Home Repair

Home Repair is your turnkey solution for all of your home repair, remodel, home additions, handyman needs and emergency services. If you're in the dark about home repair or renovations, here's your chance to learn more.

Making home repairs means having the right tools and materials on hand so you can get right at the job and on with your life. It's a good idea to inspect your home regularly and replace or repair parts and materials that wear out with use and time. Repair is not necessarily the same as home improvement, although many improvements can result from repairs or maintenance.

Repairs often mean simple replacement of worn or used components intended to be periodically renewed by a homeowner, such as burnt out light bulbs, worn out batteries, or overfilled vacuum cleaner bags. Home repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Perhaps the most perplexing repairs facing a homeowner are broken or damaged things.

In today's era of built-in obsolescence for many products, it is often more convenient to replace something rather than attempt to repair it. Some things, such as broken windows, appliances or furniture can be carried to a repair shop, but there are many repairs that can be performed easily enough, such as patching holes in plaster and drywall, cleaning stains, repairing cracked windows and their screens, or replacing a broken electrical switch or outlet.

Other repairs may have some urgency, such as a broken water pipes, broken doors, latches or windows, or a leaky roof or water tank, and this factor can certainly justify calling for professional help. A home handyman may become adept at dealing with such immediate repairs, to avoid further damage or loss, until a professional can be summoned.

These are the typical kinds of repairs that can be done by you: Interior and exterior painting Minor electrical repair and replacement Window and door repair Minor plumbing repair and replacement Screen replacement for windows and doors Gutter and walkway repair Installations of grab bars, railings and other accessibility devices to assist the elderly and disabled.

Minor repairs include plumbing, electrical, carpentry, disabled access, furnace service, storm doors, window repairs, roof repairs, smoke detectors and other smaller work items. By doing regular maintenance and taking care of small repairs right away, you'll avoid more costly repairs down the road. You will soon realize that maintenance, repair and renovations are a normal part of homeownership. Perhaps there are things that require repair, such as the plumbing or the windows. And remember that since different components of your home work together and affect each other, minor repairs can quickly become major ones if they are not immediately taken care of.

You will probably be able to do many of the repairs yourself. Don't forget to keep records of any repairs and improvements you make. Besides doing regular maintenance and repairing your home, you will also want to consider renovating or making improvements. By visiting the World Wide Web, homeowners can find assistance on performing all types of household repairs and improvements. Whether you bought a "fixer upper" or your home needs a few minor repairs to restore it to like-new condition, it'll help to know how to handle these common home repairs.

Tools

Making home repairs means having the right tools and materials on hand so you can get right at the job and on with your life. Knowing about the basic home repair tools will help you in the long run. The aspiring do-it-yourselfer has a wide range of home repair tools from which to choose. The smartest rule about buying home repair tools is to buy good quality. High-quality tools are not only safer to use, but most will last a lifetime with proper care. Cheap tools can break and cause accidents.

You can expect to pay an average of 25 percent more for high-quality equipment, but cheap home repair tools are no bargain -- you get what you pay for, so you may have to replace them more often. Besides, the money you save on your very first do-it-yourself repair may pay for the tools you needed. And, after that, the tools are yours to keep.

Stop second-guessing yourself if you are new to the home improvement world. This is a valuable source for the do-it-yourself homeowner. Doing your own household repairs can certainly save you money, but it can really be personally rewarding as well. Here are a couple of projects that are simple enough for you to undertake.

Painting

Being a homeowner is a huge responsibility as the house that you live in is not only the foundation where your nearest and dearest are, but it is your biggest asset in terms of your financial outlook. Many homeowners view this responsibility from both the investment and the family perspectives and as a result, are continually making improvements to their home. Consistent renovations to your home are a way of making your home a happier and more pleasant place to live, as well as to increase the value of your investment should you ever decide to sell your house.

The easiest and least expensive way of increasing both intrinsic and extrinsic value to your home is through interior painting. House painting is a very common means of home renovation that can give your room or set of rooms an instant facelift and is very easy to do on your own. If you decide to add house painting to your list of things to do this year, here are a few tips you should keep in mind before you get that first roller wet.

Painting your home's interiors requires a great deal of preparation and calculation. After you have selected the themes and colors for the room or rooms you are painting, you will need to ensure your rooms are adequately prepared before you begin painting. Even the cleanest rooms and walls will need the surfaces to be prepared before you begin the painting stage.

You first want to take off all of the switch plates from the walls and conduct a thorough dusting of your room. Use a feather duster or broom to sweep out every corner from ceiling to floor and then vacuum the room thoroughly.

Look for any holes or cracks in the wall surfaces and patch them up with spackling paste or wall plaster (see below). Once you have patched any holes, you will then need to sand over the patching or spackling to ensure the patch you have created is flush with the wall. This will ensure a flat even coat of paint on your wall. Once you have done this, you will have to dust and vacuum again as sanding will create a large amount of dust. Ensure you dust and vacuum not only your floors, but the walls as well. Sanding will leave dust particles that may not be visible to the naked eye, and your paint will find those dust particles if you don't leaving unsightly bumps on your walls.

Your next step before you begin interior house painting will be to wash your walls thoroughly. You can use a mop to reach the corners and higher areas, but you need to wash and rinse your walls of any cleaning residue. Once your walls have dried from the washing, you are ready to begin your interior house painting. Use painters tape to mark off door ways, baseboards, and ceilings so that your paint applications are smooth and even.

If you follow these steps you will find your interior house painting experience to be one that is not only simple, but rewarding. The preparation in interior house painting is often a more arduous task than the actual painting itself. However if you prepare your walls and your rooms properly, you will find the hard work will pay off in beautiful interiors for your home.

Repairing Holes

Sometimes holes happen in drywall. This is something that you can do yourself and with a little effort will look like a professional job. Here are the tools you will need:

For holes that are less than 5 inches across: A Utility Knife String and small stick Masking Tape Drywall Screen Patching compound   For larger holes, you will also need: Drywall Saw Joint Knife Drywall Tape

For smaller holes:
Clean away any loose drywall and cut off loose paper. Leave the inner surface of the drywall rough. Cut screen 2 inches larger than the hole you are covering. Tie one end of a 12 inch string to a small stick; thread other end through the center of the screen.

Bend the screen then insert the stick and screen into the hole. Pull on the string so that the stick holds the screen flat against the back of the hole. Holding the string taut, fill the hole with the patching compound, working in from the edges. Make sure the compound adheres to the screen. Tape string tightly against the wall with masking tape

When the compound has dried completely, cut the string flush to the wall. If you are using joint compound, remember that it will shrink so apply another layer to bring patch up to the surface of the wall. You may have to apply a third layer. Then proceed to the finishing step below.

For patching larger holes:
Measure a rectangular drywall patch about an inch larger than the hole. Cut it at a bevel with the drywall saw or use a saber saw with an angled base plate. Use the patch you cut out as a template to mark the wall, and cut around the hole at the same bevel as the patch.

Adjust the fit of the patch if necessary with the utility knife. Spread the patching compound along the beveled edges of the patch. Fit the patch in place with light pressure. Matching the bevels prevents the patch from falling through.

Smooth the compound and apply the drywall tape over all of the joints with the joint knife. At the end of each joint, press the edge of the knife blade in firmly and use it as a straightedge to tear off the tape. Sand when dry.

Finishing after repairing:
No matter how small or large the repair, the method for finishing is the same. With the wide joint knife, spread a smooth, thin layer of joint compound over the repaired area or over all joints of a new patch. Extend beyond the edges of the repaired are and feather out to the surrounding wall.

When the compound is dry (at least 24 hours) sand with a fine grade drywall sandpaper on a sanding block. Wear a dust mask when sanding. If necessary, repeat these two steps until satisfied with your final surface.

A fast and easy texture can be gotten from a can of wall texture that you can purchase at your local hardware or paint store.

Let this dry and then paint. Your wall now looks as good as new, and you did it yourself!