When To DIY, And When To Hire A Professional

Summary

All Of It - Episode: When To DIY, And When To Hire A Professional

Release Date: July 11, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart | Guest: Dan Medley, Owner of Team Handy Dan

Introduction

In this insightful episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart from WNYC, the spotlight is on the age-old dilemma faced by many homeowners and renters alike: When should you tackle a home improvement project yourself, and when is it time to call in a professional? To navigate this topic, Alison welcomes Dan Medley, a seasoned handyman and the owner of Team Handy Dan, who shares his expertise on DIY home repairs and the nuances of hiring professionals.

Guest Introduction: Dan Medley

Dan Medley brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation, drawing from his extensive experience as a licensed general contractor in New York City. His hands-on approach and passion for empowering others with handy skills make him an invaluable resource for listeners looking to enhance their DIY capabilities.

The Importance of Basic Handy Skills

Dan emphasizes the significance of having basic handy skills, especially in a bustling metropolis like New York City where "everything is old and everything is falling apart." ([02:32] Dan Medley). He believes that possessing fundamental repair skills and a basic set of tools enables individuals to address issues promptly and efficiently, often compensating for less responsive building superintendents.

Essential Tools for the Toolbox

Addressing the essentials, Dan outlines what every beginner should have in their toolbox: "A good hammer drill, a multi-tool with multiple bits, pliers, WD-40, and duct tape. You can do almost everything with these." ([02:50] Dan Medley). His minimalist approach underscores that a compact toolkit is sufficient for handling a wide array of household tasks.

Learning to Be Handy: Dan’s Journey

Dan reflects on his childhood curiosity, stating, "I loved destroying my toys and putting them back together differently." ([03:09] Dan Medley). Influenced by his father and brother’s work on cars, he developed a knack for tinkering and problem-solving, laying the foundation for his future career in home repairs.

Enhancing Handy Skills

For those looking to improve their DIY prowess, Dan recommends leveraging online resources: "YouTube is the University of YouTube. Watching tons of videos can teach you a lot." ([03:56] Dan Medley). Additionally, he offers hands-on knowledge through his handyman classes, where participants learn practical skills in a supportive environment.

Starting with Simple Projects

Dan advises beginners to start with manageable tasks such as assembling IKEA furniture or hanging lightweight shelves and pictures. "If you can put together something from IKEA without stripping a screw or breaking it, that’s a great start." ([04:21] Dan Medley). These projects help build confidence and foundational skills before moving on to more complex repairs.

Listener Questions: What the Heck

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to answering listener-submitted questions, ranging from minor fixes to more intricate home maintenance issues:

1. Cleaning AC Window Grills ([05:23])

   • Question: Best way to clean window AC units after prolonged disuse.
   • Dan’s Advice: Utilize spray foam from Amazon or canned air to clean grills without disassembling the unit. "It's better to cover them over the winter or remove them from the window to prevent debris accumulation." ([05:23] Dan Medley).

2. Loosening a Stiff Nut on a Tap ([05:47])

   • Question: How to loosen a stuck nut without breaking tools.
   • Dan’s Advice: "PB Blaster is great for breaking things free. Combine it with a little tapping from a hammer to loosen the nut." ([06:05] Dan Medley).

3. Hanging Frames Properly ([18:23])

   • Question: Tips for securely hanging frames.
   • Dan’s Advice: "The biggest secret is knowing what wall you have. Use appropriate anchors like Toggler alligator anchors for brick or plaster walls. They are highly adaptable and reliable." ([12:16] Dan Medley).

4. Rodent and Insect Control ([19:18])

   • Question: Methods to eliminate roaches without using sprays.
   • Dan’s Advice: "Use Advion gel. It’s a peanut buttery substance that roaches consume and share, effectively reducing their population." ([19:55] Dan Medley).

5. Locating Wall Studs ([20:34])

   • Question: Best techniques for finding studs in walls.
   • Dan’s Advice: "A neodymium magnet is my secret weapon. Run it over the wall to find screws attached to studs, ensuring accurate placement for heavy items." ([20:34] Dan Medley).

Safety Precautions

Dan underscores the importance of safety in all DIY endeavors: "Protect your ears and eyes first and lungs. Those things are very important." ([08:25] Dan Medley). He warns about the dangers of drilling into walls without knowing the underlying infrastructure, such as hidden pipes or electrical wires, which can lead to severe hazards.

Knowing When to Hire Professionals

While DIY can be empowering, Dan advises recognizing the limits of one's skills. "If you feel a gut that you should not be doing it, usually trust your gut. Don't overextend yourself too much." ([11:18] Dan Medley). For specialized tasks like electrical work or plumbing, he recommends hiring licensed professionals to ensure safety and compliance with local regulations.

Specific Tool and Product Recommendations

Dan highlights the effectiveness of certain tools and products that simplify home repairs:

• Wall Anchors: "Toggler brand alligator anchors are German-engineered and highly reliable. They accept a wide range of screw sizes and are perfect for masonry walls." ([12:16] Dan Medley).

• Roach Control: "Advion gel works wonders by allowing roaches to carry the poison back to their nests." ([19:55] Dan Medley).

Handling Complex Repairs

For more challenging repairs, such as regrouting a bathroom or replacing mortise locks, Dan provides detailed guidance:

• Regrouting vs. Silicone Caulking ([14:02] Dan Medley): "Most people use grout where caulking is needed. Grout isn't flexible, leading to mold and deterioration. Use mold-resistant silicone for transitions like where the tub meets the wall."

• Replacing Mortise Locks ([28:04] Dan Medley): "You'll need specialized tools like a paddle bit to cut the pocket for the mortise lock. Detailed YouTube tutorials can guide you, but hiring a professional ensures precision."

Dan’s Handy Classes

Dan shares his passion for teaching through his beginner-friendly classes: "By the time we're done, you'll know how to use a drill and anchor things into your walls." ([29:28] Dan Medley). These sessions are designed to equip participants with practical skills and confidence to handle basic home repairs.

Personal Insights and Challenges

Dan candidly discusses his professional challenges, such as the nightmare scenario of "drilling into a water pipe in an apartment through a wall" ([30:24] Dan Medley). He emphasizes the importance of caution and underscores the complexities of working within older building infrastructures.

Conclusion

This episode of All Of It serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone navigating the DIY landscape. Whether you're a novice looking to build your first toolbox or someone weighing the decision to hire a professional, Dan Medley's expert advice provides clarity and confidence. From essential tools to safety tips and specific repair techniques, listeners walk away with actionable insights to enhance their home maintenance skills.

Notable Quotes:

• "Knowing how to fix things quickly is valuable because you don't always have a good super." — Dan Medley ([02:32])

• "A good hammer drill, pliers, WD-40, and duct tape. You can do almost everything." — Dan Medley ([02:50])

• "Protect your ears and eyes first and lungs. Those things are very important." — Dan Medley ([08:25])

• "Toggler brand alligator anchors... they're very adaptable." — Dan Medley ([12:16])

• "If you feel a gut that you should not be doing it, usually trust your gut." — Dan Medley ([11:18])

• "By the time we're done, you'll know how to use a drill and anchor things into your walls." — Dan Medley ([29:28])

Further Resources:

For listeners eager to delve deeper, transcripts of all segments are available on the WNYC website, providing additional details and clarifications on Dan Medley’s invaluable tips and recommendations.

Transcript

[Ira Flato]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates for multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC Studios in soho. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful that you're here on today's show. What do you think the best movie of the 21st century is so far? The New York Times has a list and reporter Kyle Buchanan joins us to discuss. We'll also talk about a new exhibit at the New York Historical that looks at how the Hollywood blacklist changed the film industry and the country. And we'll wrap up our week long series on beach reads with a thriller that examines examines wealth and privilege on the Upper west side. We'll hear from Chris Pavoni, the author of the Doorman. That's our plan. So let's get this started with Handyman Dan. It's never too late to learn how to be handy at home, whether it's fixing that cabinet that's always kind of hanging off the hinge or installing your AC unit or putting together a new piece of furniture. For those who aren't adept at using drills and hammers, we have a what the hack segment for you. We're going to give you some tools in your toolbox to be more handy at home with the help of Handy Dan. Dan Medley is a licensed general contractor in New York and owner of Team Handy Dan, a small business and handyman company. We first heard of him when he called into the show a few weeks ago. He shouted out his handyman class during our occasional Friday segment where we ask you what you're doing this weekend. And he's here with me now in studio for an episode of what the Heck. Handy Dan. Welcome.

[Dan Medley]

Thanks for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

Hey listeners. We want to point out that this conversation is to inform and to give advice for your safety. Contact a licensed contractor or professional to help with your needs with services like yours, with all the Internet advice videos we can pull up. Why do you think it's important that someone have basic handy skills at home?

[Dan Medley]

Well, especially in New York City, everything is old and everything is falling apart. So knowing how to fix things quickly is valuable because you don't always have a good super. Luckily, I have a good super. So it's just good to know Basic skills and have a basic set of tools at home so you can get things done quickly and efficiently.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, tell me what should be in my toolbox?

[Dan Medley]

Good question. I have the smallest bag on the planet. I've got a mini hammer that's like 4 inches tall. I try to be as compact as possible. You don't need a lot of things. A good hammer drill. If you have masonry, you know, multi tool, multi bit screwdriver, just some pliers, a WD40, duct tape. You can do almost everything.

[Alison Stewart]

I read on your website that you really, when you were a kid that used to take things apart.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I love destroying my toys and putting them back together differently.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, why did you. Why do you think that was so interesting to a young handy Dan?

[Dan Medley]

I don't know. My dad and brother worked on cars for my entire childhood and I didn't much care for that, so I wanted to do my own thing. So I took them out my toy cars and like to rebuild them however I saw fit and just learned things throughout the years.

[Alison Stewart]

What did your parents think of this idea of this kid who takes stuff apart. Oh, and then he puts it back together?

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, they loved it because they could buy me less toys. So I would adapt my toys as I got older.

[Alison Stewart]

Before we go into specifics, what are a few big picture ways that you think a person can get better at their at home handy skills?

[Dan Medley]

YouTube. The University of YouTube. Watching tons of videos. You can hire us and watch me. I love to talk through it and teach people. Puts me out of business. But I think everybody should be a little handy. Take one of our classes. But yeah, YouTube. I YouTube things occasionally because there's so many variables in New York City with building and all kinds of things.

[Alison Stewart]

What's one task in particular you think is simple? It's pretty easy, sort of a starter task.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, Anything. Ikea. If you can get something together from IKEA without stripping a screw or breaking something, that's great. And then I'll move on to like a shelf or a small picture. Nothing too heavy. Figure out your walls because you got plaster, brick, drywall. A lot of variables there, but assembly and a basic hanging. Nothing too heavy.

[Ira Flato]

Listeners, do you consider yourself handy or.

[Alison Stewart]

You'Re someone who maybe needs a little bit of help? You might consider yourself a little bit.

[Ira Flato]

Useless in the handy category.

[Alison Stewart]

Our Phone lines are open. 2124-3396-9221-2433 w have a question about a.

[Ira Flato]

Problem at your home and you want a little bit of help from A little bit of advice from a professional.

[Alison Stewart]

Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433.

[Ira Flato]

WNYC. You can call in, you can talk to handyman Dan, or you can text to us as well. Here is a text already. Question for Dan. What would be the best way to clean the window? AC after months of non use, especially to be safe from moles, et cetera. Thank you.

[Dan Medley]

It's a tough one because, you know, you have to usually take the case out or case off the whole thing. It's a whole ordeal. They make spray foam you can buy on Amazon that like is. You don't even have to wash it. You just spray it in the grill and it kind of cleans the things. Canned air too. To get things out, it's better to cover them over the winter and they make covers or take them out of the window because that's when things get in there and it gets kind of gross over the winter. But yeah, that spray foam is about all you can really do easily.

[Ira Flato]

Here's another text. I have a tap that I need to get the top off, but the little nut is too stiff for me to loosen. I have the correct Allen wrench, but it's not budging and I fear breaking the Allen wrench. Can I spray WD40 inside the tap structure or something else?

[Dan Medley]

WD40 is okay. People use that for too many things. PB Blaster is great. To break things free, you spray it on PB Blaster. PB Blaster. It's like WD40 just in a spray can. But it's good for like anti seize type things. It sounds like it's just like a stuck screw through. So that and a little tapping with a hammer could maybe knock it free. Yeah.

[Ira Flato]

Why do you say WD40 is used too often?

[Dan Medley]

So people like use it on hinges and things. And it's a water displacement. So instead of lubricating it dries it out more, oddly enough.

[Ira Flato]

Oh, interesting.

[Dan Medley]

So WD40 makes a lubricant version, a silicone lubricant. So if you look at a different can that says WD40, it'll say like silicone lubricant. I believe that's what you should be using for most things. People use traditional WD44 because yeah, W40 is a water displacement, keeps things dry. So if you're trying to oil things or make things not squeak, it's just going to temporarily work. But long term it's not the right solution.

[Ira Flato]

Got a little FYI this text says, FYI, the Brooklyn Library in Greenpoint has a tool library. You can check out tools there.

[Dan Medley]

I might have to borrow some of their tools.

[Ira Flato]

Well, there you go. My guest is Dan Medley, owner and lead contractor of Team Handy Dan, a local handyman company. He's here to talk about how to improve our at home handiness and take any questions you have about home repairs or improvement. It's a what the heck Special. Let's talk to Steve from Park Slope on line one. Hi, Steve.

[Steve]

Hey, how are you doing, Allison?

[Ira Flato]

Doing great.

[Steve]

And Dan, I was just wondering, I've got a faucet that I can't turn and it leaks. So what would be the easiest way I could stop that leak? I mean, should I call Angie.com or should I try to get a couple of plumbers to give me estimates or what's the deal?

[Ira Flato]

All right. A faucet that he can't turn all the way off.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. So legally in New York, I don't touch plumbing. I have a great licensed plumber I bring in for everything. But I would always say at least get three quotes because some, some of them will come in with a crazy high price because they don't want the job, but at least get three quotes. I would do licensed all the time unlicensed work. If something happens liabilities on you, and that's not good. So I don't really do a lot of plumbing, so I don't really have a good answer. I would just say find three good, reputable companies and get quotes and choose what your gut tells you to choose.

[Ira Flato]

We're talking about safety. We should talk about that as a priority. What are the precautions you should take when you work? What should people keep in mind?

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, I mean, protect your ears and eyes first and lungs. Those things are very important. The biggest concern I have in New York is drilling into walls. Over the years, things have moved. Pipes are in the walls where you maybe aren't thinking a pipe should be. There's gas lines and walls. There's electrical everywhere. So that's kind of the biggest concerns. Air conditioners falling out of windows. I've seen people put them up with like bricks and books, which is illegal. Got a good, good safety bracket, but those are drilling into walls and ACs falling out are my two biggest fears personally with my company.

[Ira Flato]

Text for handyman Dan. How do you get a tricky jammed drawer unstuck?

[Dan Medley]

So if it's wood on wood, just grabbing a bar of like unscented Dove soap or a candlestick and rubbing it all over the wood parts, if it's drawer slide, sometimes the bearings are wearing out and you just measure the depth of it. They come in like 12, 13, 14, and you can order them on Amazon or Home Depot or whatever. So it depends on the type. So it's usually like that WD40 silicone spray would work for that. But if it's just wood on wood, unscented soap or scented, if you like the smell.

[Steve]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Dan from Westchester. Hey, Dan, you're on with Dan Handyman. Dan.

[Steve]

Hey, Dan. It's Dan.

[Dan Medley]

Hi, Dan.

[Steve]

So my question that's been bothering me for a while is many electrical. Most electrical sockets, whether it's in a ceiling fixture, wall sconce, or something else, say maximum 60 watt bulb. But we all use LED bulbs now. And I found that while the glass of the LED bulb is plastic, is very cool, the base is very hot, may be hotter than a normal incandescent bulb. Do you have any advice on how high you can go or whatever on a. You know, because these LEDs are 4 watts.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Steve]

You know, 6 watts.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. I always play by the rules, do what it says, safety wise. But this is getting into, like asking a licensed electrician. So I don't really want to speak too much on it, but I know bulbs don't get as hot as they used to be. So it's usually, you know, based on, you know, catching fires and things like that, which you don't want. But that's probably more of an electrician question that I shouldn't really speak on. But I would say just play by the rules for safety purposes, is what I always tell people.

[Alison Stewart]

This one says, how do you mouse proof your apartment without calling the exterminator first?

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, we do a little bit of bug proofing, but not really. We usually go through and find every hole and just fill it. You can use not steel wool, but copper wool. You shove it in the holes. You can just duct tape it in place. They make the spray foam stuff, but that's really gross and sticky. And it's tough if somebody's got to work on pipes, because most issues come from where pipes enter the wall. So finding those voids and filling them. I always say stick the little sticky traps everywhere in your apartment for like a month, and then look at them and you'll see some have more bugs than others. And, you know, that area is probably where they're coming in. So finding the entry point and then just digging deep behind your washer, your dishwasher, if you have one stove Stuff.

[Alison Stewart]

Like that, Stuff that we should be careful of. Because you said licensed contractor a couple of times. How do you know when it's time to move on from a handyman to a licensed contractor? You said electrician and what else?

[Dan Medley]

I mean electricians, plumbers, all the licenses in the city. You know, I subcontract, bring licensed people in for bigger jobs. Anything electrical, anything water you want to be careful with, especially in the city. You don't want to flood your downstairs neighbor, you know, that would not be good. So usually if you feel a gut that you should not be doing it, usually trust your gut. You know, don't overextend yourself too much. Especially if you live in a nice big building. You don't want to mess things up for everybody. So when in doubt, ask a professional.

[Alison Stewart]

I would say here's a question for you. What is the best wall anchor for brick? I'm quite handy and I'm doing a built in shelf unit in my living room. And the wall is old Latin plaster over brick.

[Dan Medley]

Beautiful wall. I would say Toggler brand alligator anchors specifically. I think af8s. You can like 12, 15 bucks on Amazon. I use, I buy them in thousands. I use them all over the city. You need a hammer, drill and a masonry bit that's the same size as the anchor. And those things could hold the house up. We've hung thousand pound items on brick.

[Ira Flato]

What is it about them that makes them useful?

[Dan Medley]

I think they're like German engineered. They're just really good. They're almost reusable too. Like they're kind of the same ones you see in like cheap furniture. The cheap plastic ones that I throw away immediately. And I always, all my guys carry these nice anchors. They just work. I've never had them fall out, never had them pull out, never had an issue with them. They're great. And they accept so many screw sizes too. They're not specific to one screw. It's like a wide range of screws. So they're very adaptable.

[Alison Stewart]

And for folks who are listening and think I didn't get the name of that, don't worry. We have transcripts of our segments and they will be up later today. So if you didn't catch it the.

[Ira Flato]

First time, you can catch it on the transcript.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Laura from Washington Heights. Hi Laura, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Laura]

Hi, thank you for taking my call. Hi Dan. We have an old apartment with an old bathroom and old grout. Our management had somebody come in because it was pretty nasty and they were Supposed to fix it. Basically all they did was just put grout upon grout. So the grout has been falling off of the tiles bit by bit. And there's a big like one and a half inch grouting around the tub where it meets the wall. That is now started to mold again and coming through yellow and black. I don't trust them to do it and I would love to do it ourselves. What should we do?

[Ira Flato]

Someone wants to grout for the first time.

[Dan Medley]

So the biggest issue with that is most people put grout where caulking or silicone needs to go. Pretty much any transition. Like where your tub meets the floor, your tub meets the tile, you know, 90 degree angles. Grout is not flexible. So it's. They shove it in and say they're done and then it falls out. Because when water is in the tub, it flexes the tub. So it sounds like where all that meets, you're going to need some good mold and mildew resistant silicone. You can get like just white silicone. The other grout. If it's just grout on grout. Yeah, I mean, it's. You got to redo it. And it's not a cheap, quick, easy job to redo it. But if you're trying to patch it, you can always just put a little silicone so there's not a hole in the floor, you know, between your tiles. But mostly silicone is what people aren't using.

[Ira Flato]

So use the silicone first and then you can grout over the silicone.

[Dan Medley]

No, it's either or. Either or. So usually transition would be silicone. But if you want a quick patch, just there's like a hole between tiles and you don't want to do grout. You can just throw a little silicone in temporarily until you can do the right thing, which is not quick and easy.

[Ira Flato]

Let's talk to Mark from Glenrock. Hey, Mark, thanks for calling all of it. You are on with Handyman Dan.

[Dan Medley]

Hello.

[Steve]

So I have a hose attached to an outdoor faucet and I made the mistake of leaving it on over winter for a few years and now I can't disconnect it now because I need to remove that hose because it's kinked. Do you have any suggestion? I've tried like spraying with WD40, which I know you said you shouldn't use. I've used wrenches. I just can't get it loosened at all.

[Ira Flato]

I love that. He said over a couple of years.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, that thing's probably seasoned on there. I mean, yeah, the the WD40 penetrating lube, they have two, I think a different version heat. Usually if you're safe with it, you can kind of heat up the metal and it can kind of expand little bit. And you can usually get two wrenches, one on the, the spigot and one on the hose and just work it off. And if not, you can always have a plumber come in and just cut the, the spigot off and put a new one on in like an hour.

[Ira Flato]

So good luck with your hose. Let's talk to Sarah from the Upper west side. Hey, Sarah, thanks for calling all of it. What do you. What's going on in your house?

[Laura]

Yes, hi, I'm sort of doing redoing my kitchen by myself and I have an under counter refrigerator and it does a buzzing like a very loud humming every now and then. So I googled. Is that the compressor? Like, should I get a new one or keep it? I don't know how much to invest.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, sounds are tough without hearing it specifically or like figuring out where it's coming from in the unit. How old is the refrigerator?

[Laura]

I don't know. It's Facebook Marketplace.

[Dan Medley]

Okay.

[Laura]

They said brand new.

[Dan Medley]

Oh, yeah. They always say things. Yeah. I mean, without knowing the sound, it could be a million one things.

[Ira Flato]

Sarah, can you make the sound?

[Dan Medley]

Yeah.

[Laura]

Like it's annoying. I mean, it's, it's loud enough and buzzing enough to the point where I'm like, I think I'll just stick with the fridge that came with the apartment.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, I'd probably do that. Yeah. Yeah, it's. It could be the compressor. It could be. Yeah, that's tough. There might be a fan back there. I think something could be hitting the fan. I've had a thing where I pulled a refrigerator out and there was like a piece of cardboard on the back that was just hitting the fan when the fan would kick on. But without knowing the exact fridge and the sound, I can't really. I can't really know.

[Ira Flato]

All right, well, look for something maybe hitting something first and then move on.

[Dan Medley]

To the next step of calling a refrigerator repairman. Yeah.

[Ira Flato]

My guest is Dan Medley, owner and lead contractor of team Handy Dan. He is helping us out with listeners questions. Are you someone who has a problem? Someone you want to ask a question? Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. We'll have more with Dan when we come right back.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart in studio. I'VE got Dan Medley, owner and lead contractor of team Handy Dan, a local handyman company. He's here to talk about how to improve your at home handiness and to take questions you might have about home repairs or improvement. Talk to me about hanging frames. What's the secret to hanging frames?

[Dan Medley]

The biggest secret is knowing what wall you have. Drywall, super easy. But then you start getting a plaster. Brick, concrete, cinder block, Drywall that's been glued to plaster. There's just so many variables. So knowing what your wall type. Valuable first.

[Alison Stewart]

So if I'm trying to hang something and I see that it is suddenly coming off, what does that mean?

[Dan Medley]

Probably use the wrong anchor or no anchor. Some people just put a screw right in a drywall and hang something heavy and it just rips right out.

[Alison Stewart]

So I need to get an amali.

[Dan Medley]

That's one of them. There's so many variables. You could have a bucket full of different anchors. So many different ones.

[Alison Stewart]

What about. I don't know if this is your territory, but what about framing them so that they'll be straight?

[Dan Medley]

Oh, yeah. All of my guys carry a tiny little laser level. So like Ryobi makes this cute little $10 one. You stick it to the wall and it shoots a laser 20ft. And just follow the laser.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, follow the laser.

[Dan Medley]

Follow the laser.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, we've got a whole bunch of critter questions.

[Dan Medley]

Okay.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay. I'll try to put them into one big group. They want to know how to get rid of large horse flies in the apartment. Is there a way to get rid of roaches that doesn't involve spray? And then I'll just read this one because it's kind of gross but also interesting. It says I have sewer roaches. The water bug. Cockroaches live in the building, in our very old building. How do I prevent them from coming up in the toilet through the trap? Even though it drains from the sink, they seem to crawl right through the water into these traps. Gross.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Getting rid of roaches. Is there a way to get rid of them? Not using spray. Let's start there.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. So there's a gel. I'm not a pest person. I just know about this thing. It's called Advion gel. You can find it online. Use it exactly the way it tells you to use it. It's just like a peanut buttery thing and they eat it and they go home and they eat each other and they die. It's great. It works wonders. Like I've. It's a horror movie. Yeah, I Can't use it myself, but I hear good things about it. So that is, yeah, the best thing you can use for roaches that I know about.

[Alison Stewart]

All right. This text says, do you have any tips for locating studs in the walls? First of all, explain what the studs in the walls are.

[Dan Medley]

So every. In theory, every 16 inches should be a stud. But in New York, things have been made so many wrong ways that where a stud should be isn't always normal. So you can buy stud finders, but I find that they give me false positives often. So my favorite thing is a neodymium magnet. One of the strong little magnets, like the size of a quarter. Okay. It's all you need. And then you stick it on your thumb, and you run it all over the walls if it's drywall. And then it'll stick to your screws that are hiding under your drywall where they screwed the drywall to the stud.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, that's.

[Dan Medley]

So when it sticks to the screw, boom, there's a stud. But then you want to go up and down and find at least three in a row, because somebody might have put a screw and just covered it in spackle, and that might not be a stud. So finding the screw and then finding three vertically should be the center of a stud. That's my way of doing it, because those stud finders are just. They're hit or miss. They don't work great on plaster, any kind of messy walls. So a neodymium magnet is my. My secret weapon.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Richard from Jersey City. Hey, Richard. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Steve]

Hi. Thank you for taking my call. My refrigerator leaves a puddle on the floor. It's my understanding that since it's defrosting all the time, it drains, and then it goes into a pan underneath the refrigerator, and the. And that pan overflows. What. What's my. What's my fix on this? Any idea?

[Dan Medley]

I don't do a lot of fridge repairs. I love. This is my second fridge question, but I do know that sometimes people overload their fridges and they have to work really hard, and it makes a lot of condensation in the back on the compressor, I believe is how it works. And then that just is supposed to go to that pan. And then in theory, that pan is supposed to evaporate. But if your compressor is working hotter than your apartment is humid or whatever, it will just overflow a bit. You could also have bad seals on the fridge. So if your door seals not completely sealing well, your fridge is going to be working overtime, and you're going to be paying Con Ed more money than you should. All these bad things are going to happen. So it could be a seal. It could just be you're overstocking your fridge. It could just be the fridge is too old. But I don't repair fridges often. I just know these few things.

[Ira Flato]

Those are three good choices.

[Alison Stewart]

Good luck with your fridge.

[Ira Flato]

Let's talk to Karen in Brooklyn. Hey, Karen, thanks for calling, all of it. You're on with Dan.

[Laura]

Hi, thank you so much for taking my call. My question is I live in, like, a pre war building, and I have lathe walls, and I want to put in, like, two lights over the bed so the wire drops down behind the wall, but I don't really know what the heck's going on back there. And if the wire would drop down, is that doable? And can you please explain? Thank you so much.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. Not easy, but doable. What I would do is bring in my licensed electrician, and he would just destroy your wall and run a wire through it and get your sconces where you want them or your lights where you want them. And then we'd have to come back and essentially rebuild your wall and cover it all in. But it depends on, I guess, what type of wall. If it's like an exterior wall, I don't. You're getting the things. I don't really know because I don't run wires in the city, but that is usually how they do it. They have to create a channel. Just destroy your wall. And then we have to come in and fix it and close it off once. It's not easy or cheap.

[Alison Stewart]

This is a text. Hey, Nick from Greenpoint. We hired Dan to come and seal up our apartment for some building bug issues. Just wanted to add that he's the real deal and we are super happy. And now we can say we have a famous handyman in our apartment.

[Dan Medley]

That's good to hear.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you. Let's talk to Cybelle in Manhattan. Hey, Cybele.

[Laura]

Hi. I was just wondering how you would recommend finding a good handyman. I know the last caller hired you, but I think of everyone that was listening hired you. You probably wouldn't have time for me, but I have this growing list of projects around the house, and I just don't know how about how to go about finding someone that I trust?

[Alison Stewart]

It's good advice. You don't exist. Your business doesn't exist. You've retired.

[Dan Medley]

I mean, best is referral. You know, friend of a friend. I know a guy type of thing. I have. I have great Google reviews, but, you know, it's easy to fake that stuff. There's a lot of. I've heard a lot of stories of people hiring people, like, oh, they have great, great, great, great, great, great reviews. And then they get there and it's just a disaster. So it's usually referrals are best. Your local hardware store, going to the one on the corner, talking to them, asking for somebody in the neighborhood. If you don't need licensed things, they can usually tell you about a guy or a girl and, you know, referrals, that's the best thing. My favorite clients send me referrals all the time. And trust your gut. I mean, you can read through emails like, I communicate really well through email and I can usually tell immediately when it's going to be a problematic customer. Yeah, but that goes two ways. You know, how they handle the communication is very valuable. Transparent pricing, too. Usually they're like, oh, I'll just show up and they won't talk pricing. They're going to get there and they're going to upsell you. They're going to get you for a high invoice amount. So finding one that is like, it's going to be X amount of money to do it, which is what we try to do, is be very transparent. I don't like surprises on anybody's front. So, yeah, trusting your gut and asking for referrals is probably the first two.

[Alison Stewart]

Also, the pricing, that's really key.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, yeah. It's tough to price things in the city because there's just an immense amount of variables. Just so many.

[Alison Stewart]

So, all right, let's talk about installing our AC units for. What can we do to make it easier?

[Dan Medley]

Hire us? I mean, it's just there's so much liability. You know, you're putting a big old box out of a window. That was when I first got to New York. That was one of the first jobs I was doing that led me into being. Getting insured and getting licensed and all this because I was like, if I drop one of these units, it's going to be a bad day. But if you think you can do it, you know, getting a safety bracket number one, some people are like, oh, you don't need one. It's like, It's. They're like 30 bucks.

[Alison Stewart]

Right.

[Dan Medley]

Just get one peace of mind and just be slow and steady with it. And if you're over a sidewalk, have a friend look down from another window and make sure nobody's below It. While you're putting it out the window. A lot of people think it's easy, and it is pretty easy, but there's just a lot of liability when you're sticking out, Sticking a big box out of a window. So.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, one of our producers wanted to know, how do I go about unclogging a shower drain so it stays unclogged?

[Dan Medley]

Ooh, you should hire my wife. She's really good at that. Yeah, Mrs. Handy. She's the one that fixes my drains at home. She uses, I think, like, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Double check that. You could mix these chemicals, but I believe it's good.

[Alison Stewart]

I think that's what it is.

[Dan Medley]

It froths it up and you put.

[Ira Flato]

Something over it, piece of plastic over.

[Alison Stewart]

It so that the gas goes down.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah. And it kind of pushes that. You can lightly plunge it. I'll stand in my shower with my feet and just kind of plunge it with my foot. You know, you can get those cheap dollar pull things to get your hair out.

[Ira Flato]

Those don't work.

[Alison Stewart]

Look at this.

[Dan Medley]

Everything together works. Well, it's like, not just one thing.

[Ira Flato]

But you got curly hair.

[Alison Stewart]

It's a hard go.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, I have almost no hair, so I don't. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Alex from Brooklyn. Hey, Alex, thanks for calling Olivet.

[Steve]

Hi, this is great information. A number of years ago, I stripped completely. The bathroom door in my apartment, it's about 100 years old, has this beautiful glass. I now want to put, like, a new mortise lock into it. The mortise lock may also be about 100 years old. This is again, you know, I don't think I need a locksmith. I think I could do it. Are there any tips?

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, I mean, I was a locksmith for a decade, actually, so I love this stuff. I used to gut renovate mortise bodies all the time. It's really just. You need a bunch of. You need a paddle bit. You got to cut the pocket out in the side of the door to the right size and mortise in the lock, because it's called a mortise lock. Mortise it in and then drill your hole through for your knob and kind of screw it all together. I'm sure you could find a good YouTube video on it. Or hire us.

[Ira Flato]

We got another Alex.

[Alison Stewart]

This one is from the Bronx. Hi, Alex.

[Steve]

Hi. Good afternoon. Thanks for taking the call. I have a gas oven that's about 13 years old now, and it started having a problem where it won't light reliably. Maybe about a third or Half the time the oven fills up with gas, but it doesn't light, so no heat comes in. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts about at what point do you know that something like that is worth repairing or is it time to just replace the whole oven?

[Dan Medley]

I mean, you can always call a repair guy. I would get it repaired sooner than later. You don't want just gas filling your apartment. That sounds terrifying. But usually it's an igniter. It could be a pretty inexpensive piece. But I would call somebody, call somebody that knows what they're doing with gas specifically.

[Ira Flato]

Dan, you called in because we were doing a. Hey, what are you doing this weekend? And you wanted to tell us about your classes. And I want to hear more. What happens in your classes? People show up. Do they show up with any knowledge? They show up going, which, what's a hammer? Tell us about it.

[Dan Medley]

Yeah, so I've been doing like a nervous to handy class in my shop in Long Island City. It's like two and a half hours, like six or eight of us. I provide everything. You come in with zero knowledge or a little knowledge. And by the time we're done, you'll know how to use a drill and anchor some things into your walls. And I kind of walk you through my tool bag and just answer questions. And then you have my number and you can text me. I've had other students send me photos of things they did based on what they learned in class.

[Ira Flato]

Like what?

[Dan Medley]

This one very nice lady, owns an RV but in like the Midwest and she wants to fix it up. So she went out there and like made custom shelves and like installed a bunch of wall hooks. Just like good basic drilling and sawing things, simple one on one type things is what I'm trying to teach everybody.

[Ira Flato]

When you have a nightmare about your job, what is that nightmare?

[Dan Medley]

Drilling into a water pipe in an apartment through a wall? Yeah. Water or gas or electric? Anything. Yeah, yeah, because it's like, you know, just because your kitchen is over here to my right doesn't mean it didn't used to be on my left. And like, you know things. There could be pipes anywhere. So yeah, if you, if you drill into a wall and you hear something or you feel something, that's not. That's pretty hard. It's probably something you should not continue to drill into. But X ray vision is the thing I need to figure out next.

[Ira Flato]

And when you walk into an apartment and a client says, can you do X for me? And you're thinking to yourself, you could probably do that. Yourself. What is that thing.

[Dan Medley]

Assembling like, you know, a chair people hire us to put together, like a desk chair. That's fine. I mean, if you want to. Please. You know, free time is more valuable sometimes than the money it takes to hire us, which I understand. But I've done everything from put a rug down. I think my, my Mrs. Handy and I went to pick up a desk and put a rug under it and that was it. So no tools even. But, you know, we'll do anything for you if, if it's within reason. And legal.

[Ira Flato]

And legal, yes. My guest has been Dan Medley. He's the owner and lead contractor of Team Handy. Dan, we do want to remind you that everything you've heard will be in on a transcript which will be available later on. So you can get the name of the alligator. What's the name?

[Dan Medley]

Alligator anchors.

[Ira Flato]

Yeah, those things. Dan, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you taking the time and accompanying to the studio.

[Dan Medley]

Thank you. Everybody's been so nice here. I want to come back.

[Ira Flato]

All right. Come on back.

[Dan Medley]

Come on back. I'm Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, our team has been reporting high quality news about science, technology and medicine. News you won't get anywhere else. And now that political news is 24 7, our audience is turning to us to know about the really important stuff in their lives. Cancer, climate change, genetic engineering, childhood diseases. Our sponsors know the value of science and health news. For more sponsorship information, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.