As a homeowner, you take pride in your home and want to keep it in top shape. This is a great way to protect your investment and create a comfortable home life for yourself and your family. Plus, tools are fun! Here are five DIY home repairs that you can do yourself. Most of them can be done in an hour or less.
Fix Your Toilet Flapper
If your toilet continues to run after you flush it, with water continuously trickling down into the bowl from the tank, then your flapper might need to be replaced. The flapper is a rubber seal that is connected to the bottom of your water tank. It opens and closes on a hinge when you flush.
There’s a little chain that goes from the toilet handle to the flapper. Sometimes the chain gets tangled and knotted, so first check to see if that is the problem. But if the chain is fully extended and the flapper closes but just doesn’t seal completely, then you need to replace it.
Turn the valve to shut off the water from the wall to the tank. Then flush the tank to remove all the water. Remove the flapper and take it to your local hardware store to get a replacement. Then simply screw it in, attach the chain and turn the water back on.
Unclog the Kitchen Sink
Unclogging your plugged up or slowly-draining kitchen sink is a job that you can probably do yourself. First, remove anything that might be down inside the drain by hand. Then try running the disposal to see if that clears fixes the problem. If not, you can try a liquid clog remover, but don’t run the disposal, as that can cause the chemicals to splash up into your face and cause serious injury. Last of all, you can try pushing a plumber’s snake down in there to physically push the clog through the pipe. If that doesn’t do the trick, call a plumbing company like Service Now.
Replace Your Shower Head
This one is the easiest job on the list! First, unscrew the old shower head and pull off any remnants of plumber’s tape. Next, wind fresh tape around the threads in a clockwise fashion. Then screw the new shower head on and run the water for a minute to test for leaks. As long as you use a sufficient amount of tape and wrap it clockwise, you should be okay.
Install a New Ceiling Fan
This can be tricky, but as long as you use common sense and follow the instructions that came with your new ceiling fan, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
First, turn off the fuse at the fuse box and test the fan and light to ensure that the wires have no electricity flowing through them. Next unscrew the old ceiling fan from the mount and pull it down a bit and let it hang from the support bar while you disconnect the wires. Pull down the old fan and hang the new one from the support while you attach the wires.
Some fans use a wireless remote control and wall switch, while others only use the wall control. If your unit uses both controls, then you need to connect all the wires properly. Follow the instructions very closely, otherwise you might end up with a fan that only works when you use the remote. If you have trouble, call your electrician or handyman.
Change Out the Front Deadbolt Lock
Whenever you move into a new home, you should always replace the entrance door locks to prevent any previous owners or tenants—or their unstable ex-boyfriends—from entering your home in the middle of the night. It’s actually pretty easy. You just follow the step-by-step instructions that came in the package with your new lock.
First you’ll unscrew the inside deadbolt handle and the latch plate on the inner edge of the front door. Next, remove the old latch and install the new deadbolt by going through the process in reverse order. Be careful not to screw the new deadbolt in too tightly as that can cause friction and make the new deadbolt feel a little sticky when locking and unlocking it.
Taking care of your own home is a lot of fun, and it’s a great way that homeowners can save a little money. If you need to do some work on your home, or if you just need an excuse to strap on the old tool belt, try one of these five home improvement projects this weekend.
