Be Your Own Handyman
Perhaps you have some issues around your house, and don’t have the money to pay someone to fix them? Well, don’t worry. There’s a lot of small tasks around the house that you can easily do yourself, and all you’ll have to pay for is the cost of the materials. Read on and see how easy it is to do home DIY.
Patch Small Holes in Drywall
This is one of the easiest home repairs and you don’t even need that many tools. To patch small holes in drywall, simply use spackle and a putty knife to fill the holes in. Then go over them with sandpaper. It’s really easy and you’ll get such a sense of accomplishment afterwards.
Silence Creaky Floors
Creaky floors aren’t usually high on most people’s DIY list, but they can get really annoying and need to be sorted out. Luckily, there are easy fixes. You can secure loose boards with nothing but screws, or you can put a lubricant between the boards. You can even put easy-to-find, cheap talcum powder down there.
Change a Light Bulb
This one is something everyone should know how to do. Take out the old lightbulb and take it to the store with you so you know which new one to get. Buy the new one. Then put the new one in! Most lightbulbs are very easy these days.
Tighten Loose Cabinet Handles
Cabinet handles do become loose after a period of time, but you shouldn’t worry, because all you need to fix them is a screwdriver. Just put the screwdriver in the screw and twist! No need to call anyone, this is one of the easiest home fixes possible.
Install a Dimmer Switch
This isn’t too hard, but the most important part is to isolate the electricity. This prevents you from, well, getting electrocuted! Use a voltage tester to make sure the circuit is dead. Then, move the wires into the dimmer switch. A video tutorial will inform you what colors go where.
Refinish Wood Furniture
This is another one that’s really not as hard as you might think. Make sure you thoroughly clean your piece of furniture, then use paint stripper to strip the old finish. Sand the wood, and then apply the new stain. Then apply a coat of finish.
Unclog a Drain
There are lots of ways to unclog a drain. You can buy drain unblocker from most good household stores, but there’s an even easier way of doing it. Mix baking soda and vinegar and pour that down the drain.
Hang a Coat Rail
You need somewhere to put your coats, don’t you? Well, a coat rail should do the job, you just have to hang it. You just need screws, an electric screwdriver, the rack itself and a spirit level to make sure it’s not hanging at an angle.
Stop Cabinet Doors From Slamming
How many times have you told your kids to stop slamming the cabinet doors? But they don’t listen! So it’s time to take matters into your own hands. Install bumpers on your most problematic cabinets. They’re really cheap and easy to use.
Fix a Non-Charging iPad
Ipads are very expensive and people hate it when they stop charging. But there’s a solution that may work. Try putting a toothpick into the charging port and seeing what you can pull out of there. A lot of the time it’s filled with fluff and that’s the problem.
Fix a Stuck Drawer
When drawers are very old, they can get stuck easily. First, check nothing has fallen down behind the drawer and is blocking it. Then, take the drawer out and sand down the runners, as well as the underside of the drawer.
Repair Broken Ceramics With Kintsugi
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending an object so the break is visible. The crack where the object broke is highlighted in gold. Instead of paying someone to fix a beloved bowl, why not use Kintsugi to fix it yourself? You’ll need epoxy adhesive and some gold mica powder.
Fix Shower Pressure
This is much easier to do than you might think. Buy a pressure balance cartridge (they’re not very expensive) and then remove the handle, trim plate, and finally the screws holding in the valve cap. Take out the old cartridge using pliers and put the new one in.
Fix Wobbly Chair
If you have a beloved chair that’s turned wobbly, don’t worry, you won’t have to pay someone to fix it. Simply slide strips of wood under the legs until the chair balances out. Then, cut out a piece of the wood that’s a suitable size to glue onto the chair leg.
Remove Scuff Marks on the Wall
Don’t worry if you have scuff marks on your wall. You don’t have to hire someone to come repaint the whole wall – you just have to go over the marks with a magic eraser. And magic erasers aren’t even expensive.
Fix Puddling Toilet
The absolute last thing you need in your bathroom is leakage around your toilet bowl. That could mean the wax ring around your waste pipe has failed, and what you need to do is disconnect the water, drain the tank and bowl, remove your toilet with a wrench, remove the original wax ring with a knife, and replace it with a polyurethane foam ring.
Cover up Ceiling Stains
There are products available on the market that will help you cover up ceiling stains, you just need to use them correctly. Make sure you have a drop cloth on the floor and plastic hung up around the walls before you use it.
Fix Cracks in Ceiling
In the same vein, if you see a crack in your ceiling try not to worry. You can purchase kits that have everything you need to fix a ceiling crack, you just have to get on a ladder and pump the adhesive behind the crack.
Fix Squeaky Doors
Squeaky doors are easy to fix. All you need is some WD40, which is amazing stuff. Spray it gently onto the hinges of the door and that’s it, that should be enough to stop the squeaking. You can even use petroleum jelly if you don’t have any WD40.
Remove Old Wallpaper
When you’re moving into a new house, you might not approve of the previous person’s design choices. But don’t worry. A steamer will remove that old wallpaper, as will a chemical stripper. Even soapy water will get your further than you think.
Regrout Your Tiles
Regrouting your tiles is an easier job than you might expect. Use a knife to scrape out the old grout, being careful not to chip the tiles. Then use a damp cloth to wipe away the debris. Finally, mix and apply the new grout.
Get Dents Out of Wood
If you’ve dented some wood you need, don’t worry, there’s a fix. Soak a washcloth and wring it out til it’s damp, place it on the dent, and then run your iron over it. That should make the wood expand and thus fix your annoying dent.
Clean Gutters
You don’t need to call in an expert to clean your gutters, you just need to be able to climb a ladder. Attack the mess in your gutters from there, checking every part of them. It’s really not very hard, just high up.
Unstop a Toilet
If your toilet has stopped flushing, adjust the chain and flapper in the tank and that should do the trick. It’s a very simple solution… but it may not work every time, so you’ll have to call a plumber if it doesn’t work.
Fix a Smelly Washing Machine
A smelly washing machine isn’t good for your household or your clothes. Luckily, there’s an easy fix and you don’t have to call a plumber. Put some white vinegar in the machine on an empty hot cycle, and that should make the smell go away.
Tighten a Loose Toilet Seat
Obviously your toilet is one of the most important items in the house, and a loose toilet seat can be very annoying. But you should be able to tighten it up using nothing more than a screwdriver.
Touch up Wall Paint
If there are areas in your house where the wall gets touched a lot, it can start to lose its paint. But if you still have the original can of paint, you don’t need to worry. Simply cover your floors, put the can down, and carefully touch up the paintless patches with a brush.
Fix a Wallpaper Seam
It can be extremely annoying when wallpaper starts coming apart at the seams, but luckily there’s a quick fix for it. Prise the seam open a little more using a screwdriver, and then squeeze seam sealer into the gap.
Replace a Showerhead
First, turn off the water and twist off the old showerhead by hand or with a wrench. Clean the shower arm threads with a cloth and wrap them with plumber’s tape to prevent leaks. Finally, screw on the new showerhead by hand. That’s it!
Fix Drafts
Your house could be becoming less energy-efficient because of drafts. If you think your door is the culprit, lift it up by its doorknob and if it rises, it’s causing the draft. Tighten the top hinge screws and see if that helps.
Paint a Room
Many people are cowed by the idea of painting a room, but they really don’t have to be. As long as you cover up the floor and furniture beforehand, and don’t try to do it in your best clothes, you should be fine.
Insulate Your Attic
Insulating your attic sounds like the sort of thing that should be left to a professional… but many people do it themselves with no issues. Simply clear debris, seal air leaks, and lay fiberglass batts or blown-in insulation between joists.
Applying Caulk
Caulk is that stuff between your bathroom sink and the wall, and it can very easily discolor or even turn moldy. So it helps to learn how to use a caulk gun! Then, you have to scrape the old caulk out (there are products that can help with this) and put the new stuff in.
Unjam a Garbage Disposal
Some folks are scared of their garbage disposals. Don’t be! To fix a jam, turn off the disposal and unplug it. Use a hex key in the bottom slot to manually turn the motor and free the jam, and use tongs to remove any debris that might be inside.
Fix a Stained Couch
Whatever you don’t, don’t throw away your couch if it smells or has stains. Those things are expensive! What you want to do is sprinkle baking soda onto your couch, wait about half an hour and then vacuum it up. That should fix the smell and some of the stains.
