A new year brings along fresh motivation to get your house in order. You might even be ready to tackle that list of repairs around the house.
“You can save a lot of money if you use a little elbow grease for small fixes at home,” says Dustyn Shroff, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance, Florida’s leading independent homeowners insurance agency.
Below are some common household repairs along with instructions
for DIY.
Hanging Curtains
Curtains can transform the look of a room and even help with energy efficiency. Start by measuring correctly and determine how you want your curtains to hang. Be sure they are long enough to touch the floor, you can even move the rod up the wall if necessary. Use curtains twice the width of the window so they look full. Iron or steam the curtains before hanging. When choosing hardware, consider the weight of the drapes. The weight of your curtains will determine if you need extra support and added hardware.
Stuck sliding door
If your sliding door is stuck, it could be debris clogging the track. Popular Mechanics gives directions on how to fix the problem yourself.
“Start by removing the door from the track. The removal process
can vary by door, but typically, it requires removing the screws at the top and
bottom rails, then pulling off the stile cover that keeps the door panels from
lifting out. Then lift up the door and pull the bottom toward you to remove it
from the track.”
“It’s a good idea to have a helper since the door is heavy. Lay
the door flat and look at the wheels along the bottom. If they’re broken,
you’ll need to replace them. Otherwise, clean the wheels, door bottom, and door
track with warm, soapy water. Wipe everything dry, then replace the door. Spray
silicone lubricant on the track, then slide the door back and forth a few times
to spread out the lubricant across the track.”
Patching a hole in drywall
To cover up unwanted picture holes, This Old House recommends, “Overfill holes with a lightweight patching compound. Once dry, smooth with a damp sponge.” This leaves no damage to the wall paint like sandpaper.
Install a smart switch
“Most electrical work should be left to the professionals,” says Dustyn Shroff, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance, Florida’s largest independent homeowners insurance agency.
However, for easy projects like installing a smart switch such as
WeMo, it is an easy DIY. Start by turning off the circuit breaker. Remove the
faceplate covering the switch. Next, remove the switch from the wall. You will
see two wires connected to screws on the switch. Disconnect the wires and attach
then to the new switch.
Fix a running toilet
Lift off the lid to the back of the toilet, reattach the chain if necessary. If that is not the problem, you can buy a toilet rebuild kit from a hardware or big box store. These kits contain easy directions to follow.
GreatFlorida Insurance offers homeowners insurance to keep your home in top condition. Contact us today.
