Where to Get Stuff Fixed

Why replace what you can repair instead?

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When times are tight, the previously disposable becomes a little more valuable—or at least worthy of a second look. Instead of tossing something out, we’re more inclined to fix it, care for it or maybe just shine it up a bit. So before you replace, reconsider what you have and how to make it look better or last longer. Here are some suggestions on what to fix—and who can help you do it.
 

Don’t Look Down

In a sagging economy, homeowners are inclined to curtail “capital expenditures” —a fancy economist’s term for money spent on existing facilities or operations. But your home isn’t a factory or an office building. It’s where you live. And if you’re simply unable to live with the sorry condition of wood floors distressed by years of use and abuse, you might want to turn to Vincent Rodriguez of Vincent’s Hardwood Flooring (10 Glenbrook Road, Ardmore; 610-896-6380, vincentsfloors.com). He’ll visit your home, assess your needs and recommend a level of service appropriate for your floor’s condition—whether it’s severely damaged or scuffed from daily use. For most refinish jobs, Rodriguez sands down to fresh wood, applies stain, and tops things off with three coats of oil-based polyurethane to seal and protect his work. The company is bonded and insured, and Rodriguez personally supervises all work.

Average cost to repair: $1,100 to refinish 400 square feet.
Cost to replace: $4,000 (including materials and labor) for a new oak floor from Lowe’s.
Savings: $2,900
 

Get with the Program

In our modern world, computers may well be the most disposable electronic devices ever, their usefulness expiring in the wake of vast memory expansions and software changes—often in little more than six years. But for younger computers, there is still some potential for salvation, says David Umpierre of Om3ga PC Services in Exton (610-955-1052, om3gapcrepair.com).

For machines still running Windows XP, Umpierre recommends an immediate upgrade to Windows Vista (soon to become the sole platform Microsoft supports). It’s likely that the same unit—assuming it’s a desktop rather than a laptop—could easily handle a memory upgrade from 512 megabytes of RAM to two gigabytes. Also frustrating is a computer bogged down by viruses and other unwanted online bugs. Om3ga can perform “disinfections” and install anti-spyware programs to keep those little buggers from returning.

Average cost to repair: $137.50 for a two-gigabyte RAM upgrade on a four-year-old 512-megabyte unit.
Cost to replace: $498.99 for a Gateway Desktop with Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor at Best Buy, King of Prussia.
Savings: $361.49
 

Turn Up the Heat (Without Burning Down the House)

Utility companies have us by our turtle-necked throats as we attempt to achieve some level of affordable warmth during the colder months. In response to ever- rising energy costs, many homeowners have turned to their fireplaces. But before you go snuggling in front of that blazing stack of wood on a regular basis, get your chimney checked by D.J. Cross Inc. (2 Old Pennell Road, Media; 610-494-4390, djcrossinc.com). In homes more than 100 years old, masons often cut corners on chimneys, leading to significant problems in modern times. Second-generation chimney sweep Ben Cross will make sure there aren’t any major blockages or structural problems that could lead to a potentially devastating house fire. Should you decide to burn your fireplace more frequently as a primary or secondary heat source, he also recommends an annual inspection. And because many oil and gas central heating systems vent through a chimney, those outlets should be checked and cleaned regularly, too.

Cost to repair: $281 for service call and cleaning of fireplace flue.
Cost to replace: How much is your house insured for?
Savings: In energy use, potentially hundreds of dollars. In avoiding a tragedy, incalculable.
 

Matrimonial Savings

A couple’s declining financial health can have a profoundly negative effect on a relationship. Just looking at the short-term costs of breaking up a long-term marriage (10 years or more) can make your blood run cold. So, if things around your house aren’t exactly the very picture of nuptial bliss, you might be better served by taking some preemptive measures against dissolution. Arlene Foreman, a member of the Philadelphia Area Couples Counseling Alliance (Ardmore, acenterformarriage-counseling.com, 888-528-6407), can help you recognize underlying problems and come to terms with issues like job loss and infidelity.

Cost to repair: $1,800 for a weekly one-hour marital counseling session (at $150/hour) for three months.
Cost to replace: Perhaps as much as $500,000-plus for a divorce, including spousal and child support over the lifetime of the judgment.
Savings: $498,500
 

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