4 Home Repair Tips Every Homeowner Needs To Know
Every homeowner will be faced with a home repair emergency sooner or later. You won’t always be able to fix these issues yourself, but many common issues are easily solved.
Here’s how to solve some of the most common problems in the home.
How To Fix A Wobbly Showerhead
You can easily fix a wobbly shower head with nothing more advanced than a can of expanding foam. You should be able to find this at any DIY or hardware shop and it’s relatively cheap to buy.
The most common cause for a shower head to start wobbling is that the pipe coming out of the shower wall becomes loose.
All you need to do is pull back the flange and spray expanding foam into the small gap around the arm. The foam will expand to fill the cavity as it dries and will then keep the pipe in place.
Squeaking Door Hinges
Another irritant that is guaranteed to chip away at your sanity while you are working from home is squeaking door hinges.
The first thing you should try is simply spraying some WD-40 or a similar lubricant into the middle of the hinges.
However, if that doesn’t work then use a hammer and screwdriver to knock the hinge pin about halfway up.
Then apply your lubricant, tap the pin back down and swing the door back and forth a few times.
Keeping Floors Quiet
Squeaky floors can be a major irritant for many homeowners and can happen whether you have a hardwood or a carpeted floor.
If you are having trouble with a squeaking floor that is concealed beneath carpeting, use a stud funder to locate the nearest floor joist and then drill in a low-profile trim screw. If the problem persists, try drilling the screw in even further.
Wood flooring is even easier to deal with. Simply sprinkle some baby/talcum powder on the carpet near to the area that is squeaking.
You can then spread the powder around with a broom to ensure that it fills any gaps in the flooring. This should be enough to reduce or eliminate any squeaking.
Fix a Dripping Tap
Dripping taps are very annoying. Drip, drip, drip all night long. It’s guaranteed to drive you insane!
The good news is that a dripping tap isn’t that difficult to fix. With a screwdriver and adjustable spanner, you can easily get the job done without paying a plumber.
Taps have ceramic or rubber washers. If your tap is older, it likely has a rubber washer, which has probably degraded. Bear in mind these come in different sizes, so check before you buy a new one.
Before you begin, turn off the water supply. Next, remove the cap on the tap to expose the valve. Remove the valve, replace with a new one, and put the valve and cover back in place.
If you’re not sure how to do this, look up your type of tap on YouTube and watch a video.
Unblock a Toilet
Toilets sometimes get blocked, although it does tend to happen more often when you have children.
Flushing inappropriate items down the toilet or using too much toilet paper will cause a blockage. Partial blockages can usually be cleared by emptying a bucket of water into the pan – the water pressure will clear clogged up toilet tissue and other soft material.
If the water has risen to the top of the pan and is not shifting, take a wire coat hanger and gently insert it into the u-bend. Use it to push the blockage forward and allow the water to drain away.
Next, empty a bucket of water into the pan to clear any remaining material.
Knowing When To Call In The Pros
No matter how good at home DIY you are, some situations require a professional touch. Trying to take on jobs that you aren’t skilled enough to handle can end in disaster.
Not only can you end up wasting money on tools and materials before realizing that you aren’t up to the task, but you can ultimately end up making the problem worse, not better.
If you bungle your repairs, you’ll have to pay someone to come and fix them anyway. It is a much better idea to admit your limitations, bite the bullet, and bring in a professional home repair service that you know is up to the task.
For example,
if a storm has caused damage to your roof that is too severe for you to handle on your own, a home repair business like Advantage Construction can help you out.
Once you learn how to handle these basic home repair issues, you will be ready for some more advanced DIY. Remember to be cautious when doing DIY work for the first time – you don’t want to exacerbate your issue.
