How are your DIY skills? In the UK, you can guarantee that every bank holiday popular DIY retailers will be full of people taking advantage of the extra day off work to get some jobs taken care of around the home.
DIY jobs around the home are something most people should consider undertaking, and teaching yourself some new skills can help you save some money from hiring professionals.
These days, thanks to the internet, you can find tutorials on pretty much everything you need to fix around the home. However, the adage “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” rings true when contemplating undertaking some DIY jobs. Even in the face of step by step tutorials online.
Typically you should avoid DIY repairs on any appliance that uses gas or on gas pipes themselves; this includes disconnecting a gas cooker or your boiler. If you have any concerns over a gas leak, you should locate your gas shut off valve and turn any gas off until a gas safe engineer has checked for issues with your gas supply.
Another area that you should avoid trying to fix is your roof. In some cases, homeowners insurance premiums could be invalidated if your roof is incorrectly repaired and causes damage to your home. Not to mention the danger from working so far above the ground on a sloping surface. If you suspect you have an issue with your roof, a professional roofing company can assess what is wrong and ensure they have the right tools and material to repair any damage and, if required, use Sikalastic 618 to create a waterproof membrane to prevent any further damage.
Lastly, try to avoid messing with electrical wiring within your home. While changing light switches or light fittings can be relatively easy to do once you have shut off the electrical supply, anything more complex than this should be left to qualified electrical engineers to reduce the risk of harm to yourself or your home.
This post looks at some of the repair tips every homeowner or renter should know.
Fix The Toilet
A leaking toilet can run up huge bills, especially if you are on a water meter. That’s before you even consider the amount of water waste. Knowing how to fix issues with your toilet can save you money on excessive bills and water waste, not to mention damage to your flooring or bathroom due to a leak escaping the toilet. Search online for how to fix a toilet to ensure you get the right directions for your toilet.
Adjusting Cabinet Doors
Over time cabinet doors can shift or become damaged due to weather conditions or excessive use that causes damage. Fixing a cabinet door can seem complicated, however with a step by step tutorial, you can solve the issue and save yourself some money from hiring a handyperson to take care of this small task.
Squeaking Doors
How many times have you gritted your teeth due to a squeaky door you didn’t get around to sorting? The thing is, with squeaky doors or any other mechanism making noise, the fix is relatively easy. All you need is some lubricant such as WD-40, and the jobs are sorted!
Turn Off the Water
In modern homes, the stop cock for your water supply could be a switch in your kitchen. All you will need to do is flip the switch off like you would a light switch. If you are unsure where your shut off valve is, locate it before you need to know and practise turning it off and on so you are familiar with where it is and how to access it before you really need it.
Fixing Holes
Fixing holes in walls is a pretty simple job. Remove any loose debris from the area and make sure it is completely clean and dry. Then follow the directions on the filler container or tube, apply the filler to the hole until it is filled, and carefully smooth it down, flush with the wall. Especially now, you can buy ready-made filler for easy application.
The key takeaway is that some home DIY repair jobs are fair game, especially if you are looking to expand your skills and teach yourself something new. But knowing what you should and shouldn’t do is vital to avoid causing any damage to your home or harm to yourself. Always follow instructions carefully, and if you feel something is out of your capabilities, then calling in expert tradespeople can help you get the job completed properly.
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