You don’t have to be a licensed contractor to perform basic repairs around the house. In fact, there are quite a few simple repair jobs you can do on your own. Doing the grunt work yourself can save you a lot of money over time. If you’re a homeowner, you should definitely know how to do the following repairs yourself.
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Leaking Pipes
A leaky pipe underneath your kitchen sink, bathroom fixtures or anywhere else for that matter can cause a lot of water damage if ignored. Fortunately, fixing the problem can be accomplished in minutes. After you shut off the water to the affected area, it’s often as easy as replacing a washer or tightening a compression nut.
Holes in the Drywall
Sooner or later, you’re going to punch a hole through drywall. Regardless of how it happened, patching a hole isn’t particularly difficult or time-consuming. Small dings can be filled with plaster. For bigger holes, you’ll need to cut out a square section of drywall, insert a new piece, plaster it over and sand it down. This is a project that is simple to figure out on your own. Just be sure the paint and drywall matched the surrounding undamaged wall.
Broken Door Handles
Busted doorknobs and door handles are some of the most common problems that homeowners encounter. To swap out a defective unit, all you need is a screwdriver and 10 minutes of free time. Replacing door handles can be a great opportunity to install superior parts acquired from a quality vendor such as Dayton Commercial Doors.
Damaged Floors & Carpets
Occasionally, a floor or carpet is damaged to the point where it’s not worth repairing. If your floor needs a total refresh, you can always install a new carpet in a weekend on your own. Alternatively, you can install a laminate flooring product like Pergo quite cheaply by yourself with minimal know-how and tools. If laminate is not for you there are even wood floor paneling you can install that snaps into place and doesn’t require the glue and nails old hardwood floors required.
Broken Windows
Though it can take a bit more time and effort than some of the other repair jobs detailed above, fixing a broken window is still pretty easy. Whether you’re replacing a single pane or installing a whole new window including the frame, anyone can fix shattered glass in a jiffy. Just be sure to buy quality hardware to ensure the best results possible.
DIY as a Way of Life
In addition to the obvious savings, you’ll find that fixing up problems around the house can be fun and empowering to boot. With a bit of experience under your belt, you can start to customize and improve your home as you see fit. Once the home improvement bug bites, it’s hard not to catch DIY fever.
So don’t be afraid to tackle that home project that has been sitting damaged or half finished. Grab your supplies and attack it with confidence.