Times are hard, there is no doubt about that people are being forced to learn skills for taking on repairs around the home themselves, because they cannot afford to get a professional in. It is not all down to cost, however, because DIY is still one of the most popular hobbies today.
Anyone who owns their own home should learn how to do some basic repairs so that they are prepared should a problem ever arise.
If you think you need to know more about home repair, you will find this article useful. The money you save could go towards a good night out. or some new clothes. The possibilities are endless.
Fixing a Burst Pipe
Most of us have knocked a nail or drilled a wall at some point and damaged the plumbing. Yes, water pipes seem to be in the most unexpected places sometimes. Calling a plumber in is going to cost you a fortune. You can do the repair yourself with a compression joint, a hacksaw, and a couple of spanners. Before you can start the repair, you must turn the water supply off and make a hole in the wall big enough to get at the pipe, and then follow this procedure.
- Cut the pipe twice; above and below the hole you made.
- Clean the upper and lower section of the pipe with wire wool or sandpaper until it is shiny.
- Take the compression joint apart. You will see that it has a large nut and olive (metal ring) on each end.
- Slide the nuts onto both sections of pipe, followed by the olives.
- Fit both ends of the pipe into the joint. Hopefully, they will slide apart so that there is room for the joint. Sometimes that is the hardest part of the job, but everything slips into place eventually.
- Screw and tighten the two nuts onto the joint. That action causes the nuts to crush the olives. They then seal the gap and make the joint watertight.
- Reinstate the water supply.
- Repair the wall.
By doing such a simple repair, you can save over a hundred pounds on the cost of a plumber.
Blocked Sinks
If the water fails to drain away when you pull the plug out of the sink, the trap below the drain hole is probably blocked. Fixing it is easy.
- Place a bowl underneath the trap to catch the water from the sink.
- Undo the large nut and remove it.
- Clean it out and replace, tightening the nut.
If the sink still refuses to empty, it could be a sign of blocked drains, which is a repair that is best left to the professionals in case there is an underlying problem causing the blockage.
Sticking Doors
Doors swell up occasionally, but luckily they are easy to repair. Hand and electric planes are cheap these days and with a bit of practice they are easy to use. Shave some wood off the edges of the doors, a little at a time, until they close smoothly. Don’t forget to allow for the new layer of paint that you must apply.
As you can see, home repairs are interesting and will save you a lot of money. Give it a try for yourself, you may be surprised at what you can do, and what is the worst that can happen? You can always call someone in if you get stuck.
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