Home improvements and regular maintenance are crucial to increasing the market value of your property. Did you know that even a leaking faucet or a clogged drain can undermine the appeal of your home? Potential buyers will examine every nook and cranny to examine the price if you ever decide to sell.
Minor issues and small damages aggravate and transform into technical concerns that undermine cosmetic and structural integrity. If you’re handy with a toolbox and comfortable with some elbow grease, fixing minor issues is a viable strategy. You know what they say, a stitch in time saves nine. And this strategy is immensely effective when it comes to reducing property maintenance costs and curbing depreciation.
Minor repairs can quickly turn into major ones if not dealt with immediately. Home repair is often a pain in the neck, especially when you have to take your house out of commission for days on end. But with some do-it-yourself techniques and tools at hand, you can quickly turn the tables around. Today’s article will discusscommon household repairs that you can easily tackle by taking the DIY route. So let’s begin!
Must-Have Items in Your Toolkit
As a beginner, you first need to ensure you have all the necessary tools in your toolkit. These are pretty common, likehammer and nails, screwdrivers, and lances. If you don’t have these tools lying around in your garage, it’s wise to visit your local hardware store and buy them. Maintaining your own toolkit is cheaper than hiring a handyman every time the kitchen faucet leaks.
In addition, you may have to add a ranch, pipes, rubber wires, cable ties, masking tape, and a drill machine in your toolkit. Lesser-known tools such as gaskets and seals are also a must. They are often used interchangeably and help prevent leakages by closing the gap between two joined objects.
Let’s take a look at some DIY tips for minor fixups in your home:
Weatherstripping Doors And Windows
Weatherstripping is one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home comfortable. With these DIY weatherproofing tips, you can keep warm air inside and leave the cool air outside your home, and vice versa.
To check which windows and doors need proofing, wet your fingers, and slide them along the edges. The moisture helps you determine where air is crossing.
The most effective method to weatherstrip doors and windows is using a rubber gasket. The flexible gasket compresses to seal the gaps and cracks in doors and windows. It can be attached using adhesives, although some variety also required fixing by nails or staples.
Fix The Squeaky Floorboards And Stairs
Squeaky floorboards and stairs are rough on the ears and only worsen with time. Fixing a loose, noisy floorboard and squeaky stairs requires talcum powder and a hammer.
Constant rubbing of wood pieces against each other can loosen the joints and cause the nails to protrude. Sprinkling some talcum powder can lubricate the joints and use a hammer to knock down the nails that have lost their grip.
Open Sticky Windows
Windows can be stubborn, mainly if they have not been used in a while. The paint on your windowsill might have dried, and it’s hard for that sticky surface to let go of its spot. But there is an easy fix to this problem.
Run the edge of a sharp craft knife along the edges of the sash. Once all the dried paint and dirt scrape off, push the window open and let that summer breeze in!
To avoid this problem in the future, make sure you lubricate the window edges regularly. For this purpose, you can use the stub of a candle or a silicone-based lubricant.
Silence The Noisy Doors
Suppose the doors make a squeaky noise while opening and closing. The problem is the lack of lubrication of the hinges. To remedy this, use any lubricant, like WD-40 or a cooking spray on the hinges. In addition to this, clean the hinges from dust and dirt.
If your main doors and cabinet doors make a loud noise as they bang shut, there is an easy solution for that. You can get peel-and-stick bumpers and stick them to the inside edges of your doors and drawers.
Tighten Knobs And Handles
It’s natural for doorknobs and handles to get weary and rusty over time. All household fixtures need regular maintenance to function efficiently, and door fixtures are no exception to this rule. Knobs in the old wooden doors are screwed all the way through, and regular pulling can enlarge the hole in the door. The metal handles are screwed to a metal rod through the doors.
You can push some wood-fillers into the hole to fix it, so the knobs are no longer loose. To fix metal handles, tighten the nut attached to the rod using a spanner.
Unclog The Drains
Clogged drains are major hygiene concerns because dirty water cannot find its passage to the sewers. It is caused by stray hair or grime stuck to the mesh of the drain.
For starters, clear the mouth of the drain of any stray hair and dirt. Fill the sink with water and use a plunger to clear out the blockage of the pipes. Save a call to the plumber and unclog the drain yourself. The general idea is to force the clog down the drain.
If the problem persists, you may have to call in a plumber for a thorough check.
Patch The Holes In The Drywall
Picture holes in the drywall are an eyesore for you, especially when they are in plain sight wherever you go in your house. These holes, if left untreated, can shelter household pests or weaken the plaster.
To start, clear out the debris from the hole that may weaken the patch. Use a putty knife to fill the gap with lightweight spackle. Allow it to dry for 20-30 minutes before smoothing the patch with sandpaper.
Remove Damaged Wallpaper
Wallpapers can have a particular sentimental value, especially if the house you live in has been in your family for generations. Investing in new wallpaper is an excellent strategy to transform the cosmetic appeal of your property. It’s also a budget-friendly home improvement trick to breathe new life into your interiors.
To remove a wallpaper, use a paintbrush to coat it with a soap solution or a chemical stripper. Let it soak for a while before removing the wallpaper. Scrap off the remaining glue with a stripping knife and a brush. For a particularly clingy batch of glue, you may need to treat it with baking soda and vinegar solution first.
Once the wallpaper is removed, you can choose to put up new wallpaper or paint the interior of your house.
Wrap-up
DIY activities are a great way to spend your weekends. They give you a chance to develop an excellent eye for minor problems and a knack for solving them in creative ways. These techniques are lighter on your pocket and keep you guard against minor house problems. A win-win situation indeed, as professional services for minor repairs can cost you a fortune.
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