100 Home Repairs You Don’t Need to Call a Pro For
You may think some home repairs are out of your league, but even beginner DIYers can handle many of these fixes—and save a lot of money in the process! Browse through the following 100 home repairs to find the step-by-step instructions and advice for doing all of them yourself.
How to Replace a Toilet
Whether you’re installing a better-flushing toilet or resetting the old one after remodeling, these DIY home improvement tips will help you do it faster and with fewer problems. Click here for a step-by-step guide to replacing a toilet.
You Can Refinish Your Own Hardwood
Intimidated by this seemingly daunting project? Don’t be. If you have the will and a whole day (or two) to yourself, you can refinish the hardwood floors in the major areas of your home. You don’t necessarily need to sand, but if the floor is damaged enough to warrant buffing, check out your local hardware store and rent the equipment for anywhere from 4-48 hours. Here’s how to refinish your hardwood floors.
Fix a Patchy Lawn
Achieving a lush lawn doesn’t have to be a constant struggle. And you don’t have to pay big bucks for a lawn service to douse your yard with chemicals, either. Growing healthy, green grass is mainly just a matter of knowing what to give your lawn, and when to give it. Follow this advice from a pro to get your lawn shipshape before summer.
Garbage Disposal Repair
A garbage disposal is a bit scary when it’s turned on and the blades are noisily chopping up kitchen waste. But, if your disposal gets stinky, fear not. It’s easy to clean out the gunk and get rid of the smell. If the splash guard needs replacing, you can do that in 20 minutes! If you need to replace the entire disposal you can replace it yourself.
Fix a Smelly Dishwasher
Stop bad dishwasher odors by cleaning food scraps from the tub and running a dishwasher cleaner through a cycle. It’s a fairly simple DIY home improvement. Learn how to fix a smelly dishwasher.
Fix Loud Cabinet Doors
Tired of listening to those cabinet doors bang shut? Peel-and-stick door and drawer bumpers are the solution. Get a pack of 20 at a home center for a few dollars or online at Amazon. Make sure the back of the door is clean so the bumpers will stick, then place one at the top corner and another at the bottom. Plus: Keep your kitchen (and whole house!) clean with these 100 brilliant cleaning hacks.
How to Replace Auto Lights
The auto light bulbs that burn out most often are the taillight, stop, turn signal, backup and headlight bulbs. But there are many other bulbs in a vehicle that could use your attention, too. Here, we’ll show you how to replace the five most commonly neglected bulbs that can affect your driving experience.
Foam a Loose Showerhead
Here’s an easy home fix that can be used beyond the bathroom. Fix a wobbly showerhead, or any wobbly pipe, with a few squirts of expanding foam. The foam encases the pipe in the wall and locks it into place, eliminating the wobble, so your showerhead will work like new. Can you think of an easier home fix?
How to Cover Up a Ceiling Stain
Hide tough ceiling water stains with a spray-on product called Upshot by KILZ. It’s blended to match an aged ceiling and even has a vertical spray tip, which makes installation a breeze. Lay a drop cloth on the floor and tape plastic on the walls before you spray.
How to Fix Roof Vents
Check for cracked housings on plastic roof vents and broken seams on metal ones. You might be tempted to throw caulk at the problem, but that solution won’t last long. There’s really no fix other than replacing the damaged vents. Also look for pulled or missing nails at the base’s bottom edge. Replace them with rubber-washered screws. In most cases, you can remove nails under the shingles on both sides of the vent to pull it free. There will be nails across the top of the vent too. Usually you can also work those loose without removing shingles. Screw the bottom in place with rubber-washered screws. Squeeze out a bead of caulk beneath the shingles on both sides of the vent to hold the shingles down and to add a water barrier. That’s much easier than renailing the shingles.