The repairs listed here aren’t complicated, but if you’re not experienced with the tools and techniques required for each, do yourself (and your home) a favor by hiring professionals to do the job. However, if you know what you’re doing or are willing to learn, these jobs can save you hundreds of dollars.
Replacing Worn Flooring
Repairing cracked tiles is easy enough that many homeowners’ success rates approach 100 percent. However, be sure to buy replacement tiles that match your existing ones as closely as possible; otherwise, the repair will stand out like a sore thumb. Also, keep in mind that cracks in grout lines may also require repairing because water can seep into those cracks and cause further damage to the tiles and subfloor.
You’ll be able to fill the cracks and holes in your flooring and even driveway using premixed polymer-modified thin-set mortar, which is available at most building centers and hardware stores. But first, you need to clean out any loose debris from the cracks, then rake them smooth before filling them with mortar mix. If you need filler for larger areas — say you’ve sunken or settled over time as many older driveways do — use quikrete asphalt crack filler (available online), which requires no mixing and is ready to apply as soon as it’s opened; this product works best if you brush it into the damage thoroughly before smoothing it with a notched trowel or spreader.
Repairing a Damaged Water Wall And Simple Bathroom Repairs
Water-soaked wallboard is not nearly as difficult to repair as many homeowners fear it is, even though the wall may have to be cut back several inches from the area of damage. Cut along each stud location to remove the section of wet wallboard, leaving a 1/4′ lip at each stud. Frame in the stud opening with a 2×4 or similar piece of wood, attach new drywall to the frame, prime, and paint it to blend perfectly with surrounding areas.
You’ll probably be able to remove and replace most pieces of water-damaged baseboard yourself by carefully prying them loose from their fasteners and adhesive after cutting away any rotted bits with a sharp utility knife. The key to fixing most water damage is identifying where the damage or leak is coming from correctly.
If your house has galvanized steel pipes (the type hard-wired directly into most plumbing), replacing washers inside faucet valves is generally an easy DIY job that takes less than half an hour once you’ve located shut-off valves under each sink where they’re usually hidden behind access panels. Turn off the water supply, remove the old washer(s), clean any residue from the faucet valve with a rag, and lubricate new washers with dish soap.
If the bathroom wall surface is in a decent shape but needs a fresh coat of paint, you can perform this task yourself using premixed enamel-based paint available at your local home improvement center. Just make sure to sand down any rough spots or peelings (use fine steel wool if necessary), then prime the surfaces with oil-based alkyd primer before painting it on with a high-quality brush or roller made for that purpose; two coats should provide sufficient coverage. If there’s extensive chipping or peeling anywhere along the wall, however, you’ll need to remove all old wallpaper or plaster first, though it does require some expertise to do so without destroying the underlying sheetrock; if unsure about how to proceed, hire a pro.
You can repair small-to-medium size cracks on the bathroom walls as well as any other part of the house (those less than 1/8′ wide) with lightweight spackling compound or premixed drywall mud, then repaint that area once the repair is thoroughly dry. For larger gaps, you’ll need to remove all of the old wall surfaces beyond the crack first; cementitious patching compounds are designed specifically for this purpose and require no taping before painting.
Installing various features such as bathroom cabinets is important, so are various plumbing services. As delicate as the water system in the house is, getting a professional to undertake it will cost you some dollars. Minor plumbing leak repairs are easy DIY tasks. A dripping faucet will waste gallons and gallons of water in a year if left unattended – not to mention that the steady drip is obnoxious and may add up to higher utility bills, too.
Water heaters installation and undertaking various bathroom tasks such as the installing of a shower isn’t as hard as it may seem. For the shower surround, use 1/4′ thick underlayment (plywood or oriented strand board) cut slightly larger than the space where the shower pan will sit; cement backer board (thin ceramic tile is fastened directly onto this material); mortar bed over the backer board; and resilient tiles nailed into place on top of the mortar. Just make sure to install screws along all four edges of each sheet of plywood before installing it in your bathroom; these act like cleats when you put them on a cement backer board, much like wall studs do when attaching drywall. If uncertain about how to proceed, hire a pro to do it.
Replacement and Patching of Roofing Shingles
To maintain a good structure, many home owners should understand how to undertake some common and easy roof repair tasks. For instance, the patching and replacement of roof shingles. You can do this by cutting two-by-fours equal in thickness to your existing decking and nail them into place over the old wood using ring-shank nails or cap nails with galvanized common nails above and below each board. Use a circular saw to cut out the damaged portion of the decking, be careful not to damage any surrounding shingles. If unsure about how to proceed, hire a pro.
You may be able to patch a small tear or replace a single shingle. Remove the broken shingle, cut a replacement from new stock using tin snips, and attach by nailing at the center-front and center-back edges only. If unsure about how to proceed, hire a pro. To patch an asphalt shingle roof that’s been damaged by hail or another mishap, remove any loose granules from around the affected area with a stiff broom first, then use tin.
Appliance Repair
Undertaking appliance service and repair can be easy. For instance, a broken oven door hinge, stovetop element, dryer belt, refrigerator gasket, or garbage disposal are all relatively easy to fix on your own. For fridge stoves and HVAC systems, first unplug the unit, then remove the screws that hold it in place under the countertop or inside its cavity; you can take apart other appliances similarly (but remember to handle electrical connections with care).
For dryers, crack open the front panel by removing its screws (there may be more than one) along with those holding up metal panels inside the dryer, and take a look at your belt to see if it’s broken or worn. Additionally, appliances often have gaskets around them that should be replaced when they start leaking – but you can try tightening them before.
Outlets aren’t typically near exterior lights, so if they’re working/not working, there’s an outlet you should check. If your outdoor light fixture has a pull-chain, use the same principles as an interior bulb: check for power at the outlet and replace or tighten any loose wire nuts.
Replacing a doorknob might seem intimidating, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. Even if you’re replacing a deadbolt, the process is relatively simple: Remove the old screws from around the face of the lock with your screwdriver or drill, pull off the cover plate on top of the lock assembly by loosening its hold with a screwdriver or drill, slide out the latch assembly connected to your doorknob and replace it with a new one that came in your kit – then tighten everything into place.
Door hinges are used very often, so they tend to wear out pretty fast, which leads to them being loose and not closing properly. An easy way of fixing this problem is putting a simple screw into the hinge from inside the house by using a drill bit if necessary. Then tighten the screws only enough so that the door closes gently, shutting perfectly! If there is no screw on each side of the
You can install a new exterior threshold one of two ways: by removing the old one completely, cutting it back flush with the subfloor, and laying a new wood surface perpendicular to the doorjamb; or simply shimming up any unevenness between existing thresholds at either side of the entryway with self-stick silicone rubber stripping available from most hardware stores.
Ninety percent of all exterior jams are that level even if they don’t look like that because they’ve settled over time — meaning if you measure carefully before starting, your replacement project should go smoothly without any additional carpentry work.
Clogged Drains
The first thing that often comes to mind when thinking about clogged drains is calling an electrician or a professional plumbing services company. While this should still be your first move, don’t rule out a DIY solution. There are drain rods and even electrical snake drain openers that you can use from the comfort of your living room or bathtub. If you’ve tried plunging but to no avail, then it’s time to get down and dirty with one of these tools.
In addition to cleaning out your garbage disposal with a few glasses of ice cubes and dish soap, you should also know how to plunge effectively: Pour ½ cup baking soda into the drain along with 2 cups of boiling water, let this mixture sit for about half an hour, then plunge repeatedly until all of the clogs is gone. You can also use a plunger on sinks—make sure it’s a standard sink plunger and not a toilet plunger.
Painting Your Home
If you’re going to do more than touch up your baseboards, you should invest in a basic paint kit that will usually come with primer and brushes as well as the paint itself—no need for an air compressor or spray gun. Just put some paint on a foam brush and brush it onto the surface of your wall where you need to touch up the scratches, nicks, or scuff marks, then let you sit for about 20 minutes before wiping off with a clean cloth dampened with mineral spirits. You can also use standard masking tape if you don’t want to repaint the entire wall after doing touch-ups.
Some tasks are considered DIY because they are relatively easy to complete. Most people have the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge at home to carry them out successfully without any outside help or professional advice. They also require no prior specialist training to get the job done correctly, so anyone can do it easily if they follow the right steps and know what they’re doing. If you’ve never tried carrying out these types of jobs before, then one great way to is by simply taking a look at an online tutorial that shows you how. There are thousands of them out there for consumers to look at, and they’re a great way of learning the ropes before stepping up to do it yourself in your own home.
When carrying out DIY wiring repair and simple building jobs, there’s always a risk of making things worse than they were originally. Hence, it’s important to be fully aware of any potential problems and what you can do about them if they do occur. Most companies will offer some insurance coverage for homeowners, meaning if something goes wrong, then you wouldn’t have to foot the bill for repairs all by yourself.
While some home repairs seem as though they can only be fixed by a professional, there are many that you can take care of yourself. Some maintenance jobs around the house may not require any tools and just a little elbow grease. If your gutters need cleaning out, for example, and you own a sturdy ladder or two, then it’s well within your ability to do so. Additionally, there is no need to burn up money on expensive home repairs when you can fix things yourself.