The first major investment for most people involves owning a home. Acquiring a home is one of the most expensive investments that most make. Since a home is a fixed asset meant to serve you for many years, you will need to take good care of it so that it can serve you optimally. Many people prefer contacting professional home repair companies for all their home repairs. This can be quite expensive. When a homeowner has access to the right tools and has the right information, they can fix minor repairs in their homes without having to contract a professional. Depending on the nature of the home repairs that you are dealing with, some will not even require you to have any experience, while some will need a bit of experience and information. Minor home repairs are generally safe although some of them can be hazardous especially when dealing with electrical repairs. As such, it is important for you to take precautionary measures before you do any repairs.
Before undertaking any repair, it is important to assess every part of your home. You cannot start your home repairs without having to know where and what you need to fix. The first step in home repairs should be carrying out a thorough assessment of your home to identify the areas that need to be fixed first.
Some of the simple home repair tips you can implement are:
1. Lubricate squeaky door hinges.
If your door is squeaky, you will need to lubricate its hinges to avoid replacing them. You can use the WD-40 lubricant to lubricate the door hinges by spraying. If you cannot access WD-40 lubricant, you can use easily accessible products such as petroleum jelly or waste oil from your car. If you use waste car oil, be sure to wear gloves and use a rag to apply it to avoid the mess that often comes with it.
2. Fix peeling wallpaper.
Wallpapers can be used to improve the aesthetics of your home but with time, they may start peeling off. You can easily fix a peeling wallpaper at home without any professional help. You only need to use a knife to smear the wallpaper mounting paste. Carefully rub the inner section of the peeling wallpaper on the side smeared with wallpaper mounting paste. Gently slide off your scoring tool out to allow the wallpaper to mount to the wall and then smooth out any bubbles with a clean cloth.
3. Clean stained tubs.
Bathtubs might develop rust and stains after some time. You can take simple steps to clean stained tubs. You will only need a cream of tartar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Create a mixture of tartar cream, lemon juice and baking soda and rub it on your stained tub using a kitchen cloth. You will need to allow the stained tub to sit with the mixture for about 30 minutes to one hour and then rinse it with clean water. This simple step will help you clear the stained tubs.
4. Unlock your stuck sliding windows.
If your home has sliding windows, they may become stuck due to rusting and lack of lubrication. When this happens, you can use a lubricant such as WD-40 or silicone to grease the window’s skids. When applying the lubricant, spray it into your window’s tracks and then wipe them with a soft cloth. You can use this method to clean any type of tracks including plastic, metal, or wooden.
5. Fix faucets in your home.
A faulty faucet can inflate your water bills and lead to water damage if you ignore it. A faulty faucet may result from a leaking valve, and it could be trouble for your home. If you have all the necessary tools at your disposal, you can easily unlock your faucet and fix it without any professional assistance. Before fixing a faucet, make sure that you cut off the water supply to avoid flooding your home.
6. Replace broken switches and sockets.
Although repairing electric systems in your home might be difficult, you can fix minor socket issues without any problem. If your electric bulbs have blown off, you could use the information available online to replace them quickly. When changing broken or faulty sockets and switches, you first have to ensure that you switch off the main switch. This will help you avoid electrocution. Ensure that you connect the wires as labeled to avoid faulty connections. After fixing all the issues, turn on the main switch to confirm that the system is working as required.
7. Unlock your blocked drainage.
Any homeowner knows that the drainage system can block any time. Blocked drainage systems can be ineffective and will require significant finances to have an expert unblock them. It is important, however, to note that a blocked toilet or sewer line might require experienced professionals. Simple sink blockages, on the other hand, will be easy to fix on your own. While professionals use a specific tool to unlock sinks, you can simply use a thin but strong wire to unblock it in case you do not have access to the tool. You can unblock your sink by pushing the wire through the sink drainage to remove the clogs that might have built in them.
NOTE: When inspecting your home, you will need to assess all its aspects. These include the piping system, electricity connection, floor surface, the lighting system, windows and doors, ceiling, and the roofing system. After completing the home repairs, ensure that every aspect of your home works as expected. A thorough assessment will help you identify other areas in your home that need fixing.
