Many years ago, when dinosaurs and your humble correspondent walked the Earth, an early rock group called The Byrds had THIS hit song that started like this:
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
Now THERE’S a song they’d never play today, for at least three reasons: 1) While listening, you can actually make out the lyrics; 2) this rock group would be canceled INSTANTLY because they are quoting THE BIBLE (turn, turn, turn to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8); and 3) some might fear that If the ORIGINAL AUTHOR of these words became irritated by the plagiarism, and descended to Earth to render a Final Judgment on The Byrds, the rest of us might suffer collateral damage. (Just kidding – no one in the recording industry would even know what that means).
But even still, we should take these lyrics seriously because everyone else does. Wouldn’t you say that maybe 100% of people get their wisdom from EITHER rock songs OR the Bible? This is a rare moment of universal agreement, so let’s take advantage of it.
Let’s start with the obvious question – just what TIME and what SEASON IS IT? What’s everyone talking about? Inflation? Shrinking retirement accounts? Even if you’ve got some money saved up, you’re a bit more hesitant to spend it, right?
So maybe it’s NOT the best time to REPLACE the big things – your entire kitchen, that master bathroom, all your windows, doors, or siding. But if you think hard about it, maybe you DON’T really NEED to completely replace these. Maybe there’s just one or two things about each one that is driving you crazy and if you had it repaired, the problem would go away. Possibly something you don’t even think CAN be repaired.
Which means it’s a time to REPAIR, not a time to REPLACE. And, well, what do you know? At Fix St Louis, “repair” is our first name. OK, it’s actually just a synonym for it, but you get the point. Here’s how we can help you make it through the season we’re in:
Kitchens
Not being happy with a kitchen’s CABINETS is probably the thing that triggers most kitchen remodels. But you may not need to take on a job as big as replacing them to be happy with your kitchen again. Fix St Louis can fix broken cabinet doors and drawers, add pull-out shelves, replace countertops, add backsplash tiles, and replace that yucky bottom of your kitchen sink cabinet. We can also replace sinks, faucets, and garbage disposals, convert cooktops and ovens between gas and electric service, and even run a new water line for a fridge ice maker.
Bathrooms
The trigger point for a lot of folks on remodeling their entire bathroom are the tiles on the wall around their tub or shower. Without the need to rip out your tub or shower, Fix St Louis can replace those surfaces with new ceramic tile. But if you really hate grout lines that deteriorate or need constant cleaning, you might be better off with either a plastic surround or ONYX, which is a new, better form of cultured marble.
A new shower door often makes a huge difference, as does a new vanity, countertop, and faucets. Replacing a vinyl or tile floor with good-looking and durable vinyl plank is a surprisingly inexpensive improvement. And if you happen to have one of those old toilets that puts you as low to the ground as squatting people you see on National Geographic specials, you really need a modern toilet.
Windows and Doors
If you have a door to the outside that is hard to open and close, or if you see gaps around the edges where air gets in, you probably do NOT need a new door. Fix St Louis can fix misaligned doors, replace weatherstripping, and fix or replace damaged thresholds. And if you have windows with sashes that are hard to open, or slam down like a guillotine when you try to keep them open, you don’t need to replace them. We can fix those problems. We can also replace broken glass panes.
Decks & Other Outside Stuff
If you have a deck you think needs to be completely replaced, chances are you don’t. Usually handling only one problem takes care of it. At Fix St Louis, we can replace rotted boards on floors, steps, and railings. And, we can replace rotted posts. You might also be surprised how powerwashing and staining a deck, particularly with a solid color stain, makes a deck look pretty much new.
You may have a few broken or detaching panels of siding that we can reattach or replace – that’s no reason to re-side your entire house. Same thing with trim boards on the outside around your windows and doors.
Being in a humble profession, I’ve become accustomed to being slighted, so am not offended that “a time to repair, a time to replace” didn’t make the cut on either The Byrds or the Bible’s list. But given that Fix St Louis BOTH repairs and replaces, that we work on jobs both inside and outside, and that we have an off-hours answering service, there is literally NO time or season when you can’t call us. Maybe, like right now?
Dr Steve
Fix St Louis