Getting to Know DB3

Today The MediaHaus is highjacking the DB3 blog to post a Q&A that will give readers some insight into the man behind the business – Drew Boddington:

How long have you been in business?

DB3 Contracting will mark its second year in business this August. I’ve been in the industry for twelve years, but I’ve been building things, fixing things, and tinkering with tools since I was eight, or so I’m told. I started working in the industry when I was twenty-two; worked for contractors, home-builders, landscapers, and restoration for a crime and trauma scene de-contamination company. Over the years, I’ve worked for good and bad contractors – learned a lot from the good, and learned not what to do from the bad.

What made you interested in the contracting business?

I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and run a successful company. Over the years I found that I would get call backs from homeowners I had done work for with other companies, and they would want me to come back and do work because I had made a good impression on them with my work and friendliness. It just made sense to start up my own business. Since I was little, I always loved anything to do with construction and building, and that has never left me over the years. In my house growing up my mom would ask me to fix stuff around the house because she knew it would get done and be fixed properly.  I was the kid that cut that people’s lawns, did gardening, cleaned up leaves, and shoveled snow. It was inevitable.

With so many aspects that make up your business, what is your favourite part of your job?

Getting up every morning and being excited for the day, knowing that I’m doing what I love.  I get to work outdoors, I’m never in one spot for too long,  I get to meet a lot of great people and get to know them while I’m working on their home.  I’m not confined to an office.  I love my job.

What are some memorable moments?

Some are from working up north on cottages with trees and a lake as the backdrop – it almost seems like not working at all.  Being shocked by 240 volts was pretty memorable, of course.  Above all, my most memorable moments are when I’m done a job and my client is happy and fully satisfied with the work done.

What are the main services that DB3 Contracting offers?

- Basement finishing/ re-finishing

- Bathroom and kitchen remodeling

- Renovations

- Additions

- Painting

- Flooring

- Trim work

- Landscaping

- Handyman and repair services

- DIY help

- If you can think it, we can do it!

Why did you start a DB3 blog?

To give helpful, professional advice and answers to DIY’ers, and to provide some info about the company and the work we do.

The Issue: Re-Caulking A Bathtub

Hey DB3!

I’ve heard you’re an expert on homes and home maintenance, so here is my question for you. The caulking around my bath tub is moldy, cracked, and an eye sore. Do you have any tips on how to remove and re-caulk the bath tub so I can relax and enjoy my bath time instead of being grossed out whenever I’m in the tub?

Thanks
Tyla

Hi Tyla!

Thanks so much for the question, I can definitely walk you through re-caulking that bath tub of yours. It’s a pretty easy job to do, it just requires some patience when applying the new caulking. These instructions can be used to re-caulk a bath tub, stand up shower enclosure, or around a bathroom sink.

What you will need:
Utility Knife
Razor Blade
Putty Knife
Caulking Removal Tool
Caulking Removal Gel (optional)
Painters Tape
Caulking Gun
Bath Tub Silicone Caulking (Mold Resistant)
Caulking Smoothing Tool
Rags
Latex/Rubber Gloves

First off, you will need to remove the old caulking. Using a utility knife or razor blade cut the old caulking along the wall and tub, then using a metal putty knife or a caulking removal tool scrape up the old caulking – but be careful not to damage the wall or the tub during this process.

If you have any caulking remaining on the wall or tub you can either continue to scrape it off with the razor blade or you can apply a small amount of a caulking removal gel which can be purchased at your local home improvement store.

When you have all the old caulking removed, you are going to want to give the area a good cleaning with a heavy duty De-greasing cleaner. A super clean surface on the wall and tub will help the new caulking adhere to the surface properly for a water tight seal.

Now for the trick to getting a nice clean bead of caulking: using painters tape, apply the tape 1/4″ from the seam on both the tub and tile surface.  Load white silicone caulk in the caulk gun and cut the tip to a 45-degree angle.

Start on one of the short walls. When squeezing the trigger keep moving the caulking gun along, always pull the gun in the opposite way that the gun is pointing, and make sure to lay down as close to a uniform bead of caulking as you can. Keep constant pressure on the trigger and don’t lift the gun until you reach the corner. Release pressure as you reach a corner to avoid pooling. Clean the tip with a rag between applications.

Now that you have the caulking all set out it’s time to smooth it out. You can use a wet finger tip, or a caulking smoothing tool.  Just as you did when applying the caulking, start in the same place and work your way around the tub, giving a nice smooth finish to the bead of caulking you just laid down.

After about 15-20 minutes from smoothing out the new caulking remove the tape by pulling it on an angle away from the silicone as not to disturb it.

Give the Silicone a good 6-12hrs to completely dry, and then you’re ready to use your newly updated tub!

Enjoy!

DB3 Contracting

Three Great Tools For Your Lawn & Garden

It’s spring, and summer is just around the corner – so we thought it was a good time to talk about three tools to help make your lawn and garden chores easier, with great results.

Roto-Tillers, Aerators, and Lawn De-thatchers are an easy and economical way to get the best out of your lawn and garden; they are easy to use and can be rented at your local home improvement, and tool rental store.

Rototiller:

A rotary tiller, commonly known as a rototiller, is a motorized cultivator with tines or blades that rotate through the soil, pulverizing it and breaking up clumps into a finer texture. Depending on the size of your garden there are different sized tillers for the job. In most cases a Light Duty Tiller is perfect for gardens, and the Medium Duty, and Heavy Duty Tillers are used for larger gardens or tilling over a lawn.

To use a rototiller, start it in your garden and let it work its way through the soil. It will move in a forward motion and does not have a reverse gear.

Lawn Aerator:

Lawn aeration is the secret weapon to make your lawn healthy.  Aeration involves making holes in the lawn either by pushing a rod into it or by “coring” –  extracting a plug of soil.  By aerating your lawn you provide the following benefits to your lawn and its root system:

- Oxygen gets to the roots and the soil, allowing it to breathe
- Organic fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system
- Water is able to better soak the soil and reach the root system
- Tight, compacted soil is loosened up allowing the root system to grow
- Helps to break up thatch

To use a lawn aerator you will want to cover as much of your lawn as you can in a back and forth straight line motion If you do have an underground sprinkler system, be cautious while using the aerator as if the coring tines are set too low they can puncture an underground water line.  Don’t worry about cleaning up the soil cores that are removed, just leave them on the lawn, they will breakdown in about a month or less.

Lawn De-thatcher:

De-thatching a lawn in the spring helps it “wake up” by removing old, dead material, cutting old rhizomes and stolons (which encourages new growth), and thinning the thatch layer to allow better access for nutrients and water to penetrate the surface. Whether your lawn has a thatch problem and needs a deep de-thatching, or it just a light scratching, spring is the time do it for noticeable results in the summer.

To use a lawn de-thatcher, it’s basically the same motion as using an aerator, cover as much of your lawn as possible in the same back and forth straight line motion. Once the lawn has been de-thatched you will have to quickly rake up the dead grass that has been removed.

If you have any questions for us or the blog, email us at db3contractingblog@gmail.com.

 

DB3 Contracting

The Issue: Replacing Window Screens

Every once in awhile, the screens on our windows and doors rip or tear. And when that happens, they’re rendered completely useless. But do you know how to fix them and replace the screen?

Not to worry. We do:

In just a few easy steps and in less than half an hour you can handle that not-so-glorious job of replacing the screen in your window or door. And just imagine how nice it will be to have the fresh air filtering in through that brand new window screen while keeping those pesky flying critters  outside of it, and knowing you did the job yourself.

You can pick up a screen replacement kit from your local home improvement store.  It comes with the screen, new spline, and a spline roller, all for around $10. You will also need a sharp utility knife.

First,  safely and carefully remove the screen frame from the window opening.  If you need to remove some of the windows to do so, number them with a piece of tape and marker so you know in which order they go back in.

Once you have the frame out and on a flat surface, remove the existing spline and discard the old screening, wipe the spline groove clean with a rag. If the spline is still in decent shape (not drying out/no cracks) then you should be ok to reuse it. If not, use the new spline from your replacement kit.

Next lay the new screen over the frame, making sure you have close-to-equal overlap on the edges. Then cut the piece off the roll.

Run the spline down the groove (from the top right corner if you’re a righty, or from the top left corner if you’re a lefty). Use your finger to lightly push the spline into the groove while trying to keep the screen as straight and tight as possible.

Now that you have one side done, pull out your spline roller and firmly push the spline into the groove with the roller; some will go in easy other will be tough, it just depends on how tight or how loose your spline groove is.

Once you have the first side done, continue on along one side at a time using the line same procedure and always keeping the screen as tight and straight as possible.

Lastly, cut the excess screen material with your utility knife, and re-install the screen into the window frame. If you feel like it, give that window a cleaning too – you’ll appreciate it later!

There you go, you did it! Easy, wasn’t it?  Now you can sit back and enjoy the seasonal breeze!

 

And as always, if you have any questions – let us know! Comment or email db3contractingblog@gmail.com

 

DB3 Contracting

The Issue: Hazardous Clean-Up

Although we may not have had a real Canadian winter here in Toronto,  spring has definitely sprung. Whether you’re a spring clean-up kind of person or not, this blog is here to help you learn how to get rid of unwanted hazardous and odd items.

The city of Toronto puts together a community event in each ward every spring – these events are called Environment Days, and you can throw away paint cans, tires, cleaners, electronics, clothing etc.  (For a full list of items, check the links below).

I’ve been to the last three Environment Days in my ward to throw things away. It’s easy, quick, there are lots of volunteers to help out, and best of all it’s completely FREE!  So if you have anything sitting around the house that you’ve been wanting to get rid of, but weren’t quite sure how or where to do so, check out the links below and attend your local Environment Day.

Environment Days – Schedule

Environment Days – Events & Activities

As usual, if you have any questions for the blog or otherwise, send us an email at: db3contractingblog@gmail.com

Drew

DB3 Contracting

The Issue: Removing Wall Tiles

Dear DB3,

If i want to smash all the tiles off my kitchen wall, what do i have to do to make it look smooth? Can i just use a drywall compound and sand it down and then paint?

Sean

Hi Sean, thanks for the question!

I like your gung-ho attitude in regards to smashing tiles, but I have to warn you – if you want to smooth over the wall, you will have to use some gentle persuasion when removing the tiles. The more smashing you do, the greater chance you’ll damage the wall.

If you really want to remove the tiles and have a smooth wall, it comes down to what condition the wall is in after you have removed the tiles. This will determine if you can use drywall compound to smooth it over (cross your fingers) or if you will have to remove the old wall and install new drywall.  If there is a lot of tile adhesive on the wall and it isn’t very level, you will have a very difficult time trying to smooth it over with drywall compound.  In that case it would actually  be easier to re-drywall the wall.

You can do a quick test by removing a few tiles to get an idea – if it looks good, continue on gently removing the tiles.  If it looks ugly feel free to smash away, but still be careful!

Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at db3contractingblog@gmail.com

DB3 Contracting

The DIY Round-up

For those of you who have just started reading the weekly DB3 blog, we thought this would be a good opportunity to highlight a few posts that have been most helpful to our readers – just to get everyone up to speed, and full of DIY info!

Worried about cracks on your ceiling? Don’t be!  Read the post

Not quite sure how to paint or stain hardwood furniture? We’ve got you covered.  Read the post

Mold in your home is a serious issue – here are some tips.  Read the post

Broken tiles can be an eyesore. Learn how to fix them here!  Read the post

Painting your house? Here are some important tips to make sure it’s perfect.  Read the post

Learn the importance of electrical safety. Read the post

DIY project – how to build a storage shelf.  Read the post

And don’t forget, if you have any question for the blog (or just for DB3), you can email db3contractingblog@gmail.com or comment here.

Happy DIY-ing!

DB3 Contracting

DIY Project: Easy-To-Build Shelf

This week, Drew gives step-by-step directions for making a storage shelf for your home – if you try this for yourself, send in pictures! We would love to see them:

Tools Needed:
Corded or cordless drill
Chop Saw/Mitre Saw
Circular Saw *if you decide to cut the plywood yourself
Level
Clamps *if needed

Materials:
1/2″ wood screws box of 50
1/4″ wood screws box of 50
Robertson or Phillips drive bit (depending on screws purchased)

Lumber:
2″×4″x8′ two
2x2x8   two
1x2x8   one
3/4″ plywood sheet  *you can get it cut to size or your custom size at your home improvement store.
Sandpaper *if needed
Paint *if needed

*These instructions are for a small shelf 48 & 3/4″ high by 21″ deep by 21″ wide:

- Cut the 2x4x8 into four 48″ pieces

- Cut the 2x2x8 into eight 21″ pieces

- Cut the 1x2x8 into three 21″ pieces

- Cut the 3/4″ ply into three pieces measuring 18″ by 21″ and one piece the top piece at 21″ by 21″

- Lay the two 2×4′s flat on the floor or workbench line up one 2×2 with the top and bottom of the 2×4′s and attach using the 2 2/4″ screws. Make sure they are flush. Next mark off 21″ from the bottom and top 2×2′s this will determine where the last two 2×2′s get attached. Once you’ve got all four 2×2′s attached repeat this step with the remaining 2×4′s and 2×2′s these are the sides of your shelf. Make sure both sides are identical and level or your shelves will sit crooked.

Now to attach the plywood shelves…

- Stand both sides up 2×2′s facing in, you can attach a piece of 1×2 on what would be the back of the shelf to help hold it together as you attach the shelves.

- Starting from the bottom to the top line up and attach the shelves to the 2×2′s with the 1 1/2″ three screws per sides. Remember the biggest shelf is the top piece.

- Lastly attach the three pieces of 1×2′s on what you want as the back of the shelving unit with the 1 1/2″ screws one per side. They are there for support so you would want to attach one near the top, bottom, and middle.

- Now just sand down any rough areas if you want, and you can paint it to if it is so desired.

Some photos for reference:

If you have any problems send a comment or an email to db3contractingblog@gmail.com and I’ll gladly help you out!

DB3 Contracting

Must-Have Tools For Any Home

Tools are an important part of every DIY, every reno, and every small job around a home.  But the average person doesn’t have an extensive collection of tools – so which ones are most important? Drew weighs in with his list of favourites:

I’ve liked tools since I was little, so this list is an easy one.

Measuring Tape
Hammer (MC)
Screwdriver Set
Level
Adjustable Wrenches
Pliers, Regular and Needle Nose
Small Ratchet Set
18v Cordless Drill
Drill Bits and Bit Set
Reciprocating Saw aka Sawzall
Circular Saw
Hand Saw
Hack Saw
Mitre Box
Mini Pry Bar
Small Step Ladder
Toilet Plunger
Caulking Gun
Sandpaper
HD Knife
Putty Knife
Metal Snips
Safety Gloves
Safety Glasses
Ear Muffs
Dust Masks

While this may seem like an extensive list for “must-have” tools, these come in handy for all big jobs, small jobs, and emergencies that tend to come up in a home. With these, you’re ready for just about anything!

Drew's tools

If you have any questions for us or for the blog, email db3contractingblog@gmail.com.

Have a great week!

DB3 Contracting

The Issue: Electrical Safety

This week’s blog post is a personal one from DB3′s main man, Drew – it’s a real experience that touches on the dangers of electricity :

On Tuesday, I had my closest brush with death yet – I was shocked by a 240 volt electrical current.

(I have been saying that I was electrocuted, but a friend corrected me and let me know that a true electrocution means it caused death.  Luckily,  I am very much alive.)

Here’s the story…

A 220/240 volt current powers your oven and laundry dryer.  I was working on a dryer plug, and after making sure that the power was off and my testers were telling me the same, I grabbed my screwdriver in my right hand, crouched down and went forward with the screwdriver towards the back of the dryer plug where the electrical line is attached.

When the screwdriver hit the line, all I remember is a loud electrical blast and pain I’ve never felt before course through my body as I was blown backwards 3 feet. I wasn’t knocked out, but I knew I was messed up. I wasn’t able to talk, and though I tried, I could not get up.

I learned later on that one of the guys working with me had “jokingly” turned the breaker back on thinking I was going to test it again, trying to confuse me. That joke was a horribly bad decision, as sorry as he may feel, because that jolt of power could very well have killed me.

Slowly my body started to work with me again, and I knew enough to test my pulse and realized my heart was beating abnormally so I was driven to the hospital.

I was admitted almost right away since they take electric shock cases pretty seriously.  I was monitored and checked out. Most of the feeling was back in my body, but my nervous system was on the fritz.  The doctors said I was pretty lucky, partially due to my own safety precautions: I had on insulated safety boots and gloves;  the current ran through my right arm and down through my body, instead of through my left arm near my heart and down through my body; and there was a good circuit breaker on the electrical panel that shut off like it’s supposed to.

When my heartbeat finally returned to normal, I was allowed to go home although they wanted to keep me in for observation. On doctor’s orders, I’m having to take it easy this week – currently my heartbeat is going strong, and I check it on the hour. My nervous system is settling down but still has its moments where I get the shakes.  My right arm, which has really been my biggest concern, is slowly starting to work with me again. It’s still quite weak at the moment, but getting stronger.

All in all I think I’m one lucky guy – my ticket isn’t ready to be stamped quite yet.  So allow me to leave you with this very important piece of advice…

If you’re a homeowner and you want to do electrical work on your home, please be as careful as you can be.  Always make sure the power is off, and never fool around – electricity is no joke.

Drew

DB3 Contracting