5 Home Repairs That Anyone Can Do
The world and the country are in the middle of a pandemic, and you need to take precautions to protect yourself and your family. Many people are choosing to stay home and reduce their chances of getting sick. If you are one of those people, take advantage of your time at home to do some repairs and spring cleaning around the house. You needn’t shy away from doing them yourself. There are dozens of home repairs that anyone can do. If you aren’t sure, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that can help you do many repairs. There is an appropriate video for just about every kind of repair on the internet.
Fixing a Clogged Garbage Disposal
The garbage disposal is amazing at its job, but it has limits. The disposal can’t mash up a whole watermelon or chicken bones, and sometimes they get clogged. You’ll know it’s clogged because it will start to stink, and water won’t go down the drain. The unit should have come with a specialty wrench that fits on a hexagonal opening underneath it. Turn off the disposal, open it up, and clean out the mess.
Fix a Running Toilet
A toilet that won’t stop running is annoying. It’s a soft, subtle sound you won’t notice right away, but when you do, you can’t stop hearing it. Fixing that is a breeze. All that’s happening is the stopper in the tank hasn’t gone all the way down to switch the flow of water off. Adjust the tension on the lever so that it closes completely, and the water will stop running.
Patch an Asphalt Driveway
Don’t neglect the outside of the house—it needs love, too. Once the snow and ice from winter abate, there will be fresh holes and cracks in the asphalt driveway. You can fix the larger holes by cleaning out the rocks and dust with water or compressed air. After that, use asphalt cold patch to fill the hole; it’s available at any hardware store. Tamp it down with a tamper or something heavy like your car. If it’s not level, add more until it is.
Install a New Showerhead
With plumbing, if you don’t do it right, the water will let you know. Showerheads are easy to replace because they literally just screw on. Take off the old one and clean the threads at the end of the pipe. Wrap some plumber’s tape or pipe dope around the threads. It acts as a sealer, so water doesn’t leak. Screw the new showerhead on, and it’s finished. If there is a leak, take it off and add another layer of tape.
Cleaning a Flooded Basement
Getting water in your house is never good, especially in the basement. It damages everything and leaves potentially dangerous mold and musty smells in its wake. You will need to get the water out first by using either a wet/dry vacuum or bilge pump, depending on how much is there. Remove the carpet and anything else that was damaged and open the windows so the room can dry. After you clear it out, assess the damage and start replacing things.
