25 Easy Home Repairs You Should Never Pay Someone Else to Do

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Making small repairs from meter to fourth dimension is part and parcel of have a home . While you may spend century , or even thousands , each yr to have a professional hold these odd caper , tackling them on your own is a better selection . plebeian mending like secure a choked drain , changing out an old light fixedness , and repairing a leaky spigot are relatively easy tasks that you could take care of on your own . Below are 25 easy fixture never to pay someone else for .

1. Silencing a Squeaky Door Hinge

No one like asqueaky threshold . To silence yours once and for all , lube the hinge rowlock . employ pliers to pull out the pin , and then surface it in a slender layer ofpetroleum jelly , a nonstaining lubricating substance ( instead , use theWD-40 Precision Pento lubricate this tight space ) . Tap the pin tumbler back into property , wipe off any nimiety , and say goodbye to that creaky sound .

2. Replacing Aging Electrical Outlets

Here ’s one fix everyone should have intercourse , because a brokenelectrical outletnow could precede to an electrical fervidness later ! If an outlet is visibly cracked or your lamps flicker when you refer the corduroy , replace the retail store . Before you part , turn off the power to the outlet and apply a electromotive force tester to see to it that electrical energy is not flowing . Then , simply swop out the old outlet for a young one , making sure first to gibe the wires for fraying and damage .

3. Repairing Holes in Drywall

It ’s easygoing enough to damage a wall , but doctor it ? Well , that can be slightly more difficult , but dry wall patching seldom warrants a call to the contractor . Repairing little holes need only spackling paste and touch - up key . While big holes demand a commensurately greater investiture of time and materials , the fix remains within ambit of average do - it - yourselfers . Our tutorial onhow to patch up drywall holesof all size provides gradation - by - whole tone instructions .

4. Stopping a Running Toilet

Though it ’s upgrade by leaps and bounds internationally , toilettechnology in the United States has change little since the early 1900s . Yet , even though the mechanics are therefore straightforward , many masses still deal a sewer ’s internal working to be somewhat mystical . practice yourself to a newfangled familiarity with flapper , filling valves , and floats , however , and you may be surprised at how well-heeled it is tofix a run can .

5. Troubleshooting Furnace Issues

If your furnace is n’t work properly , there are fixes to essay before calling in the pros . Though it sounds obvious , ensure your thermoregulator is plant to “ heat . ” Look over thefurnace filtertoo , and check whether your thermostat involve new batteries . For even more soft location , refer to how totroubleshoot a furnace on the fritz .

6. Opening a Clogged Drain

The next time aclogged shower draindisrupts your break of day routine , recognise that it ’s not the end of the world . In fact , this is a fix you could address yourself for the cost of a plasticdrain snake .

Pull out the drain stopple or strainer , and use the snake to drag out the goo that ’s stopping the water stream . If you have an old menage with galvanized tube , decamp the snake , which can damage weak tube . Instead , opt for a gentler method , such as pouring blistering water down the drain to loosen blockages .

7. Unclogging the Garbage Disposal

The garbage disposal is handy for washing away humble intellectual nourishment rubbish , but do n’t plow it like a trash can . Dumping too much stuff at once or sending waste that ’s too fibrous down the drain can clog the disposal . If this materialise , apply a broom grip ( never your hands ) to shift it .

8. Replacing Window Screens

A snag in a mesh windowpane screen is an open invitation to outdoor plague , admit spiders , stink bug , and shiner . But there ’s no motivation to go out and buy a new screen , or even to call in a professional to repair it : Simply pull out out the quondam screening , fit the skeletal system with new material , roll in some new slat , and breathe easy with your windows open once more .

9. Lubricating Sticky Windows

If you live in an old home , chances are you ’ve had to deal with your bonnie share of sticky window . Because of changes in humidity and temperature , old window can expand and falsify over time , get them to get perplex in the windowpane frame . Tofix a sticky windowyourself , carefully habituate a hammer to drive a block of wood between the window and the track . Then , rub candle wax into the tracks to help keep the sash slide .

10. Clean Faucet Aerators

Not all water pressure problems can be fixed without the assistant of a pipe fitter , but some are very well-off to remedy yourself . For instance , if you ’re experiencinglow water pressurein a single sink spigot in your kitchen or bath , the trouble is likely with the aerator , which controls the stream of water as it die the faucet . Over time , mineral and other debris in your urine can choke off the aerator , slowing the flow of piss . Fixing the trouble is as simple as unscrewing the aerator from the last of the spigot , rinsing it out , and replacing it .

11. Switching Out an Old Light Fixture

While work with your place ’s electrical system may seem intimidating , there are sure wiring Book of Job you may safely handle yourself . Replacing an one-time light fixtureis one of them . start out by shutting off electricity to the fixture at the electric panel . Remove the old repair by unscrewing it from the cap corner and disconnecting the wiring . Attach the raw habitue by link the ground wire to the soil connection in the box , and then connect snowy wire to white wire and smutty to black . Screw the new fixture into property and you ’re done .

12. Fixing a Leaky Faucet

When you ’re face with a blabbermouthed faucet , your first instinct might be to call a pipe fitter , but this reparation is often one you may deal with yourself in about an hour with canonic hand tools . The perpetrator is typically a faulty seat washer , which is the objet d’art of rubber that see to it a watertight seal when you exit the faucet valve . Tofix a leaky spigot , shut off the water supplying , remove the spigot handles , pull out the stem , and replace the seat washing machine with a fresh one .

13. Replacing Old Caulk

Caulk plays a vital role in home maintenance by ensuring water does n’t ooze in between line around the cesspit , showers , and bath in your kitchen and bathrooms . While caulk is made to be flexile and stamp - tolerant , it will eventually get out away from the hard surfaces around it and become stained with mould . Replacing old caulk is a relatively simple job that involvesremoving the old caulkwith a caulk removal tool , lay down a new bead of caulkusing a caulking hit man , and smoothing it with a finishing tool ( or your finger ) .

14. Quieting a Squeaky Floor

Floors typically squeak because nails entertain the subfloor to the joists conk out , causing the Natalie Wood to rub against the loose nail whenever someone walk over that section of floor . take for granted you ’re comfortable navigate through your cellar or crawl blank to reach the joist , posit a squeaky flooris fairly easily . To make the repair , seize the subfloor to the joist using structure adhesive agent . If the subfloor has draw out away from the joist , apply shims to bridge over the gap .

15. Improve Central AC Airflow

If your air conditioner is blow cold air but it ’s barely coming out of the vent , you may be able-bodied to fix the problem without call a pro . You will need to elucidate dust that ’s close up the flow of zephyr from the AC building block to the ductwork . : bulge out bycleaning the condenser coilson the outside unit by rinsing them with a garden hose . Next , see to it the filters in the HVAC pass in your house . If you haven’treplaced the air filtersin the preceding few months , they could be clogged with dust , pass your AC building block .

16. Fill Driveway Cracks

Ignore cracks in your driveway at your peril . Left unchecked , they will unfold and widen , eventually requiring an expensive professional repair or replacement . If you get to them too soon enough , you may amend those crack yourself . For asphalt , handle tiny gap with a tube ofasphalt crack filleror repair the whole thing with amop - on asphalt sealant . For concrete , use a concrete sealant or aconcrete resurfacer .

17. Repainting Walls

Painting interior roomsis perhaps the most common maintenance task that homeowners choose to take on themselves , and for good reason : All you need to conquer the occupation are a paint roller , a couple of brushes , and a few other basicpainting tools . Begin by covering furniture and the base with drop fabric to protect them from paint spattering . practice spackling or awall repair patch kitto fix any damage to the surfaces . sandpaper the spackling once it dry out before applying the fresh paint .

18. Swapping Out a Regular Light Switch for a Dimmer Switch

You do n’t want to devote an electrician if you want toreplace the sure-enough twinkle switchin the dining way with adimmer switching . First of all , be sure to purchase a three - way replacement if the fixedness is controlled by more than one substitution .

After cutting off top executive to the switch at the electrical panel , use a flathead screwdriver to unscrew the light switch cover version . Remove the nookie book the sure-enough switch to the outlet box and disconnect the wire . set up the new light permutation , using the wiring diagram include with the shift as a guide .

19. Fixing a Fridge That Isn’t Cooling

If your food is spoiling before the expiration date , it ’s potential that your fridge may not be keep thing cold enough . While the fixing may involve a repairman , you might be capable tofix a refrigerator that is n’t coolingon your own .

set off by check the thermostat configurations to make certain they were n’t unexpectedly change . Next , examine the door seal for price . Inside the fridge , verify the vents are n’t blocked by food . Finally , clear any detritus and debris on the condenser coils on the back of the icebox to ensure the capacitance is get adequate flow of air .

20. Patching Leaky Gutters

You do n’t ask to call in a professional tofix guttersthat drip mold water system every time it rain down . This is an easy fix : merely apply agutter sealantrated for out-of-door consumption to punch any holes and gap . While this will lay off your gutters from leak body of water , it ’s just a impermanent fix that might last a season or two . You ’ll postulate to recreate those damage gutter sometime in the dear future tense .

21. Reviving Dying Grass

Thatbrown grassin your thou may look like it ’s deadened and go , but that does n’t mean it has in reality die . Before paying a lawn care party to secure or replace your snuff it lawn , attempt to come to it yourself . chequer first to see if the grass is truly dead by take out up a handful of it . If the weed holds to the basis , chances are the grass is just torpid . nourish your lawn by watering it . Next , aerate the yardand tot up the right fertilizer to give the ancestor the oxygen and nourishment that the grass needs to rise .

22. Repairing a Decaying Deck

you’re able to extend the sprightliness of your deck byresealing itevery few years , but finally those deck display panel may begin to sliver and rot . Before you pass a large glob of money toreplace your deck of cards , believe rectify it . If the frame is in good shape , you may just need to trade out old deck of cards dining table . utilise an impact driver to take away the screws on each damaged board . Then , sheer Modern plank to match the dimensions of the old ace and secure them in place with fresh deck screw .

23. Patching Ceiling Cracks

Mostceiling cracksare relatively easy fixes . If your ceiling is made of drywall , you could fix the crack by apply a thin layer of drywall compound over it . For plaster , treat the infract disruption with a bed of new plaster . Once the drywall chemical compound or plaster is juiceless , sand it and paint over it to blend it in with the relaxation of the roof . Large cracks or a bowed ceiling could be a sign of geomorphologic problems , in which case you ’ll require to call in a professional as soon as potential .

24. Weatherproofing Drafty Windows and Doors

Rather than spending thousands on transposition windows or a new front room access , shore up the exist windows and room access by installingweatherstripping tape . This inexpensive fix can have a big encroachment on your energy banker’s bill during the hottest and coldest month of the year . Because weatherstrip tape is just , well , taping , it ’s very easy to install on your own . hold the weatherstripping to door and window jambs to create a tight seal .

25. Unclogging Leaky Pipes

A leaky faucet might be irritating , but a wetting under the sink is even bad . It ’s not uncommon for sediment to back up the phosphorus - trap , building pressure and stimulate leaks . luckily , you may easily fix a talebearing phosphorus - trap without ever calling a plumber . First , place a bucket underneath the pipes to catch any trap water . Next , loosen the nut on the pipe and remove the P - maw . Dump out the deposit that ’s settled and reattach the pipe . Now your sink should be leak - barren !

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Couple sitting on stairs in middle of home repair