One of the key responsibilities of owning a home is staying on top of maintenance. While it may be tempting to ignore the hassle of doing small maintenance jobs, seemingly inconsequential issues can add up quickly and become major problems that are costly and inconvenient to fix. Here are seven home improvement hacks that the average homeowner, with basic skills and a few tools, can use to keep their house in good shape:
1. Repair or replace windows and ripped screens
Windows that are stuck cannot bring ventilation into the home—one of the major purposes of a window. One of the most common reasons that a window won’t open is that it’s been painted shut; sometimes all it takes is running a utility knife up and down the paint seal to open the window. Another reason that a window might not open is that the molding has warped. Homeowners can fix this by going outside and slipping a shim between the bottom of the window and the sill and carefully working a pry bar inward from the edge until the window sash is freed.
2. Keep on top of roof repairs
While a layperson should generally leave major roof repairs to the pros, there are still things that a homeowner can do to keep on top of roof repairs. For example, they can simply go outside with a pair of binoculars and look at the roof from all angles to check for weather damage, missing shingles, and cracks and rust in the flashing. Additionally, tree branches shouldn’t overhang the roof and leaves shouldn’t make contact with the roof material. A garden hose can also be used to wash away dead leaves, moss, lichen and any debris that’s accumulated on the roof.
3. Fix small foundation cracks
Fixing small foundation cracks is the best way to avoid the development of larger cracks, which can not only cost an appalling amount of money to fix, but can make a house uninhabitable if they become extensive. To fix small cracks, the homeowner first needs to prepare mortar. Then, they should use a cold chisel and a mallet to enlarge the crack down to sound cinder block, or whatever material the foundation wall is made of, and bevel the edges. After that, water should be added to the crack. It should then be packed with mortar. The excess mortar should be removed with a putty knife or a trowel that’s been dipped in water and then left to set.
4. Learn how to patch drywall
Holes in drywall may be unsightly, but at least they’re easy to fix. A tiny hole can be fixed with a bit of joint compound applied with a putty knife. After the compound is dried, it can then be sanded smooth and painted over. A large hole, on the other hand, may require some extra drywall. First, the homeowner should use a keyhole saw to cut out a rectangle around the hole. Then, they’ll need to cut out another piece of drywall that’s about 2 inches larger than the rectangle. Two inches should be cut from the backing but not the face paper. The compound should then be spread around and inside the edge of the rectangle that was cut in the wall. The patch should be inserted, smoothed down and held in place for a few minutes. Finally, the homeowner should feather the compound around the patch to allow it to blend in.
5. Unclog drains
A homeowner should really try to avoid unclogging drains with harsh chemicals, especially if their drain empties into a private septic system. Instead, they should try to use a plunger with a suction cup or a closet auger for the toilet and a snake for clogs in the sink. If this doesn’t work, they might have to remove the clean-out plug in the trap, or even the trap itself, and just flush it. If they are brave enough to want to unclog their main drain, they’ll need to get a bucket, open the clean-out plug, and insert a snake. After the clog has been loosened, a garden hose can flush it toward the sewer line.
6. Install storage systems
A jumble of stuff in a garage can be an eyesore. Moreover, clutter makes it hard to actually find an object that’s needed. Storage systems tidy up mess and make everything easy to find. Sometimes installing a storage system is as simple as buying metal shelves with bins that can be labeled. Other homeowners attach pegboards to the walls and arrange everything from gardening and power tools to kitchen utensils on them. Some install systems from the ceiling to hold larger items, such as bicycles. When the bikes are needed, they can simply be lowered and released.
7. Give your home some curb appeal
The good news about curb appeal is that it doesn’t need to be expensive. A homeowner can simply fill matching urns with plants, such as petunias, and place them on the corners of their stoop. Another idea is to paint the door a bold color, such as yellow, blue or fire engine red, or install large but attractive house numbers to the siding.
