Author Archives: mikew
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Grandpa and the Elves
Posted on April 10, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItOne of the great rites of passages for aging men and women is the day people look upon their handiwork and shake their head in disbelief and awe. Often backyard workshops and garage hobby spots became the artist’s studio or engineer’s laboratory. When the fateful day comes for the person to move on they leave […]
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Spring Home Hacks: 12 Ideas to Save Money and Improve Quality of Life this Spring!
Posted on April 10, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItI’m a to-do list obsessive. I have lists and sub-lists and categorized lists of lists. Ask me to create a list (like what is coming in this email) and I can come up with one in minutes. It’s a prerequisite to being a good inspector and serves as the fuel driving home repair do-it-yourselfers. Before […]
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Powerful Tips: 8 Electrical To Do’s
Posted on March 9, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItI was part of an Extreme Home Makeover in 1991 long before it became a TV show. In that experience I came to respect and understand electricity as every teenager should in that five-day adventure. 3am is early, early morning, or late, late at night depending what end of sleep you are coming from. I […]
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Clever Gadgets of a Great Generation
Posted on March 6, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItOur grandparents (or great-grandparents) were an innovative, scrappy, do-it-yourself generation. It wasn’t until them that we had McDonalds, TV and highly efficient house building methods. Occasionally I come across impressive displays of mid-century ingenuity that bring a smile “golly-gee-willagger!” Here are some of those clever finds for your enjoyment. In this 1950s home it looks […]
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If Your House Could Speak
Posted on January 3, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use It[The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this letter are mostly fictitious. No identification with actual people (living or deceased) or structures is intended or should be inferred.] Dear capable caretaker, [THE APPROACH] It has been my great honor and duty to shelter you from the frigid weather, and chilly rainfall. I have […]
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Search and Find Your House: 2023 Edition
Posted on January 3, 2024 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItIt has been a privilege to serve the hundreds of clients I worked with in 2023. It is a privilege to have the trust of so many real estate agents, house buyers and house sellers. I’ve enjoyed the time with each person engaging in the biggest financial decision of their life and I’ve felt the […]
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Cute Bungalow or Acute Jungle-alow?
Posted on November 30, 2023 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItVegetation promotes possible wood destroying organisms Pacific Northwest cold winter months offer a relief from urgent yard upkeep. However, the lack of urgent does not equate to a lack of important yard upkeep. When outdoor plants go dormant it is time to attend to the foliage that has crept ever closer to our homes. Here […]
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Dealing with foggy windows that never get clean
Posted on November 10, 2023 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere are several windows in my basement that I’ve tried to clean – inside and out. Yet they remain foggy with a film that does not seem to go away due to a broken seal with several windows. There are many ways this issue is described: a failed window seal, blown seal, lost vacuum seal […]
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Hot Water Tank Safety!
Posted on August 30, 2023 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItThere is a 400-pound pressure keg sitting either in your garage, closet or laundry room! It is the source of soothing showers and refreshing hand washing. This unit brings as many warm and delightful moments as the family pet. It has become an essential part of our lives and the modern world. It is virtually […]
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Uncommon Piping Fixes
Posted on August 9, 2023 by mikew in Fix It & Use ItIn the spirit of celebrating the creativity and new ways of fixing old problems. In the enjoyment of the scrappy-spirited do-it-yourself who is getting the job done. In the age of pictures, images and memes. I offer you some of my home inspection PIPING discoveries! DIY Water Feature! As hundreds of gallons flow off your […]
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