burgess

Our 25 year old HDB master bedroom has a boxed up casement hole ( for the casement type aircons which are no longer used) in the wall which is leaking water. The box leaks water whenever there is heavy rain. The HDB guy who inspected the box told us the wooden frames enclosing the box are slightly rotted and water seepage is causing the leaks. HDB guy suggest replacing the wooden frames with aluminum ones. But as external access to the box is blocked by an existing aircon compressor, the compressor will need to be removed with brackets and all, and then reinstalled after the frame replacement. And it cost a whopping $730 and needs 2 separate contractors (replace frames $280) +(removal and reinstalling of compressors $450) Anyone knows a better/cheaper way to solve this problem? Maybe waterproof the frames? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thnaks

After a couple of years, all my bedroom doors develop long thin splits in the middles. The cracks are just big enough to see inside. Anyone know of someone who can repair this and how much it would cost? i imagine the cracks can be filled with some kind of fillers and the door repainted.

looking for a contractor for my elderly relative to renovate her 4 rm model A. She is a widow and can only speak mandarin. the place is a bit rundown and she wants to upgrade it to rent it out. would appreciate a contractor that is inexpensive and has ideas and experience in this area.

Hope someone can help!

The sink section of my kitchen cabinet assembly has serious water damage. The wood under and around the sink has rotted due to water damage. The problem is that the sink section is joined to the rest of the cabinet assembly (share same formica countertop), which is in good condition and which we do not plan to replace. so far the options are : 1. fix the rotted section without knocking away and replacing everything else. 2. getting one of those standalone stainless steel sink or a pvc kitchen sick cabinet to replace it. But this would require the kitchen section to be "amputated" from the rest of the assembly.... anyone faced similar problems and have reliable contractors or solutions to recommend? many thanks!

Anyone has a inexpensive kitchen top contractor to recommend? just replacing the top so i don't want to spend too much.

Looking to replace my laminate kitchen sink countertop. The counter surface is formica over wood laminate with a embedded kitchen sink. The wood beneath has rotted due to water damage. Unfortunately the sink countertop is part of a larger kitchen cabinet assembly that also included the stove, oven and display shelves. These do not need replacing. So i am in a fix as i don't know where to start with just replacing the sink countertop...I don't want to replace the others and I want to preserve the uniform look. anyone has a contractor or material to recommend? thanks.

was quoted $1400 for the above work, to install 30 units of phillips ademco lamps for cove lighting. is this reasonable?

I am getting my recessed old fluorescent tube ceiling lights replaced with t5 lamps The contractor estimated it would require 30 lamps (4 ft * 30 = 120 ft length) and i asked for 2 more spare. he will try to use existing connections and switches where possible. I also have existing downlights. the idea is to have different lighting effects, with the t5 giving a warm diffused glow and the downlights giving a brighter even lighting. see pic Question : 1. what kind of t5 lamp would you recommend? There are both fluorescent and led t5, and even the specs for the t5 differ. very confused. 2. how much would the wiring cost in this case? would it cost more than the lights themselves? 3. current downlights are non-led energy saving lamps (see photo). is it better to switch to led and how much would these cost?

Looking to replace our old and leaking Rheems 10 gal (37 l) 240v vertical water storage heater. What brand and which shop would you guys anhd gals recommend? The tank is kept in a easily accessible cabinet with copper pipings, so will the installation charges be lower? Many thanks!

i found out subsequently that the cheapest and possibly also the best way to replace rheems water heaters is to contact authorised distributors like Hoe Kee. The 6 galleon tank only cost about $300 (without the bracket, which was already there) and the installation is $120. next tiem i am NOT using these free-wheeling plumbers that advertised in the classifieds.

I am replacing a rheems storage tank water heater. It is installed in a false ceiling in my toilet and supplies hot water to 2 rooms. I have been quoted 550 by a handyman to replace it with a new set. The charges include the new water heater plus the installation and labour costs. I think it is 6 gallons. Just wondering what is the normal charges for this. Anybody know of any other businesses that supply a service like this?

Thanks for the recommendations. i checked and the cheapest available is about $800++! i wonder if anybody knows where i can find someone to repair my existing gas cooker ( the knobs are not functioning) or to buy a second hand one. i probably would only need a interim replacement for a year or two.

to clarify, i am looking for a gas-cooker with oven (eg elna, techno etc)

need one for a tenanted unit. any recommendations for brand, where to buy? nothing fancy as they seldom cook. i am surprised best denki doesn't even sell these anymore.

I am getting the newest fujitsu AOY24LAT3 + ASYA9LA * 3 @$2650 from Hong Tar. It comes with 5 years parts warranty. anybody used this inverter system before?

My wooden toilet door wouldn't close properly, possibly because of some moisture damage which has caused the wood to warp at the bottom; it get progressively tighter and harder to close as i move it towards the doorframe. Other than that, there is really nothing visible to suggest any damage. 1. So can i get it repaired 2. If not, how much would it cost to replace it and any body can recommend a door maker? thanks

wondering how much it would cost to get somebody to repaint a 3 bedroom and two hall apartment (about 1550 sqft)? probably going for the cheaper emulsion paint. do the painters give a breakdown of labour and paint costs. and who usuallydecides how many painters are put on the job and the number of days to complete the job? lastly, any "professional" painters to recommend? or can i just get a general contractor to do it for less? sorry for the noobish questions, but this is the first time i am engaging one.

anybody knows? called a few contractors but they claim they no longer do this or don't do for private apts because of the paper work involved.

Anyone has recommendations for rivet replacement contractors. Are they the same guys who sell and install windows? noticed the ones in my windows are rusty. any idea where to find these and how do they charge (per rivet?). My unit is an old hudc.

Need to replace our exisiting Daikinaircon unit which have been around for close to 9 years. looking at a system with 3 fancoil for the bedrooms only. We are occassional, not heavy air con users. 1. someone recommended the mitsubishi starmex inverter MSXY-GA10VA. seems lots of hype with this one (is the one with liang zhi qiang) . can anybody who has installed this system please comment on the quality? 2. we would be also grateful for any recommendations of aircon systems and/or vendors, installers.

its some of the wood round the hinges, both on door and cupboard. i prefer not to make new doors or even change the cabinet at this moment and so i need someone who can provide a cheap and fast solution... anyway, i will check the st ads. thanks!

I have two door of pretty old custom-made kitchen cabinet that have fallen off their hinges, partly because damp have rotted some of the wood round the hinges. Is there any way to repair this? Anyone knows a reliable carpenter that can do this kind of job? thanks

lol. when i looked at the JRTC charges, i realised that the bugger charged me more than all the 8 items listed combined despite just doing ONE of them. And there was NO machine involve either. I guess by "complicated", it means he realised i am non-HDB with no basis for comparison and so he was going to have to fleece me !