Looking for handyman jobs? Start with pictures and shelves
Hanging pictures, mirrors, light shelves and curtain rods is a focused way into handyman jobs. Check the wall and the OK to drill, mark spots together, and stop near wiring, pipes or heavy loads.
Six months in, and the framed prints are still propped against the skirting board. The mirror lives behind the bedroom door, and the curtain rod hasn't left its box. The intentions are there. What's missing is a drill and an extra pair of hands that knows where to start. If you've hung shelves and pictures in your own place and you're comfortable with a drill, this is help you could offer people nearby. It's a narrow kind of handyman help, and most of what makes it go well happens before the drill comes out.
What should I ask before offering to hang a shelf?
Start with what's going up. A few framed photos, a full-length mirror, a light shelf and a curtain rod are different requests, with different weights and fixings. Ask for photos of the items and the wall, and how many pieces there are in which rooms. That tells you whether the request suits you before you leave home.
Then ask whose decision the drilling is. In a rented flat, the landlord decides whether holes go into the walls. Ask the tenant to check they have the landlord's OK, and don't drill on a shrug. The holes stay after they move out.
What kind of wall is it, and what will it carry?
Tel Aviv flats can mix concrete, block and plasterboard partitions, sometimes in the same room. Each needs its own type of wall plug, and plasterboard needs fixings made for it. If the owner doesn't know, a gentle knock usually tells you: plasterboard sounds hollow.
Match the load to the wall. A short shelf for a few paperbacks isn't the same as one meant for a row of cookbooks. If you're not confident the wall and fixings will hold what they plan to put there, say so before you start rather than after the shelf is full.
Who brings the anchors and screws?
Settle it in advance. Shelves and rods often come with screws and plugs in the box, but those aren't always right for the wall. If you're bringing a drill, a spirit level and a tape measure, say so. If the owner is buying supplies, send a short list based on the wall type so nobody finds out halfway through that a part is missing.
Why mark every spot with the owner before drilling?
Because the right height for a picture is a matter of taste, and it's their taste. Hold the piece against the wall, let them step back and look, and pencil the mark only when they're happy. For a curtain rod, measure the width beyond the window frame and the height above it together. Level a shelf before drilling, never after.
Marking together saves arguments and spare holes. If they'd like something directly above a socket or in line with a tap, explain why you'd rather not and suggest another spot.
Where does this kind of physical help at home stop?
Pipes and cables run inside walls, and not always where you'd guess. Notice sockets, switches and taps near your drilling point, and use a detector if you have one. If you're unsure what's behind the plaster, don't drill. Moving a picture a hand's width is better than hitting a pipe.
This help doesn't include electrical, gas or plumbing work. Swapping a light fitting, moving a socket or connecting a tap belongs with licensed professionals. A wall-mounted TV, a hanging kitchen cabinet or anything similarly heavy needs real experience and proper fixings, and if you don't have that, say so plainly. Height has a limit too: nothing beyond a sturdy household step stool. A rod near a high ceiling or a shelf above a stairwell isn't part of this offer.
The guide to starting furniture assembly work covers pieces that stand on the floor and leaves wall fixing out. This help starts exactly where that guide stops. And if you know the weeks right after a move, offering packing and unpacking help describes the stage before anything goes on the wall.
How do I wrap up the visit?
Before you leave, test each piece by hand: the shelf doesn't wobble, the mirror hangs straight, the curtain slides. Clear the drilling dust off the floor and skirting, and walk the owner through what went up where. If something didn't happen, say because the wall wasn't suitable, tell them and explain what it would take to finish.
If you're looking at handyman jobs in Tel Aviv, light hanging is a focused place to start, because the requests are small and the limits are easy to explain. When you describe this skill as a Tadamer, be specific about what you hang, which walls you've worked with and what stays outside your offer.
Questions & answers
Do I need to be a trained handyman to offer this?
No, but you need genuine experience with a drill, wall plugs and a spirit level. Describe what you've actually hung before, and turn down walls or items you haven't worked with.
Who needs to approve drilling in a rented flat?
The landlord decides whether holes go into the walls. Ask the tenant to confirm they have permission before you arrive.
What if I can't tell what's behind the wall?
Don't drill. Suggest a different spot away from sockets, switches and taps, or leave it for a professional.
Can I mount a TV or a wall cabinet as part of this?
Not as part of light hanging help. Heavy items need real experience and proper fixings, so say up front if that's beyond you.
