As we wind up 2018 I just wanted to thank everyone that gave me some work to do this past year. I had quite a few interesting requests and got to expand a bit in terms of the tools I have and types of work I can offer. There was a lot of carpentry, quite a few fences, some shed repair and roofing, outdoor staircases, some masonry retaining walls, one new seawall construction in Gunston Manor, lots of digging and shrub installations, the usual summer yard maintenance, poison ivy removal, some small engine repair, plenty of junk and waste hauling and a few tree felling and trimming jobs. I cleared a forest of bamboo, power washed a couple decks and stone patios, pulled out or otherwise removed stumps, installed some brick patio and walkways, helped one customer clean up after a controlled burn of a huge brush area, and repair a washed out dock so overall 2018 was a very engaging year.
Many thanks to David Reese for chipping in as a helper most of this past summer.
Winter is here and business is a little slow. All the rain has been causing problems for a lot of folks. I have been working mostly on my own property the last month or so, finishing my basement and installing various drainage solutions to alleviate standing water which has made much of my front and back yard total quicksand. I mention these things only because if anyone is doing similar work, or needs to, or is looking for a hand, I have time available to help out and have been busy making frequent supply runs for materials to accomplish these things so I am happy to pick up and deliver bulky items or materials you may need if you don't have an easy way to get them.
IF YOU NEED HEAVY EQUIPMENT:
Most recently Joe VanCura and I collaborated on renting a big Kubota front loader/backhoe machine from Home Depot to spread new dirt deliveries we both got. I also used it to dig a French drain trench in my front yard to absorb a lake of water that collects on my driveway every time it storms. That worked out really well as a solution. We both have more of that sort of thing to do and will be renting it again sometime soon so if there is a job you may have for such heavy equipment feel free to let me know and maybe we can all pitch in a few bucks and get some big things accomplished really inexpensively.
IF YOU NEED LEAF REMOVAL:
Many properties still need leaf removal. This can be a troublesome job if they are soaking wet but in between showers they do dry out enough to get them cleaned up so I have answered a few calls for that and took care of whatever still remains. If you still have a leaf covered property let me know. Rates are just $50/hour and the job usually moves along pretty fast.
IF YOU NEED BRUSH CLEARED OR TRIMMED:
Winter is a great time to cut back brush and overgrowth that can become daunting in spring when everything greens up so if you have areas of brush that need clearing or trimming now is a good time to get that done much more easily.
IF YOU NEED MULCH:
Same is true for mulching shrub and flower beds. The landfill still has plenty of free wood chip mulch but the leaf compost supply is gone now. I have used both materials frequently since free is a great price but I have been leaning more towards buying better quality mulch material from RSSY lately. They have lots of varieties for around $45 a yard. (which is enough to cover a standard parking space two inches deep) I find it lasts more than one season so I have to do less mulching with that stuff than what the landfill has for nothing. It also looks better.
IF YOU NEED GUTTER CLEANING:
I also came across a reliable guy who cleans gutters you can call if you need that. It's not something I prefer to do since it involves tall ladders usually and I am not a fan of climbing on them but this fellow does this professionally so I pass those requests on to him. His name is Gustavo Lopez and his direct line is 202-644-1896 so if you need gutter cleaning please give him a call directly.
IF YOU NEED A GOOD ELECTRICIAN:
If anyone has need of an electrician I have a recommendation for you. . It's always great when I have need of a certain specialty contractor and find a good one. We have probably all had the experience of finding lousy ones, and we know what happens then, but I just wanted to give a high five to James Dixon of EM2 Electrical Services. I sourced him locally off of a Google search and read a bunch of good reviews. I don't always trust those, especially if I only see 2-3 great ones since padding review columns is a thing that happens out there, but I saw a good mix of really positive to simple " good service, fair rates" sort of comments and nothing bad so he got the job. He offered to come same day or next day, he was ok with a little negotiation based on the job which I was able to describe very well. I needed to replace two pot lights and add a third in the ceiling with one new switch and wire up three outlets on a framed wall so no fishing through existing walls, everything was exposed and straightforward. This was part of my basement finishing project and I provided all the materials which I had on hand, except for about thirty feet of wire he brought along since I was a bit short on that. I also assisted him a bit, holding lamps and ripping out the old fixtures. We ended up also relocating a fourth outlet to a better spot and cleaning up a couple questionable wiring spots along the way. The fee we agreed on was $550, which he stuck to despite having a couple things added to the initial ticket and we finished up in just under three hours. A lot of guys are not very conversational, they prefer to do a job with minimal client interaction and they count every minute on the task. James looked for the best way to do things, asked lots of questions, the right questions too which was refreshing, and I ended up with a great result so I would definitely use him again so if anyone else is looking for a decent electrician to get past a sticky issue I think James is your man.
His number is 703-541-8364.
His Email address is EM2ElectricalServicesllc@gmail.com
IF YOU NEED TREEWORK:
You won't find a better quote than the one my arborist will provide and we have worked well together of many years now and dealt with all sorts of tree jobs. Even if they require highly technical rigging or special machinery to do safely we can bring to a job what's needed and get your trees under control.
REGARDING SAND:
One thing I am experimenting with on my own property is using sand to raise the grade and also absorb water. I learned this year that sand can be a very useful material that is frequently overlooked. It is great for top dressing low spots on a lawn, better even than topsoil since it packs more solidly and absorbs a great deal of water at the same time. RSSY sells what they call concrete sand, which is a coarse river sand as well as the fine white variety for around $44/ton. Grass obviously doesn't grow in just sand but if you want a thicker lawn that is more resistant to ruts you can create a mixture with topsoil or spread regular topsoil over the sand and sprinkle grass seed on that. The roots will really have something below to sink into which will be firmer when you have to drive a mower over it. This past year in particular all the rain wreaked havoc on my regular mowing schedule and I had customers that I could not mow regularly without getting stuck or risking leaving mower tracks behind. Standing water that refuses to drain between storms can be a big problem. I think for many who have had similar headaches sand might be a good solution. You can spread it right over existing grass and not hurt the lawn at all as long as you don't completely bury it.
WWW.EstateArtistry.com
Be sure to check my Website Project Portfolio for pictures of all the work I have been doing. I have been adding to that as often as possible and trying to divide it up into sections somewhat. Since the range of work I have been asked to do has expanded so much the last couple years the website has been the best way to communicate the results I have had and let folks know what I can do well. There is also a request form that sends me an email so if you would like me to come see if I can assist with a project you have you can either call me or use that tool to email your request.
If I am asked to do something that is new to me I can't always take the job, some things are better left to better trades people who specialize in certain areas and I can usually recommend people whose work I have seen, but I am very resourceful, a quick study and always willing to do research and take on new things so please feel free to ask. If it's something that is really out of my bailiwick or beyond my competence I will always be honest about that.
One last thing I would like to mention, and this is a request I would like to make... There were a couple instances in which somebody felt my truck or equipment were in the way of traffic. The roads in Hallowing Point are a bit narrow and getting around the many contractor rigs that are forced to find some way to park while they are on a job can be frustrating but I always do my best not to be an obstruction. If however my equipment is causing anyone an issue please call me directly about it since I am always very nearby. I am happy to immediately address such concerns and fix the problem and would rather take a complaint call than have someone call Fairfax County to issue me a ticket which did happen one time when I was grading land on River Drive. My number is clearly printed on my truck for anyone that needs it.
Thanks again to everyone for another great year and I look forward to hearing from you in 2019!
Many thanks to David Reese for chipping in as a helper most of this past summer.
Winter is here and business is a little slow. All the rain has been causing problems for a lot of folks. I have been working mostly on my own property the last month or so, finishing my basement and installing various drainage solutions to alleviate standing water which has made much of my front and back yard total quicksand. I mention these things only because if anyone is doing similar work, or needs to, or is looking for a hand, I have time available to help out and have been busy making frequent supply runs for materials to accomplish these things so I am happy to pick up and deliver bulky items or materials you may need if you don't have an easy way to get them.
IF YOU NEED HEAVY EQUIPMENT:
Most recently Joe VanCura and I collaborated on renting a big Kubota front loader/backhoe machine from Home Depot to spread new dirt deliveries we both got. I also used it to dig a French drain trench in my front yard to absorb a lake of water that collects on my driveway every time it storms. That worked out really well as a solution. We both have more of that sort of thing to do and will be renting it again sometime soon so if there is a job you may have for such heavy equipment feel free to let me know and maybe we can all pitch in a few bucks and get some big things accomplished really inexpensively.
IF YOU NEED LEAF REMOVAL:
Many properties still need leaf removal. This can be a troublesome job if they are soaking wet but in between showers they do dry out enough to get them cleaned up so I have answered a few calls for that and took care of whatever still remains. If you still have a leaf covered property let me know. Rates are just $50/hour and the job usually moves along pretty fast.
IF YOU NEED BRUSH CLEARED OR TRIMMED:
Winter is a great time to cut back brush and overgrowth that can become daunting in spring when everything greens up so if you have areas of brush that need clearing or trimming now is a good time to get that done much more easily.
IF YOU NEED MULCH:
Same is true for mulching shrub and flower beds. The landfill still has plenty of free wood chip mulch but the leaf compost supply is gone now. I have used both materials frequently since free is a great price but I have been leaning more towards buying better quality mulch material from RSSY lately. They have lots of varieties for around $45 a yard. (which is enough to cover a standard parking space two inches deep) I find it lasts more than one season so I have to do less mulching with that stuff than what the landfill has for nothing. It also looks better.
IF YOU NEED GUTTER CLEANING:
I also came across a reliable guy who cleans gutters you can call if you need that. It's not something I prefer to do since it involves tall ladders usually and I am not a fan of climbing on them but this fellow does this professionally so I pass those requests on to him. His name is Gustavo Lopez and his direct line is 202-644-1896 so if you need gutter cleaning please give him a call directly.
IF YOU NEED A GOOD ELECTRICIAN:
If anyone has need of an electrician I have a recommendation for you. . It's always great when I have need of a certain specialty contractor and find a good one. We have probably all had the experience of finding lousy ones, and we know what happens then, but I just wanted to give a high five to James Dixon of EM2 Electrical Services. I sourced him locally off of a Google search and read a bunch of good reviews. I don't always trust those, especially if I only see 2-3 great ones since padding review columns is a thing that happens out there, but I saw a good mix of really positive to simple " good service, fair rates" sort of comments and nothing bad so he got the job. He offered to come same day or next day, he was ok with a little negotiation based on the job which I was able to describe very well. I needed to replace two pot lights and add a third in the ceiling with one new switch and wire up three outlets on a framed wall so no fishing through existing walls, everything was exposed and straightforward. This was part of my basement finishing project and I provided all the materials which I had on hand, except for about thirty feet of wire he brought along since I was a bit short on that. I also assisted him a bit, holding lamps and ripping out the old fixtures. We ended up also relocating a fourth outlet to a better spot and cleaning up a couple questionable wiring spots along the way. The fee we agreed on was $550, which he stuck to despite having a couple things added to the initial ticket and we finished up in just under three hours. A lot of guys are not very conversational, they prefer to do a job with minimal client interaction and they count every minute on the task. James looked for the best way to do things, asked lots of questions, the right questions too which was refreshing, and I ended up with a great result so I would definitely use him again so if anyone else is looking for a decent electrician to get past a sticky issue I think James is your man.
His number is 703-541-8364.
His Email address is EM2ElectricalServicesllc@gmail.com
IF YOU NEED TREEWORK:
You won't find a better quote than the one my arborist will provide and we have worked well together of many years now and dealt with all sorts of tree jobs. Even if they require highly technical rigging or special machinery to do safely we can bring to a job what's needed and get your trees under control.
REGARDING SAND:
One thing I am experimenting with on my own property is using sand to raise the grade and also absorb water. I learned this year that sand can be a very useful material that is frequently overlooked. It is great for top dressing low spots on a lawn, better even than topsoil since it packs more solidly and absorbs a great deal of water at the same time. RSSY sells what they call concrete sand, which is a coarse river sand as well as the fine white variety for around $44/ton. Grass obviously doesn't grow in just sand but if you want a thicker lawn that is more resistant to ruts you can create a mixture with topsoil or spread regular topsoil over the sand and sprinkle grass seed on that. The roots will really have something below to sink into which will be firmer when you have to drive a mower over it. This past year in particular all the rain wreaked havoc on my regular mowing schedule and I had customers that I could not mow regularly without getting stuck or risking leaving mower tracks behind. Standing water that refuses to drain between storms can be a big problem. I think for many who have had similar headaches sand might be a good solution. You can spread it right over existing grass and not hurt the lawn at all as long as you don't completely bury it.
WWW.EstateArtistry.com
Be sure to check my Website Project Portfolio for pictures of all the work I have been doing. I have been adding to that as often as possible and trying to divide it up into sections somewhat. Since the range of work I have been asked to do has expanded so much the last couple years the website has been the best way to communicate the results I have had and let folks know what I can do well. There is also a request form that sends me an email so if you would like me to come see if I can assist with a project you have you can either call me or use that tool to email your request.
If I am asked to do something that is new to me I can't always take the job, some things are better left to better trades people who specialize in certain areas and I can usually recommend people whose work I have seen, but I am very resourceful, a quick study and always willing to do research and take on new things so please feel free to ask. If it's something that is really out of my bailiwick or beyond my competence I will always be honest about that.
One last thing I would like to mention, and this is a request I would like to make... There were a couple instances in which somebody felt my truck or equipment were in the way of traffic. The roads in Hallowing Point are a bit narrow and getting around the many contractor rigs that are forced to find some way to park while they are on a job can be frustrating but I always do my best not to be an obstruction. If however my equipment is causing anyone an issue please call me directly about it since I am always very nearby. I am happy to immediately address such concerns and fix the problem and would rather take a complaint call than have someone call Fairfax County to issue me a ticket which did happen one time when I was grading land on River Drive. My number is clearly printed on my truck for anyone that needs it.
Thanks again to everyone for another great year and I look forward to hearing from you in 2019!
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