The DIY movement is growing in popularity as people increasingly prefer to fix and improve their homes without outside help. In fact, many household repair jobs are prime candidates for doing on your own – saving you money, and leaving you with the satisfaction that you have personally contributed to improving your home.
Fixing a drain
One of the most common issues encountered in a house is a blocked drain – whether it is a toilet, bathtub or kitchen sink. Blocked drains are easy to clean, and even the toughest blocks can be cleared with the simple application of specialist cleaning materials. Before you decide to call a plumber, try applying a plunger. There’s a difference between a sink plunger and a toilet plunger, and the appropriate choice of tool will give you a good shot at clearing that blocked drain. If your kitchen sink is not cleared with the help of a plunger, try pouring down drain cleaner.
Squeaky hinges
Hinge squeaks build over time and can often go unnoticed until they are extremely annoying. Squeaking hinges are, however, easy to fix: a simple application of lubricant such as WD40 can work magic. Petroleum jelly is also commonly used to reduce the squeaks produced by the friction of metal against metal. It is not only doors – everything from a squeaky table to a squeaky chair can be fixed easily with little cost or skill by the simple application of a lubricant.
Repair a window cover
Tired old curtains or blinds can lend an untidy look to a room. These are easy to fix, however – instead of buying new curtains or blinds, you could opt for installing window shutters. Window shutters in full height or café style are made to measure and are easy to install by simply drilling the necessary holes in the wall. Depending on how much light you want to block, a full solid shaker could be the solution to your needs for privacy in a room.
Worn walls
Whether it is peeling wallpaper, or paint showing the wear and tear that only a beloved pet can cause, worn walls are easy to repair. You can opt to repaint a room within a single day, instantly freshening up the look and feel of your house. Wallpaper that is a little frayed at the edges is easy to glue back into shape – simply apply a layer of glue to the areas that are peeling away. In fact, wallpaper that is looking faded can easily be painted over – there is no need for an extensive effort to remove the existing wallpaper before you paint.
Freshen up the caulk
Caulk is the rubbery insert between the wall or floor and the edges of bathtubs, toilets and sinks. This seal protects floors and walls from moisture, but like many things in a home, it wears away with time, which leaves your bathroom and kitchen vulnerable to mould and the accumulation of dirt. The hardest part of applying new caulking is to remove the existing caulk, but a sharp tool and a bit of effort would do the job. A caulking gun makes it easy to apply a new, fresh layer of caulk with a professional finish, quickly freshening up a room.
Stop a dripping faucet
Dripping faucets are typically caused by worn washers inside. Not only is the dripping annoying, but it also wastes a lot of water, which in some areas is a very scarce resource. Often, fixing a dripping faucet is relatively easy, depending on how sophisticated the actual faucet is. Compression-style faucets are the easiest to fix, involving the simple removal of the faucet handle, which is usually under a decorative cap.
Clear out your gutters
It is important that you clear your household gutters at least once a year because they are the main protection between your foundation and siding and the elements. The purpose of a gutter is to collect rain water and to move it away from the foundations of your house – channelling it down your property where it can do no harm. A clogged gutter won’t fulfil this function and is one of the main causes of water accumulation in a basement.
Don’t hire someone – DIY it
Your house is your home, and by tackling the routine maintenance and repair issues that every house encounters, you will build personal satisfaction and save an enormous amount of money. The more capable you become at DIY repairs over time, the less you will depend on contractors.