Everyone wants their home to run efficiently, yet houses are notorious for breaking down. Whether it’s a leaky roof or a draft from the windows and doors, there is always something that needs addressing. Sure, you can call a professional and fix the problems in no time. But, where’s the fun in that? Plus, it will cost an absolute fortune!
There is an alternative answer, and it’s DIY. Doing it yourself nature’s ways of renovating without spending a fortune. But, if you’re a beginner, you don’t want to tackle anything big or nasty just yet. So, below are the simple DIY jobs which anyone can do with a little bit of help. Good luck.
Paint On The Walls
Let’s be honest – it doesn’t come any easier than painting the walls. Seriously, all you need is a brush or roller, a tin of paint, and some common sense. Because the walls have such a big surface area, it’s almost impossible to get it wrong. Just watch out for the fiddly bits around the bottom of the walls, and where the fittings join. Sometimes, the house can start to look jaded and tired, and it’s because of cracks in the paint. Or, it’s because the paint is old and starts to lose its gloss and shine. With a few hours of your time, you can get the entire house to glow again.
Toilets
A leaky toilet doesn’t seem like a big deal until it floods the bathroom. Yep, those small drips of water can wreak havoc if you let them escalate out of control. Even if they don’t flood the room, they will eat away at the flooring. Lots of people have hardwood floors these days, which makes a leak very dangerous as it chips away at the wood. To begin with, you need to figure out whether you have a leak in the first place. The bathroom has a lot of fittings, and anyone of them could be the culprit. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution: add red dye to the water in the toilet bowl. Leave it for an hour and come back, and if the water is pink, you have a problem. All you have to do then is locate it and add filler to the crack.
Facets
If you’re lucky, the faucet will have the leak. Well, if you’re lucky there won’t be any leaks, but that isn’t realistic. The good thing about the faucets is that three-quarters of the time, the issue is a broken washer. The washers are the small pieces of material that keep the tap in place, as in tight to the sink. So, when the water starts running, there isn’t a gap for it burst through like a broken fire hydrant. Washers do tend to defect quite often, but it isn’t a problem because they’re so easy to fix. Start by removing the handle from the sink, and taking out the old washer. Then, replace it with the new one and put everything back together again. It sounds simple, and it is because all you need is a wrench and five minutes of your time.
HVAC Unit
The weather is turning, so your air conditioner is going to be essential in the coming months. No one wants to evaporate in their home, which is why you need to fix it ASAP. Normally, it’s a job that you would leave to the pros for a variety of reasons. For example, industrial machines are complicated, and you might do more harm than good. However, you might save yourself a fortune if you only perform cosmetic surgery. It is only a quick fix, but it could be enough to get you through the summer. With that in mind, turn off the electricity and unscrew the outer layer. Once you can get a good look at the unit, check for any standing water. If there is, it means that the condensation is building up and doesn’t have a release. With a small, sharp object, create a path for the water. As long as you don’t hit anything important, this should be an effective solution.
Pipes
Again, plumbing is an area where you should call an expert for the most part. After all, there is a reason they are some of the highest paid tradespersons in the industry. Still, you will be fine as long as you aren’t connecting pipes or trying to change the flow of water. It’s all about doing the simple tasks which will prevent you from calling a plumber in the future. For example, do you pour fats and oils down the sink? If so, you’re bound to suffer an almighty clog somewhere down the line. The obvious solution is to stop doing it, first and foremost. After you resist the temptation, run boiling water down the drain and add a healthy helping of bleach to keep the pipes clean. For an existing blockage, get a bucket and a wrench and remove the u-bend. Most blockages occur in the u-bend, so all you have to do is roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.
Boiler
There is nothing more annoying than getting cold water when you want hot water. Summer might be on the way, but you still need hot water for washing the dishes and taking a shower. The most likely culprit is the boiler as it controls the flow and the temperature of the house’s water. In simple terms, there is a malfunction which is stopping it from heating up the water. Without sounding too technical, you might need to turn it off at the switch. Honestly, there might be an electrical fault, and turning it off and on again could solve the problem. Consult the handbook for more info. Or, it might be an issue with the tank. In that case, you might want to take advice from Tool Nerds because you will need some half decent equipment. Why? It’s because you’ll have to drain the tank. Particles build up in a boiler, and they cause performance issues. By removing the water, you can get inside and clean the tank to extract any debris. In fact, experts say you should do this once a year for better efficiency.
Washer & Dryer
There isn’t a household item that is as useful as a washer and dryer combination. However, it isn’t the most reliable machine in the world. When it happens, and it will, you should check your warranty. If it still exists, call the company and ask them for a quick and cheap fix. For anyone that doesn’t have that privilege, take a look at the dryer section first. The dryer tends to be the easier fix, so there’s no point getting confused. Usually, the lint tray is the problem because the buildup of lint makes it overheat. So, remove the build up, clean the tray, and press start. If that doesn’t work, check the washer’s supply lines. As the water comes from the pipe, it has to go through the lines. If they are old and rusty, there might be a leak which is getting into the machine. To keep it in the drain, replace the old lines with new ones so that it ends up where it belongs.
Who knew owning a house could be so tiresome? Of course, you did because every homeowner does. Still, you can’t give up and call it a day. To keep the house in tip-top shape, you need to take care of these issues as soon as they appear.
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