I’m originally from Minnesota – I grew up in a southern suburb of Minneapolis. I started in the construction industry at age of 18 (back in 1978) doing repairs on rental properties. My older brother owned several properties, which kept me busy doing repairs and painting in between tenants. I met other realtors and investors, through which I grew the business. I started subcontracting with a local builder in 1984, learning framing, siding, and roofing while building new homes. I started doing extensive remodeling in the late 1980’s and became a general contractor in 1991. My company evolved over the years into solving unique issues with buildings and homes. These included water infiltration problems, drainage problems, foundation failures, and building settlement problems. I worked closely with structural engineers and architects to solve these problems. I also learned a great deal about how building systems work together, and what causes failures to occur. My company did many remodeling projects ranging from small additions to million dollar renovations. I performed many inspections of properties over the years. I was referred by engineers, architects, building inspectors, realtors, and other contractors to determine the cause of structural and water problems in existing homes and businesses. After 42 years I retired from the construction business in 2010. I moved to Bradenton, Florida shortly after in 2011. Goodbye Winter!!!
After living here in Bradenton and enjoying my retirement for a few years, I was amazed by the Florida climate and the very unique way it effects buildings and houses. I began to learn about the effects of the sun, higher humidity, the salt air, and how they effect everything here. As much as I was enjoying my retirement I was also getting bored not being out there working and solving problems. In 2017 I decided I would get some training in the Florida way of building, so I studied to become a Florida home inspector. I earned my license in 2018. I learned the differences between how things are built here as compared to the colder climate I was used to. I learned about hurricanes and how they effect buildings and roofs. I learned about termites and mold. I also learned a few things that i thought I already knew.
As much as I enjoy sharing my knowledge with people, and helping them with their homes and businesses, I wasn’t sure I wanted to crawl around in attics and climb on roofs every day as a home inspector. I decided the best way for me to stay busy and active was doing what I have always loved, and that’s working with my tools. That’s why I started Palma Sola Handyman Services.