupholstery Recommendations?

Lead testing and abatement

Contractor for Adding a Dormer Window?

Handyman/carpenter?

carpenter and handyman: signal boost

Flooring contractor recommendation

Roofer recommendations?

Gutter cleaning

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April 2025

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