10 Easy and Simple Fixes to Make Around Your Home

• Posted on HDNEditor
• in Home Improvement
• on April 18, 2017
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Having a place to call your own is a dream come true. Your home is probably one of the most expensive things you’ll ever pay for. It is essential to take really good care of your home, whether you own it or not. Owning a home comes with an obligation to make sure that your private sanctuary is safe and everything is functioning properly. While you may be enticed to hire a professional when something needs to be repaired, there are many problems that you can take care of on your own. Becoming familiar with some repairs around your home is important and you don’t have to be a dedicated DIY kind-of-homeowner to be able to learn them. Below are some home repairs that can be done with little to no experience.

1. Squeeky Door Hinges

Squeaky doors can be really annoying but it’s easy to fix them. Spray a bit of WD-40 or petroleum jelly on the hinge while moving the door back and forth. If that fails, you can remove and clean the hinge pins using wire wool to get rid of any rust or dirt that may be the source of the squeak.

2. Caulking

Instead of removing the mould and mildew from your worn-out caulk, redo it, It’s not as complicated as it may sound; it’s actually one of the simplest home repairs you can do. All you have to do is put some adhesive remover on a damp cloth or sponge, wipe over the silicone caulk and let it soak in. Remove the old caulk, clean the surface completely of any residue then recaulk. Putting masking tape on the sides of where you’ll recaulk will keep it clean and even. Make sure to leave at least 1/8 of an inch between the tapes.

3. Freshen Up Any Room With Fresh Paint

With proper preparation and working efficiently, anyone can paint a room and achieve professional results. Before starting on any painting job, you have to get organized first and do work preparations a day or two before starting the project. Start by moving your furniture out of your way. You can place big pieces of furniture in the center of their room and cover them up with drop cloths. Remove and disconnect chandeliers or any hanging light fixtures if you plan on painting the ceiling. Removing any kind of obstacles will make your job faster and with fewer mistakes, Make sure to cover the floor with drop cloths and have a separate area where you can gather the tools you’ll need and mix paint as you work.

When painting, start from the top, working your way down to help you see and repair any drips. Start from the ceiling when you’re painting an entire room before the walls. You’ll finish faster if you’ll paint open and large areas first, like walls, before repainting the trims.

4. Remove And Replace Grout

Removing and replacing grout is very easy and fast. Depending on the size of the area you’ll work on, this task that you may have feared for months may take as little as an afternoon. You have two options to do this: Manually by digging it out by hand or you can buy an oscillating multi-tool to make your job easier and quicker. Using this tool, you can remove about 15 square feet of grout on a 4 x 4 tile in about an hour. Once it’s done, you’re ready to replace it. Simply apply the grout using a grout float to spread it evenly to seal and fill in the tiles, then wipe off excess grout with sponge.

5. Fix A Leaky Faucet

It’s best to fix a leaky faucet as soon as possible to avoid huge monthly water bills. To do any repairs, you have to first identify if the leak is coming from the faucet and not from the main plumbing line. If the latter is the case, it is a must to hire a plumber instead. There are five easy steps to fix a leaky faucet:

• Turn off the water supply.
• Remove any decorative parts of the handle knobs using a screw driver.
• Loosen the packing nut and remove the stem using a wrench, Make sure to check the parts you removed for any damage.
• Remove and replace the o-ring and washer, and make sure that they fit perfectly.
• Carefully reassemble the parts, then check and test if the leak has been fixed.

6. Peeling Wallpaper

You can fix that annoying peeling paper on the eyes by simply pulling the paper back to the area where it is stuck on the wall firmly, then apply the paperless part of the wall with wallpaper adhesive using a knife or any flat object. Press the wallpaper back on and remove any bubble to smooth it out with a roller, clean cloth or damp sponge.

7. Clean Sliding Glass Doors For A Smoother Glide

All standard sliding glass doors have tracks which control the door and also allow the roller wheels to provide a smooth run for the door. In time, the track will accumulate dirt and grime, which significantly slows down your sliding door. To remove the dirt and grime inside your sliding glass door track, use a wire brush or a toothbrush. Once you’ve cleared all the dirt from the track, use a vacuum to suck it all up. Then spray a small amount of silicone spray lubricant onto a rag, and then wipe it along the tracks.

8. Replace A Light Switch

Electrical switches are one of the easiest to replace and won’t need to be done with the help of a professional electrician. A switch that’s not working properly is pretty simple to fix. Just make sure to turn off the circuit breaker first before doing anything. Electricity can be really risky and dangerous so it is necessary to take all precautions.

You’ll only need two tools to fix the switch: A flathead screwdriver to remove the faceplate covering the switch and a phillips head screwdriver to remove the switch from the wall. Once you’ve removed the switch, test the two wires connected to screws on the switch to make sure there’s no electricity running through them. If it’s negative from electricity, disconnect the wires and attach them to the new switch, then put everything back together.

9. Unclogging The Toilet

Before calling a plumber to unclog your toilet, there are two things you should try first to resolve your toilet problem. The first one is by using a plunger. But before plunging, add hot water and dishwashing liquid in to the bowl first to better break up the clog, then give it at least 8–10 downward thrusts. If your problem is a minor clog, the water should flow freely at this point. If not, then it’s time to invest in a toilet auger, which usually costs a bit more than plungers but can deal with solid clogs much better than your average plunger can. All you have to do is run the end of the auger into the toilet until the end reaches the clog, start turning the crank and then pull the clog out.

10. Fix A Broken Toilet Lever

If your toilet lever does not flush the toilet after pressing it, all you have to do to fix it is open the tank and re-attach the chain. If the handle is corroded or any one of the pieces connecting the handle to the flapper is about to break, then it’s best to just replace the parts.

Your house will not run out of things that need to be fixed, but there are many repairs you can make yourself that are quick and easy with little to no cost. However, there are things that should be taken care of by a professional to avoid accidents, so make sure to assess the situation first, especially those involving electricity, before doing anything for safety reasons