Tromler Construction Holiday Card

Tromler Construction Holiday Card
Originally uploaded by TromlerPics
Happy Hoildays from Tromler Construction!

Thanks for an awesome year, look forward to being of service in the future.

Here are some Remodeling ideas from Amazon.

Gutter Replacement in Cameron Park

The rains are here, are you ready?
One of the things that gets overlooked are the gutters. A visual inspection can do a lot of good. Broken seams and rust holes are common and needs to be addressed. So what is a homeowner to do?

You can do the visual inspection yourself. While its raining, do the gutters leak? Does the water flow down the downspouts? Who do you call. If you need help?

Call a roofing contractor or gutter specialist for longer jobs. A general contractor or handyman may be able to help with smaller repairs. You may even want to give it a shot yourself.

Good Luck!
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Hive Found in the Ceiling - Drywall Repaired

We were working on getting this room completed on schedule. The painter discovered a soft spot in to drywall ceiling while rolling out the room. Inside the room there was no signs of a problem. No stain, no odor, looked fine until you touched it. Paper thin!

We found a 12" section that was "chewed" from the top attic area. My first thought was animals. Rats, squirrels, who knows? It was none of these. We a broomstick we punched open the area to discover a large hive. Not sure what kind of hive. There were honey combs, but also a paperwebing that I had not seen until then.

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So we got back to work. We cleared the nest area, insulated, patched the drywall, textured and painted. And got done on schedule!

Exterior Door Replacement

Exterior doors that are exposed to the weather can be damaged quickly if not protected.





This door was painted, yet was damaged from the rains. Why? Well, I can think of several reasons.

1. The door was not properly primed before painting. All the surfaces, including the top and bottom of the door should be primed before painting. An oil-based primer is best.
2. Water needed to be diverted away from the door. This door was at the end of the gutter, when the downspout was clogged, water cascaded over the top and on to the door.
3. Maintenance. At the first sign of loose paint, swelling, discoloration, etc. the problem should be addressed. Fixing some loose paint, or checking for door swelling can allow a problem to be corrected early. Correcting a door problem early can at years to the life of the door.

Clean and Dirty Air Filters

Two identical air filters; one is new, the other has been in use for 4 months. Clean your air filters regularly and save money.
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HVAC Air Filters - Keep Air Filter Clean

Heating and Air Conditioning systems make our living spaces comfortable, but the cost of running these systems can be expensive. How can we keep the costs down? Well, the simplest answer may be the air filters.

Air filters catch small debris that can harm the HVAC unit. Over time the air filters get dirty. These filters need to be replaced regularly. How often do you change these filters? It depends. Q

The air filters pictured below are from a home in Placerville. It shows how quickly these filters can get filled with dust and debris. One filter is only 4 months old. New carpet, pets, landscaping, etc can all lead to dirty filters. How often is system is running will also effect the life of the filter.

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Mold on Sheetrock Walls and Ceiling Removed

All of the drywall on the ceiling and upper walls was removed and replaced. The mold had gotten so bad that the it could no longer be cleaned up. The solution to this problem is very simple, get better air circulation in the bathroom.

We see this sort of thing often, usually the problem can be corrected early before the drywall needs to be removed. Here is what needs to be done. Turn on the vent fan in the bathroom, let it run for a while after using the shower. Most people shower, dry off, turn off the light and fan, and leave. This allows the moisture to

stay in the bathroom for a very long period of time.

If possible, open the windows and doors to allow fresh air into the home. Run the fan for a while longer than usual. Clean regularly. Cleaning the walls and ceiling with a light bleach solution before any signs of mildew, prevents the start of this problem.

The picture to the right shows the same shower top after installing new drywall, tape, texture, prime and paint. I looks like a new bathroom. Proper cleaning and air circulation will allow the bathroom to look this way for years to come.

Moldy Drywall in Lincon, Ca

This bathroom has a moisture condition that is leading to heavy mold. There was no leak detected. Common mold problem, easy solution. Find out how. Tromler Construction - Sacramento Area Contractor

Repairs made easy

Kitchen drain repair

Picture of kitchen drain repair made inside wall and below the slab line. 2" ABS pipe with cleanout, just below the kitchen sink drain tee.

Hot mop asphalt tar

Any concrete decking will require a waterproof membrane to prevent moisture damage. There are several alternative, I prefer the liquid tar. This hot mop tar creates a water tight surface that will protect the supporting wood construction below from water damage. Lightweight concrete can then be pour directly over the surface for a final surface.

Cracked drain pipe in slab.

Moisture found in concrete slab and soil. Leak was found to be coming from the kitchen drain pipe under the slab surface. Water damage under kitchen sink was removed bur no leak found. The exterior stucco wall was opened to reveal a cracked ABS pipe going into the slab. A little tough but not impossible.

Kitchen Plumbing Leak in Sacramento

We opened up the drywall under the kitchen sink to find the source of the water found outside. The water was determined to be running down the drain pipe and onto the slab. The clean up fitting shown here is at the base of the cabinet, the cracked pipe was below this fitting and continued into the slab. Today we will open the exterior side of the wall to get access to this repair. A section of stucco will be cut out and later patched. New pictures will be posted at that time.

Light weight concrete deck

The underside of a completed lightweight concrete deck. The framing and subfloor were in need of dry rot repair. The water damage was caused by the improper installation of the waterproof membrane.

palm nailer

This palm nailer came in handy when nailer between ceiling and floor joists. Another tool a contractor can use around the house.

Wood Pecker Damage

One of the benefits of living in a rural area is the animals take we get to see every day. Some of the animals can cause damage to the home, woodpeckers for example. The woodpeckers naturally peck on trees, but they are just as likely to peck on the wood of a home. Here are some examples of some of the damage the woodpeckers are doing around my home.

Colorado State University has some information on their web site on the control and prevention of woodpecker damage. The link is here... Woodpecker Problems

Changing Cabinets to Fit Bigger TV Screen

A lot of people are getting bigger and wider televisions. But many are having problems making the new television fit in the space where the old television sits now. Do we tear out the old cabinets to make room for the new? Put the new screen somewhere else? Not get the screen size we would like to have? The answer for at least one couple was pretty simple. Find a good cabinet contractor. Below is a quick before and after picture showing the change in cabinets to fit the new screen.

The change was not expensive. The cabinet was build to the size of the new big screen TV. More on this will be posted.