Simple Fixes for Common Household Problems

Why pay someone else to fix these little household problems that arise? Why not just take care of it yourself? There are quite a few annoying problems that tend to surface in and around the homestead that you can take it upon yourself to repair or replace without having to fork out the cash to have it done.

4 Simple DIY Repairs for Household Problems

DIY Repair: sticking door

For example, a sticking door. We all hate them but we all have them too, sooner or later. You know the ones that I am talking about. You turn the doorknob and try to push or pull the door open and it makes that awful sound as it jams in one or two places. It is free to move mostly all the way around it except that one spot.

This spot that hangs is usually fairly easy to determine. The paint may be rubbed off and if not just mark it with a pencil right on the door frame. All you need is a finishing nail about an inch and a half long and a hammer. Be sure to set the nail head on some concrete or metal and tap the pointed end of the nail a couple of times with your hammer to blunt the sharp end of the nail slightly. This keeps the nail from splitting the wood of the door frame.

Next just locate your mark on the door frame, right in the center of the spot that causes the door to stick, usually about a half an inch to an inch or so from the edge of the frame. Place your blunt nail at the spot and drive it straight in until the head of your nail is just barely sticking out from the wood. Then you need a nail punch or something to use between the nail head and the hammer to sink it just below the surface of the wood.

As you drive the nail in it pulls the door frame in, away from the door and keeps it there. After you have the nail head countersunk just below the wood surface you can cover the nail head with wood putty or spackling compound. This hides the nail and keeps that door from sticking in that spot. At times it may take more than one nail in more than one location to keep the door from jamming.

Check Out: What You Should Know About Repairing Drywall

DIY Repair: Blowing light bulbs

Another simple fix for the common household problems that many people tend to encounter, blowing light bulbs way too often. I hear this quite a bit when changing light bulbs seems to be a daily task. This problem is normally caused by voltage fluctuations in your electrical system. Normal voltage varies from place to place around town and usually your system is fine. It’s the voltage amount coming in from the power company.

Making a long story short here, most incandescent light bulbs are 120 volt. This is usually stamped on the end of the bulb along with the wattage amount and who makes the bulb. Don’t confuse the voltage rating with the watts. Anyway, if the house voltage is higher than 120 volts, and many times it is, the 120 volt bulb can’t take that higher voltage for very long without blowing.

The fix for this is 130 volt bulbs. The filaments in the 130 V bulbs are thicker and last longer than the 120 V bulbs. The 130’s are a little harder to find and cost a little more but definitely worth it. Electrical Supply stores carry the 130 volt bulbs. Drug stores and such all have the 120 volt type bulbs. So just buy some 130 volt 60 watt bulbs and you should be good to go.

If you happen to notice some or all of your bulbs getting real bright while others get real dim this is a problem in your electrical panel, meter base, or your outside power tap from the utilities. It is best in this situation to call your power company first and have them check it first. If it is their problem it won’t cost you anything for repair and if it’s not on them they will inform you. That type of repair could get a little deeper than a homeowner could handle.

Check Out: How to Repair Leaky Pipes

DIY Repair: clogged drain

Ok, what about those stubborn clogged drains? Those are a common reoccurring household problem? When the drain cleaner doesn’t seem to be making it and neither is the plunger, then it’s time for the hose pipe. Drain pipes receive nothing more than gravity flow force of water and if whatever is causing the blockage is built up over time then regular gravity flow won’t break it loose. But supply water from your hose pipe will bust through there.

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All you have to do is stuff a rag or towel in the drain hole around the hose pipe to keep the water from coming back out and give it a full force blast of water. One thing you may have to do is make sure it doesn’t come out the roof vent pipes. If it does just close up the tub or sink drain real good with the towel and blast the water down from the roof vent. As long as the water can’t come back out, it has to go down and take the problem clog with it. I could probably get an argument about this from some of the plumbers out there but an old school plumber taught me this trick and he swore by it.

Check Out: How to Repair Mortar Joints

DIY Repair: Don’t hit garage wall

Does anyone park their vehicle in the garage? Is it a tight fit? Have you ever pulled in a little too far and hit the wall with your front bumper? Are you scared it could happen or happen again? If so, here is another easy fix to make sure it never happens. All you need to do is park your vehicle at your preferred stopping point. Get a tennis ball and some string. Bore a hole through the ball and get the string through the hole and tie it good. Then take your string up to the garage ceiling over your windshield and move the string around until the ball barely touches your windshield. On the ceiling, mark the spot where the string was located and attach the string to the ceiling at that point. Now each time you pull into the garage just stop when the ball touches your windshield.

It lets you know when to stop and takes all the guess work out of trying to park in the perfect spot without bumping the wall. The only ones that may laugh will be the ones that haven’t hit their own wall yet. But that should be just a matter of time.