Easy Home Repairs You Can Do Yourself
By Gina Thompson
It’s time to face the truth. Wear and tear in your home is inevitable. You can pet-proof, child-proof, and life-proof your house as much as possible but things are still going to chip, crack, and break. But don’t worry! Here are some inexpensive and easy home repairs you can do yourself.
Patch Up Holes
When it comes to patching up holes, I’ve found that you can get all the things you need at a local hardware store. For tiny push pin and thumbtack holes, just painting over them can cover them up. Only bust out the spackle for large nail or screw holes or minor dents.
Some stores sell premade hole patch kits but they only work up to a certain hole size.
The main tools you’ll need to patch a small hole:
Mesh patch
Joint compound
Drywall knife
Cut out a mesh patch slightly larger than the hole or dent. Use the drywall knife to add one or two layers of joint compound to cover the mesh. Once that dries, you can sand and paint over the patchwork.
Pro tip: Don’t skip the sanding!
Color Match for Paint Touch-Ups
Bad paint jobs, scratched walls, and crayons are all culprits as to why you may need to freshen up painted surfaces. Even everyday living can cause walls to need a new coat of paint. When I needed to paint-match, I was lucky enough to have paint peeling off the wall. I grabbed a piece about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide and took to it the paint shop. Some paint stores use apps to color match, but I prefer taking an actual piece of paint.
To get a paint chip off a wall, you’ll need a screwdriver and a flat scraper tool or razor.
Find an outlet that you don’t use much and take off the wall plate using the screwdriver. Sometimes there is loose drywall you can use as a starting point to get paint off the wall. Take the flat scraper or razor and gently scrape off the paint, then put it in a small plastic bag and replace the outlet wall cover.
Cleaning Dirty Walls
Sometimes you don’t have the time or expenses to add a fresh coat of paint to the walls, and that’s okay! There are some everyday household chemicals you can use to clean dirty walls.
The main thing to keep in mind when cleaning walls is to be gentle. If you scrub too hard, you run the risk of rubbing paint off.
For the most gentle method of cleaning walls, you’ll need dish soap, a wet soft sponge, and a dry cloth. Gently wipe the walls with the sponge and dry them using a cloth.
If you are trying to remove one of your child’s artworks, reach for something a bit tougher, like a Magic Eraser.
Recaulk with Silicon in Wet Areas
Sometimes the caulk in the kitchen and bathroom needs to be replaced. Usually, old caulk will be broken and easy to pull off in strips. Remove the parts you want to reseal. Then grab a tube of silicon sealant and fill what you have just removed. Tubes are easy to use since they already have a tip you can line up to edges that need to be sealed.
Preventing a Need for Appliance Repairs
Some appliance repair jobs are easier than others, but before you call a maintenance man, try these things first.
Is the ice maker in the fridge not making ice? Most freezers have a switch to turn them on and off. The switches can vary in size and shape –– some are small plastic switches while others are long, metal levers. Flip the switch and see if the ice maker starts working.
Every dryer has a lint trap that needs to be cleaned frequently –– so frequently that it should become a habit for your family to remove lint from the dryer before each use. If the lint trap isn’t cleaned, it could cause your dryer to malfunction or even combust.
When it comes to the lawn, your mower needs routine maintenance too, which includes sharpening the blades. This may sound daunting, but it’s not too hard when you know how to do it properly.
There’s a Button for That
Sometimes when garbage disposals get jammed, they overheat and need to be reset. Most people don’t know that there is actually a red button underneath the garbage disposal that you can press to get it working again. If that doesn’t work, then you might need to call an expert.
Broken or Cracked Fence Board
A cracked or broken wooden fence panel is not only an eye sore, but it can also be a safety hazard. Instead of getting your whole fence replaced, you’ll save big by doing an inspection yourself and replacing only the fence pickets that are damaged.
Fence pickets can start at around 2 bucks and go up in price depending on the wood type, size, and treatment. Use a pry bar to get the old board off the post and drill in the new board using long screws.
Can-Do DIY Attitude
A cracked or broken wooden fence panel is not only an eye sore, but it can also be a safety hazard. Instead of getting your whole fence replaced, you’ll save big by doing an inspection yourself and replacing only the fence pickets that are damaged.
Fence pickets can start at around 2 bucks and go up in price depending on the wood type, size, and treatment. Use a pry bar to get the old board off the post and drill in the new board using long screws.