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Showing posts from February, 2025

Doing work on a sub-let

 It's not uncommon these days for short term rental operators (airbnb, vrbo, etc...) to lease a house from a property owner,  especially in locations distant from them, just to rent the property out on one or several of these short term rental platforms. In some cases, a professional handyman, like myself, is brought in to do maintenance and install work on these properties on behalf of the rental operator,  the leasee,  not the property owner.  In these cases, we have to keep in consideration the permanency of the work we do on these properties. We might be asked to install a wide variety of tech devices like alarms, smart devices, sensors, fingerprint door handles/locks, etc...  When we do put in these devices, sometimes we are directed or restricted to not make them "permanent."  Largely because the actual property owner probably won't want certain modifications that accommodate the work after the rental/lease agreement ends. Take for example a smar...

Minut Sensor Placement on a Suspended Ceiling

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 The Minut sound sensor for monitoring sound levels in a house or parts of a building is a very good tool for rental property owners and managers.   Each sensor covers ~700 sq ft on a horizontal plane. Ideally, it's intended to hang suspended from a ceiling over the monitored area.  They even provide a magnetic mount plate and a screw with a plastic anchor. But what if you need to mount it on a suspended ceiling?  Using a screw and a plastic anchor is not the ideal solution.   Here's how I mount them in the properties I do work in... First, I pick a ceiling tile that's roughly center of the area we intend to monitor.  It doesn't have to be exactly center but it helps to be near. Specifically,  I'll pick a spot not in the center of the tile, but about 3 to 6 inches near a cross-section of ceiling frame.  I like to have the extra support there instead of a potentially weaker spot in the center of the tile.  I mark that point with a ma...

No Need To Be Intimidated by Smart Devices

 I install, configure, and integrate "Smart" devices and systems for a diverse group of customers.  Between senior citizens,  handicapped persons, and small businesses and offices, I'm able to continuously build my experience and translate those among the others. Whether it's installing devices to improve productivity or adding these devices and systems to assist people dealing with difficulties and accommodating disabilities,  Smart devices, assistants, and systems can go a long way to being very useful in those situations and environments.  In the early days when these devices and systems were being introduced and early adoption was still feeling its way through, there were plenty of examples of how and where the technology still needed to mature and be further developed. Whether many people realize it or not, these devices and technology actually have matured and improved in many ways since then.  Privacy and handling of system information,  such as...