Repairs you can do yourself.
Step-by-step guides from a Florida Certified General Contractor: what to buy, how long it takes, and exactly when to stop and call a pro.
Know your limits. We'll tell you where they are.
How to check your home for a hidden water leak using your water meter
A step-by-step guide, based on Pinellas County Utilities' Leak Detector Guide and the EPA's WaterSense tips, to checking for a hidden leak: finding and reading your water meter, the two-hour test, closing the house valve to tell an inside leak from an outside one, and the toilet dye test.
How to check your home's humidity with a hygrometer (and what to check on the A/C)
A step-by-step guide to measuring indoor humidity with an inexpensive hygrometer, the levels the Florida Department of Health, the EPA and UF/IFAS recommend, and the simple A/C checks a homeowner can do: the filter, standing water around the air handler and condensation, based on EPA, ENERGY STAR, Florida Department of Health and UF/IFAS guidance.
How to clean and disinfect after floodwater gets in your home
A step-by-step guide to flood cleanup from CDC, EPA and university extension advice: the gear to wear, what to throw out, how to clean before you disinfect, the safe bleach mix, and when to stop and call a pro.
How to clean up a small patch of mold (under 10 square feet)
A step-by-step guide, based on EPA guidance, to cleaning a small mold patch yourself: the protective gear to buy, fixing the moisture first, scrubbing hard surfaces, bagging what can't be cleaned, drying, and when to stop and call a pro.
How to clear window weep holes, clean sliding door tracks and check the caulk
A step-by-step guide to keeping windows and sliding glass doors draining the way they're designed to: finding and testing weep holes, clearing them, cleaning tracks, and checking the exterior caulk, based on U.S. Department of Energy, FEMA and window makers' care guides.
How to cut out wet drywall and insulation after a flood or leak
A step-by-step guide to removing water-damaged drywall and insulation yourself: the gear and tools to buy, how high to cut, how to dry the wall, and when to stop and call a pro.
How to dry out a wet hardwood floor (and know when it needs a pro)
What to do when a hardwood floor gets wet from a leak or spill: shut off power, remove the water, dry it slowly with air movement and a dehumidifier, track it with a moisture meter, wait out cupping, and know when boards must be replaced.
How to find and seal small stucco cracks and wall gaps before storm season
A step-by-step guide, based on the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Hurricane Retrofit Guide and UF/IFAS, to checking a stucco or block wall for leak points, sealing small cracks and gaps with exterior caulk, clearing the base of the wall and redirecting downspouts, and knowing when a crack needs a pro.
How to handle a ceiling leak until the roofer arrives (and fix the stain after)
What to do when water comes through the ceiling after a storm: shut off power, catch the water, protect your things, stay clear of a bulging ceiling, document it, dry it out, and later seal and paint the stain.
How to look up your flood zone, base flood elevation and elevation certificate in Pinellas County
A step-by-step guide to the free official tools: Pinellas County's FEMA flood map and elevation certificate apps, Madeira Beach's Forerunner site, the Property Appraiser's FEMA/WLM letter, Know Your Zone and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
How to put up plywood storm shutters on permanent anchors
A step-by-step guide to making and hanging plywood hurricane shutters, based on the Florida Building Code (Residential, R301.2.1.2) and the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Hurricane Retrofit Guide: what thickness, how far past the opening, where the anchors go, how to install them once, and how to store and hang the panels.
How to safely go back into your home after storm surge or flooding
A safety walk-through for the first trip back after storm surge or flooding: when it's safe to return, what to wear, what to check from outside, why the power stays off until an electrician checks it, what to photograph, what food to throw out, and generator safety.