Let's Talk... HOME repair!

Episode 64 - Melissa Garcia founder of La Matriarca Woodworkings joins Amy and Alicia to discuss the specialty work that she does in the Seattle area. She specializes in deck builds and restoration as well as making furniture and home decor. Check out her river tables! You can find her at https://www.lamatriarcawoodworkings.com/ where you will find examples of her work and videos. Her tagline is "...

Amy gives us all the details on the various types and sizes of plywood. We get a break down for the best uses for each type of plywood.  Amy also talks about the difference and application for using melamine, MDF, and OSB. Did you know that you can get better quality from a local store such as Dunn Lumber (in Seattle) vs. buying from your big box stores? Painting prep for porch...

Amy is back!  What should we do to prepare for a hot summer? Amy tells us about an upcoming ultra white paint that is going to help keep our homes cooler. Amy has ordered a new tool for cooling small areas of the home to review and will report back to us on how it works.  What portable cooling units have you tried and had success with? Send us a note at askamy@amyworks.com .&nb...

Kayla, Production Manager for AmyWorks joins Alicia in place of Amy this week. Alicia is talking about doing a bathroom remodel. What does that initial process of considering a remodel with a general contractor look like? Kayla walks us through the whole process from getting an estimate through the entire remodeling project. A lot of thought and consideration goes into every project. Ensure that y...

Amy talks about their recent visit to a co-housing community in Seattle. Grace Kim is an architect and owner of Schemata Workshop that is passionate about co-housing and gave a Ted Talk about the benefits of living in co-housing community.  Summer Home Maintenance Tips: 1.     Roof Make sure all tree limbs are not taking over your roof.  2.   ...

Barb Oliver is the director of Sound Foundations NW, an organization that builds tiny homes for the unhoused using volunteer labor and donated materials. Sound Foundations NW began at Camp Second Chance in West Seattle, building directly on-site, but last year they were able to move into a large warehouse space in SoDo, which they call "The Hope Factory". They've built well over 100 homes, refinin...

What kitchen renovations are not going to give you a return on your investment when selling your home? But first…. Amy troubleshoots a listener question about a waterfall faucet that comes out of a mirror.  Plus, it’s time for a Tool Crate update! The subscription this time included a mechanical contractor pencil and a 24 volt brushless circular saw by Flex. Tips for what to avoid in kit...

Amy gives us the exciting update that the DADU has been completed. Hear how it wrapped up and what’s coming next. Amy also gives us a definition about what it means to be a certified builder. This week our listener question is: Why do popcorn ceilings exist and what do we do with them? Popcorn ceilings came into popularity in the 1950’s when there was a construction boom. They were...

Alicia and Amy are joined by Lacey Soslow and Gabriella Ansley, co-creators of Matriarchy Build. Matriarchy Build is an online platform created to promote and support women and queer folks looking for help in the home DIY arena and to give exposure to the many bad-ass women out there working the trades and getting the job done. The Matriarchy Build website allows people to connect with professiona...

In this episode, Amy and Alicia talk about home improvements that can be done for under $100! They answer a listener question about hard-wired smoke detectors. Amy lets us know that smoke detectors only have a life span of about 10 years.  Remember to use canned smoke to test your smoke detectors.  Eleven ideas for home improvements for under $100: 1.    Emb...

Mandy Rennehan is the founder and CEO of Fresh Co. (not the grocery store!), a commercial remodeling company on the east coast and Canada. She is the author of Blue Collar CEO and host of the upcoming HGTV Canadian show, Trading Up.  Mandy talks about how she went from being a rookie contractor to a multi-millionaire contractor. She discusses the challenges of entering the...

In this episode... Listeners email - “Hi, Angie from Springfield again. Getting caught up on the podcast. Just want you to know I appreciate you both SO much! All the stuff I need to know but was afraid to ask is here. I really loved your episode on to replace or repair. Oh, and the saws… I have to go back and listen to that one and take notes because it is chock full of helpful info.”  Anywa...

Jack Hanks from Velocity Public Adjusting joins Alicia and Amy and talks about public adjusting associated with insurance claims after a disaster to one’s home or commercial property. As a public adjuster, Jack and his company represent the consumer/insured, striving to collect a higher claim than what the insurance company initially gave often under-compensating for the actual damages. ...

Morgan Mentzer is the co-founder and executive director of Reckoning Trade Project. Morgan started with an undergrad in human rights then wanted to be an auto mechanic and turn wrenches.  But then determined that she also wanted to be lawyer. Her dream was to have a auto repair shop where she could fix your car and file any legal papers you need as well. She started as an apprentice...

The Seattle Home Show – Alicia and Amy recount their time at the home show and their attempt to record an episode of the podcast. Due to technical difficulties the recording didn’t happen, but they had a blast nonetheless. They are throwing the idea around of taking the show in the road.  Listener email – Joe from Ontario gave Alicia some advice on how to deal with her ice issue in...

In celebration of Women in History month Alicia and Amy are joined by three great women from the Seattle area that have forged great careers and businesses in the male-dominated trades industry. Louise Hansen – owner of Weezee’s Plumbing ( www.weezeesplumbing.com ) Catie Chaplin – Residential Carpentry program instructor with Wood Technology Center in Seattle Alice Lockridge – Exercise Physiologis...

A listener from Madison, WI gave us a great follow-up to the table saw that stops instantly when it senses flesh. Scott sent us pictures too:   “Hi Amy, Alicia, and Kayla, I just wanted to follow up on some of the gray areas around the  flesh-sensing saw technology. I have owned one for a few years. The saws actually sense an electrical current that flows through the  blade, a...

Overview of the IBS (International Builders Show) 2022. Amy attended the show in Orlando and shares about the huge event and what they experienced. ·     Workforce Development – always looking for ways to fill the void in the trades. ·     Land development, affordable housing and what is “the missing middle”. ·     Modular...

Alicia and Amy welcome guest Dennis Stinson of Fujitsu General America. Dennis talks about high efficiency heating, heat pumps, and what hybrid homes means. www.fujitsugeneral.com If you have questions or want to share your story please email us at askamy@amyworks.com. This podcast is recorded at The Winterblue Room in Seattle.

This week Alicia, Amy and Kayla talk about repairing, replacing, or reusing things around the home. They start with kitchen counter cutting boards. Kayla recommends taking measurements or pictures of the original piece to make sure that the new one is a good fit. This also helps when reassembling an appliance to make sure it all goes back together the same and the screws are in the...

We are joined by Kayla, AmyWorks’ project manager.  Project update on the DADU (detached accessory dwelling unit).  The plumbing rough-in and electrical rough-in are done along with the HVAC including inspections for all.  Mini split unit with no ducting (Alicia’s favorite) was also done and then followed by insulation.  According to Kayla it looks “hairy” b...

Alicia and Amy welcome April Rauch, a real estate agent with Windemere in Seattle with 26 years of experience helping her clients buy and sell their homes. April lends some great advice on such as knowing when to do a total renovation and when to just freshen up. They also talk about having a full bath with a tub and is it necessary for the home sale. The question of staging is brou...

Things that will shorten the life of your rechargeable tool batteries. Keeping them on the charger - this can cause overcharging which results in a shortened lifespan Storing dead batteries for long periods of time . Swap to a new one before it dies and charge dead ones for 20 minutes before storing. Completely draining a battery . With older Ni-Cd it was recommended to drain them completely...

Q&A- Listener from Springfield, MO sent in a question about a three-way level. They want to build a fence and the instructions called for a three-way level and they sent a note asking to explain this a little bit. Hope this helps. Thanks Angela.  Tools/tricks/tips- types of levels  Levels consist if tubes that have water, alcohol, or some other liquid-filled tube with...

On this episode Alicia tells of her woes during the freeze we experienced in Seattle over the holidays. Not only were there frozen pipes to contend with there was also a mystery of where was the water actually frozen. She found shut off valves that were useless and realized she didn’t really know her home. Pipe heaters plugged into several extension cords were discovered but Alicia was l...