Courtesy Sanding & Handyman Solutions LLC
By Christine Graf
In addition to sanding both new and old cabinet doors, Sanding & Handyman Solutions LLC, a Queensbury-based company, sands entry doors, new and old molding, hardwood floors, barn board, and a variety of other materials.
The company, established by husband and wife Mike and Christine Thorne, does not offer any type of painting or finishing services.
“We started by selling brush sanding equipment, and we now use that equipment to sand cabinet door,” said Mike Thorne. “People bring their doors to us after they clean them, and we sand them down. The doors are then ready for primer and paint.”
It was through the sanding business that Thorne connected with a contractor who does house flipping in the Albany area. The man needed help with some of the jobs and enlisted Thorne for help.
“When I started working with him, I was able to re-hone my skills from years ago—doing full remodels, building decks, and other basic handyman services,” he said. “In my past employment, I was a salesman for an abrasives company, but prior to that, I did all sort of construction work.”
In August 2021, Throne decided to establish his own handyman/contracting business, Remodeling and Contracting Solutions. Through that company, he offers a variety of services including complete remodels, deck builds, deck refinishing, pressure washing, floating floor installation, bathroom remodels, window tinting, and basic plumbing and electrical. Although he does most of the work himself, for bigger projects, he hires subcontractors. For example, he typically subcontracts sheet rock and taping. He also does not do any sort of in-depth plumbing or electrical work.
“I do a mixture of handyman services and general contracting,” he said. I’m certified in gas work, so I can run gas lines to houses, barbecues, and things like that.”
Christine now handles all of the business at Sanding Solutions so that Thorne can devote himself full-time to Remodeling and Contracting Solutions.
Throne accepts jobs as far south as Ballston Spa and as far north as Diamond Point. He will consider traveling farther depending on the job.
“Most of the stuff that I do is smaller stuff–a day or two job. Very rarely do I get a job that takes a week or two … I kind of found my niche because the big contractors don’t want to take on the small jobs. For small jobs, I’m that guy. I basically do what every wife asks her husband to do. What takes him three months only takes me a few days, but my wife will tell you that since I started this, everything takes me longer to do at home.”
Thorne is fully insured and offers free estimates. Although he is on the Thumbtack app, he prefers to book jobs directly through his web site.
For more information, visit www.sandingsolutionsny.com