I had a great start in life by growing up in Southeast Michigan in the middle of a family of 8.  I had a hard-working father who worked very long hours and most weeks worked 6 long days.  He also owned three rentals properties not far from our home.  These houses were older, two-unit, homes built in the early 1900’s and needed continuous work.  Not realizing it until I wrote this, those three rentals set the stage for who I am today. You might say they were my vocational schools.  The contractors that came and went were my teachers.  I watched and learned about proper tools and how things worked around the home.   Before I learned how to drive, I could change a thermo-coupler on a number of different furnaces and hot water tanks, replace doors and locks, build a load bearing wall, and paint entire units by myself. One of our rental houses had a huge octopus furnace which used to heat off of coal but had since been converted to gas.  I didn’t understand then why it needed to be so large, but I would find out.  Upkeep on one house is a full job.  On three older homes, the work was endless and as I learned more, my father needed those contractors less.

In 1985 I started hauling Hazardous materials. I worked mostly nights and did major landscaping during the day.  I renovated a pre-1900’s farm house which was a balloon frame constructed house. I didn't know that they once used horse hair to insulate exterior walls wherever there was plumbing. I certainly haven’t seen it all, but I am always willing to learn something new.

The years went by and in 1993 a friend of mine named Todd wanted to build a house in Chelsea, Michigan. There were three of us on the job, a general contractor named Benny, Todd and myself. That was a long summer and a cold winter. Benny was a patient man full of knowledge and brawn and he had all the answers. We soaked it up and committed it to memory. It was perfectly clear to me now how a house, built right, could endure time. That was the last house Benny built before he died.  My sister married Todd and they acquired many rental properties, as did my other sister and her husband David. I have lost track of the numbers. It is easy to say that there is always something going on in this family pertaining to homes and their constant need for maintenance, repair, or renovation.

I continued to work hauling hazardous materials and working on homes until 2012 when my wife phoned me with an opportunity for us to go abroad. Her company asked to take a three year assignment in Australia. So I retired my 27 years of driving a truck, put away my tool bag and packed up our two dogs and moved to Australia to be with her. My wife is a CPA and has practiced in both public accounting and private industry. She keeps everything together and flowing smoothly. 3 years later, we moved back home to Southeast Michigan. I decided to turn what I love to do into a full-time job so I obtained my Builders License from the State of Michigan and discovered my passion for CAPS, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, and got certified.  Universal Home Works, LLC was born.

Over the years I have dug footings, poured foundation walls, insulated walls, installed countless windows and doors, and have repaired just about everything.  It is clear our father passed along his hard working ethic and ability to work hard until a job is done.

 

 Thanks for reading about us, I hope to hear from you soon.

                                                          

                                                           Bradley Dicks