If you have a little skill around the house, you could save thousands of dollars by taking care of the 10 most common repair problems. We will cover two of them here.
Let’s start with the main water valve. It is very important to know where the main water valve is and where to close it. You never know when a major water problem will occur. For example, a pipe could freeze and break in the winter. Or the pipe may simply have broken due to age.
Therefore, knowing the location of the main water valve is very important. Put a label on it that says this is the main water valve. Then show it to family members so they know where it is and how to turn off the main water valve in case there is a problem. This can save you thousands of dollars. Make sure the valve turns easily so anyone can close it if necessary.
The second simple fix is those pesky doors that stick. I am not referring to doors that are not square due to a structural problem. I mean those doors that rub and have adhesion problems. Let me give you the two main causes why doors get stuck.
One of the easiest things to check and fix is door hinges. Sometimes door hinges loosen over time. There is a very simple solution if the door hinges are loose. Just take a screwdriver and tighten the screws holding the door. This will tighten the door and allow it to snap into position.
Sometimes you will find that the screws are not tightened, but there is no cause for alarm. Here is a very simple way to fix that problem. The first thing you want to do is support the door because you want to remove all the screws that hold the hinges.
Now this is the most expensive part. Take some glue and toothpicks and stick them into the screw holes. Let the glue dry for about 20 to 30 minutes and then put the hinges back together. I know this may sound strange, but it really is an old hack and it works great. You will be surprised how well it works.
The second problem with doors is between summer and winter. In summer you will notice that the door and frame swell and cause the door to stick and in winter the door works well and does not stick or rub.
In this particular problem where the door is swelling, you can first try and check the hinges. But if this doesn’t work, you can buy a very inexpensive tool that costs less than $ 20 and can be purchased at any hardware store. You can probably borrow one from a friend. This particular tool is called a manual block planner rasp.
It looks like something you would cut cheese with, but I’m not suggesting you do it. What you want to do is leave the door open and mark the door where it is skimming. Once you mark the door, you can start brushing that area. Keep brushing until the door closes properly. When you brush the door, you are removing small portions of the edge of the door at a time.
This will only take a few minutes and you will find that you don’t have to remove a lot of material. If the door is really in bad shape and you can’t get the door to close, you may need to have a professional carpenter look at the door problem.
Most likely, just a little brushing will fix the door.
If you are buying a home, be sure to work with a professional home inspector who will examine the residence and inform you of any items that could turn into major repairs.