DIY Repair Skills will Save You Cash

If you own your home, you know repairs can become expensive quickly. Little things like clogged drains, broken door hinges, wholes in the walls, mounting shelves, replacing locks, and doorknobs are all jobs you can learn to do yourself. These same simple repairs will cost you a lot of money if you hire a professional each time you need some little thing done around the house. Learning so simple skills and fixing things yourself can save you hundreds of dollars, not to mention you will feel good that you did it. The pride you feel in yourself after learning a new skill and then accomplishing your task is fantastic.

Start simple until you have the hang of using a few tools, then you can move up to more challenging repair jobs. Removing old grout around the sink or bathtub is a simple do it yourself task anyone can quickly learn. You buy one tool used to scrape out the old grout and smooth out the new grout. Use the grout tool to scrape out the old grout around the edge of your sink or tub, clean the area and dry it, use your tube of grout to place a new bead (line) of grout, then use the other end of your tool to smooth the grout and press it into the seem. Make sure you allow the new grout to dry for twenty-four hours before use. Don't worry if it's not perfect; you can redo it until you are happy with a job well done.

Another easy fix you can learn is replacing screens on windows or doors. Screen replacement requires a screen spline installation tool, spline, a utility knife, and replacement screening. These supplies also come in kits. If you intend to repair a screen door, you will need to take it off and lay it flat to get the screen tight. 

We may as well talk about other types of doors and some simple repairs you can do yourself. Changing locks or doorknobs are good places to learn a few new skills and only require a screwdriver. However, you will need more advanced skills if problems with the door or door jam's holes require repairs. Save those jobs until you have learned some repair trade tricks and are comfortable using power tools.

When taking on door hinge repairs, why not consider replacing old doors with updated ones? Replacing and repairing sometimes require about the same amount of labor. So, why not contemplate upgrading now and avoid repeating this work later. New doors always add a touch of class to a room. Plus, you could choose doors that don't require hinges and knobs like sliding barn doors. These mount on a roller system and slide along the wall out of the way, which, of course, means you could put that wall table you love so much where the door would have banged it before. It is easy for simple DIY repairs to spark new ideas for that interior design change you want to do.

One of the essential DIY skills to learn is patching holes. There are several different places throughout a home where you will find holes that need filling and patching. Along with the place comes differences in types of patches required and the skills needed for each one. Some of the different surfaces and required skills include:

• Taking down pictures or shelves will require drywall filling, patching, and sanding.
• Wood door frames that require the use of wood patch or glue.
• Holes in brick walls will require a wire brush to clean out debris and either mortar mix or silicone caulk.

Every home requires a lot of little fixes that always need getting done, most of which you can learn to do yourself. If you are looking for guidance and some ideas about where to begin learning your new DIY skills, check out this article, 12 Days of DIY Skills. Even if you don't need these exact repairs, this article will set you on the correct path to getting started making repairs in and around your home and saving yourself a ton of money along the way. Each time you learn a new skill and fix a needed repair, you feel better, and your home becomes something to be prouder of.