Handyman Service in Plantation, FL

After a storm, start with safety, then with a list. Note what came down, what it hit and what no longer opens or closes, and send it to One Call. For handyman Plantation work, whether it is a gate knocked off its hinges by a falling limb, trim that has rotted in the shade or an interior door that has stuck for years, One Call Home Pros matches you with a vetted local professional who does this work every day. The pro carries out the repairs. One Call arranges them, checks the pro and sees the job through.

Living under a heavy canopy

Big trees bring shade, and shade brings moisture. On the shaded side of a house, wood dries slowly after rain. Over years, that leads to soft wood at the bottom of door frames, along window sills and at the base of exterior trim. Paint peels first, then the wood underneath goes spongy.

A pro checks how far the rot runs by probing the wood. Small areas can be cut out and filled with a durable wood filler, then primed and painted. Larger areas are cut back to sound wood and a new section is fitted, often in a rot-resistant material that takes paint well. The cause matters too: if a downpipe, a sprinkler head or a pile of leaves keeps the area wet, deal with that as well, or the new wood will go the same way.

Mildew is the other sign. Green or black staining on north-facing walls, screens and patio ceilings is common under trees. Cleaning it is simple maintenance; repeated mildew on interior walls suggests a moisture or AC problem that a licensed HVAC professional should look at.

If wood crumbles into dust or shows tunnels rather than soft rot, call a pest control company before any repair. Termites are common in older Florida houses, and replacing the wood without treating them only feeds them.

After a storm: sorting the damage

Storm damage on a tree-lined street needs to be dealt with in the right order. A clear sequence keeps people safe and keeps insurance claims straightforward:

1. Stay clear of any fallen power line and report it to the power company. Do not touch limbs that are resting on wires.
2. Take photos of all the damage, wide and close up, before anything is moved. Your insurer may want them.
3. Have a tree service remove fallen limbs and any tree that is still hanging or leaning. That is not handyman work.
4. Have a licensed roofer check the roof if anything hit it, even if no leak shows yet.
5. Then bring in the handyman for the rest: fence boards and posts, gates, screen panels, exterior trim, a dented door or a broken window screen.

Tell One Call what happened when you call. We match each part with the right professional and book the handyman once the tree and roof work is clear.

Ranch houses from the 1960s to the 1980s

Many houses in Plantation are long, low ranch houses. They tend to have long hallways with several doors, sliding glass doors to a rear patio, original built-in cabinets or bookcases, and in some cases wood paneling in a den or family room. Floors may be terrazzo, original tile or later wood and tile laid over the top.

Each of those features shows up on a handyman list. Hallway doors drop on their hinges and rub. Sliding glass doors drag on worn rollers. Built-ins loosen from the wall and their doors sag. Paneling bows or comes away at the seams. Thresholds stop matching after a new floor goes down.

These houses are worth repairing carefully. Solid original doors and built-ins can usually be adjusted, refixed and refinished rather than replaced, and they often outlast new ones. A handyman Plantation visit for this kind of work is about patience as much as tools.

Roots and what they mean for your list

Roots in drain and sewer lines are a defining local problem. A slow drain throughout the house, gurgling toilets or a wet patch in the yard can all point to roots in the main line. That is plumbing work for a licensed plumber, who may recommend a camera inspection to find the blockage.

Roots also show up above ground, and some of that is handyman work. Patio pavers and walkway pavers lift as roots grow under them. A pro can lift the affected pavers, level the bed and relay them, though if a large root is the cause, it may be back. Cutting large roots near a tree can harm the tree, so ask an arborist before anything major is removed.

Cracked concrete slabs, driveways and pool decks are a concrete contractor’s job, not a handyman’s.

Fences, gates and screened patios

Older lots in Plantation often have wood fences and side gates, and many houses have a screened patio or pool enclosure at the back. Between storms, sprinklers and shade, all three need regular attention.

A gate that drags has usually dropped on its hinges or its post has leaned. A pro resets or replaces the hinges, braces the gate and adjusts the latch. A single rotted fence post can usually be replaced without disturbing the whole run. Broken boards are swapped one at a time. If the fence encloses a pool, the gate must close and latch by itself, so ask the pro to check that after any repair.

Torn screen panels are rescreened with new spline. Screen doors get new hinges, closers and latches. Frames bent by a falling limb, or pulled loose at the house, are structural and need a screen enclosure specialist, usually under a permit.

Inside: doors, trim and drywall

Inside an older Plantation house, the list tends to look like this:

• interior doors that rub at the top corner, swing open on their own or will not latch
• closet doors off their tracks, and bifold hardware that has broken
• baseboards and door casings split or pulled away after decades of paint
• drywall cracks above door frames and along ceiling joints as the house has settled
• old water stains on ceilings from leaks fixed long ago but never patched
• built-in cabinets and bookcases that have loosened from the wall

Each is a standard repair. Stains from old leaks are worth a moment’s thought: check that the source really was fixed before covering the stain. If the drywall is soft to the touch, or the stain grows after rain, there is still water getting in, and a licensed roofer or plumber should look first.

Built-ins and paneling up close

Built-in bookcases, desks and cabinets were common in houses of this era, often in a den or along a hallway. They were usually fixed to the wall framing with a few screws and have loosened as the house moved. Their shelves bow under books. Their doors drop on old hinges.

A pro can refix a built-in to the framing, add supports under a bowed shelf or replace it with a stronger one, and swap worn hinges and catches. If you want the piece refinished, ask whether the pro does that or leaves it ready for a painter.

Wood paneling is either solid boards or thin sheets over drywall or framing. Sheets bow and come away at the seams in humid weather. They can be refixed with finish nails and adhesive, or removed altogether. Before removing paneling, ask the pro to check the wall behind it, which may be bare framing, old drywall that was never finished, or drywall with adhesive scars that needs skimming before paint.

Sliding doors onto the patio

The sliding glass door from a family room to the rear patio is one of the hardest-working doors in a ranch house. Under trees, leaves and grit collect in the track and wear the rollers faster. When the rollers flatten, the panel drags and the lock stops meeting the keeper.

A handyman Plantation visit for a sliding door usually means lifting the panel out, replacing the rollers, cleaning and repairing the track and the weep holes, and adjusting the panel and the lock. The screen door gets new rollers and, if needed, a new screen. A sliding door that has failed altogether, or one being replaced with an impact-rated unit, is a permitted installation for a licensed pro.

A checklist for a tree-lined lot

Before each storm season, a quick walk round the outside of the house catches the small things that cause trouble later:

• gates that do not latch and fence posts that move when pushed
• trim, sills and door frames that feel soft on the shaded side
• gutters full of leaves and downpipes that spill against the wall
• screen panels with small tears that a storm will widen
• exterior doors that do not seal or lock firmly

Send what you find to One Call as one list. A handyman in Plantation can take care of the gates, fences, trim, screens and doors. Anything about the trees themselves goes to a tree service, and anything on the roof goes to a licensed roofer.

Gutters and the roof edge

Under big trees, gutters fill with leaves quickly. Blocked gutters overflow, and the water runs down the walls, soaks the trim and pools against the foundation. Clearing leaves from gutters is often on a handyman list, from a ladder, as routine maintenance.

The roof edge itself is different. Fascia behind the gutter, soffit under the eave and flashing where the roof meets a wall are all part of the roof system. If they are rotten, damaged by a falling limb or letting water in, that is a job for a licensed roofer. Gutters that have pulled away from a rotten fascia need the fascia repaired first. If in doubt, describe it to One Call and it goes to the right trade.

Kitchens and baths that have been updated in parts

Many older houses here have kitchens and bathrooms that were updated piece by piece over the years: new countertops on old cabinets, a new vanity beside original tile, new flooring that stops short of an old threshold. The joins between old and new are where the small problems sit.

Cabinet doors no longer line up after a heavier countertop went on. Drawer fronts rub. A newer vanity leaves a gap against an uneven wall. Tile trim pieces crack where old meets new. A pro can realign doors and drawers, scribe a filler strip to close a gap against a wall, replace broken trim pieces and recaulk the joins. Water lines, drains and anything that needs a tap connected go to a licensed plumber.

When it needs a licensed trade

Many of the problems that start under the trees end up with a licensed trade:

• Roots in drain and sewer lines go to a licensed plumber.
• Roof damage from falling limbs, and anything at the roof edge, goes to a licensed roofer.
• Damaged power connections, outdoor lighting circuits, and any outlet, switch, light fixture or fan, new or replaced, go to a licensed electrician.
• AC condensers hit by debris go to a licensed HVAC professional.
• Tree removal and large limb work go to a tree service.

The handyman covers the carpentry, doors, drywall, fences, gates, screens and mounting. Put everything on the list. One Call sorts it and matches each part, so you only make one call.

From your call to the finished work

When you call One Call or request a quote, tell us what needs doing, whether any of it is storm damage, and whether a tree service or insurer is already involved. Photos help with every item.

We separate the handyman items from the trade items. A vetted local professional takes the handyman work, and licensed pros take the rest. Before anything starts, the scope and the price are agreed with you; ask what is included. For larger storm repairs, financing is available, and you can ask about it when you call.

The pro arrives, works through the list and shows you the finished items. You pay One Call, and One Call pays the pro. If a repair does not hold, tell One Call and it is followed up.

The same service is close by in handyman services in Sunrise and handyman in Fort Lauderdale. For more on what the work covers, see the handyman service page.

One call for the whole list

Walk the house and the yard, write it all down and send it with photos. One Call matches you with a vetted local professional for the handyman work and the right licensed trade for the rest.