Owning a home requires a commitment to keeping your investment safe and running smoothly. Even if you aren't a dedicated do-it-yourselfer, making occasional repairs is part of the bargain, so you should become familiar with a few common house fixes.
You can increase the value of your home, and add style and flair to your space, with a well-done paint job. It's almost as bad as leaving cracked and peeling paint on the walls if the job is badly done and you can see roller marks, spatters, and sloppy trim paint. When you prepare for the job, you'll achieve the best results. Where painting is concerned, prep is king. Proper preparation makes the actual painting easier, even if takes a bit of time.
If there are any fixtures or hardware that might get in the way of your project, remove them. Remove curtain rods, switch-plates and door hinges, and loosen up fixtures. Paint is less likely to peel off a clean surface. Paint doesn't adhere well to skin oils. Areas that hands often touch should be cleaned.
Quality paint goes on easier, provides better coverage, and lasts longer than cheap paints. Likewise, top-notch tools contribute to a better finish.
Caulk is one of those things you really need to get familiar with. You must master this skill because it is frequently required. The first step is cutting the nozzle. By cutting the nozzle at different measurements, you can form a caulking bead to match your joint size. Simply cut the nozzle at an angle of 45-degrees, load it into the caulking gun, and get started.
It is much easier to pull the caulk tube nozzle along the joint than to push it. Pushing usually leads to more hang-ups and sudden stops, while pulling it allows the nozzle to smoothly slide over any obstructions on the surfaces being caulked.
During tooling, avoid scraping an excessive amount of caulk out of the joint, so that you don't waste the caulk or starve the joint for sealant. Clean up any problem areas right away since it is much more difficult to clean up dried caulk later, and have some rags handy to clean up any mishaps.
Something you'll need to do on a regular basis is repair a faucet washer in your home. Beneath the fixture there is a shutoff valve, this is where you turn off the water. The pipes that run up to your faucet are underneath your sink. There are handles along those pipes that allow you to shut off the water to the sink. Now you will remove each tap.
With a wrench, remove each nut. Pull out the stem. The O-ring and seat washer will be exposed. Replace the seat washer. To find an exact match, it's a good idea to bring the old one to the hardware store with you, as they come in different sizes. Coat the replacement in plumber's grease before installing it. Put it all back together and you should have fixed the leak!
You can increase the value of your home, and add style and flair to your space, with a well-done paint job. It's almost as bad as leaving cracked and peeling paint on the walls if the job is badly done and you can see roller marks, spatters, and sloppy trim paint. When you prepare for the job, you'll achieve the best results. Where painting is concerned, prep is king. Proper preparation makes the actual painting easier, even if takes a bit of time.
If there are any fixtures or hardware that might get in the way of your project, remove them. Remove curtain rods, switch-plates and door hinges, and loosen up fixtures. Paint is less likely to peel off a clean surface. Paint doesn't adhere well to skin oils. Areas that hands often touch should be cleaned.
Quality paint goes on easier, provides better coverage, and lasts longer than cheap paints. Likewise, top-notch tools contribute to a better finish.
Caulk is one of those things you really need to get familiar with. You must master this skill because it is frequently required. The first step is cutting the nozzle. By cutting the nozzle at different measurements, you can form a caulking bead to match your joint size. Simply cut the nozzle at an angle of 45-degrees, load it into the caulking gun, and get started.
It is much easier to pull the caulk tube nozzle along the joint than to push it. Pushing usually leads to more hang-ups and sudden stops, while pulling it allows the nozzle to smoothly slide over any obstructions on the surfaces being caulked.
During tooling, avoid scraping an excessive amount of caulk out of the joint, so that you don't waste the caulk or starve the joint for sealant. Clean up any problem areas right away since it is much more difficult to clean up dried caulk later, and have some rags handy to clean up any mishaps.
Something you'll need to do on a regular basis is repair a faucet washer in your home. Beneath the fixture there is a shutoff valve, this is where you turn off the water. The pipes that run up to your faucet are underneath your sink. There are handles along those pipes that allow you to shut off the water to the sink. Now you will remove each tap.
With a wrench, remove each nut. Pull out the stem. The O-ring and seat washer will be exposed. Replace the seat washer. To find an exact match, it's a good idea to bring the old one to the hardware store with you, as they come in different sizes. Coat the replacement in plumber's grease before installing it. Put it all back together and you should have fixed the leak!
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