Although buying and owning your first home can be a dream come true, keep in mind that homeownership is more than just lounging on the couch during lazy weekends or enjoying the beautiful night sky on your front porch. It’s a commitment that you need to keep up with to ensure your private oasis is running smoothly for convenience and comfort—and making occasional repairs and tackling home projects is part of the ordeal.
Even if you’re not a handyman, there are a few around-the-house repairs and chores you should know when you’re the man of the house.
With that in mind, here are the easiest DIY projects and repairs every man of the house should know.
Fix a Leaking Faucet
Leaky faucets are one of the most common house repairs you need to tackle. Fortunately, they’re easily fixable. All you need to do is turn off the water sink and stop the drain using a rag and replace the faucet. However, more complicated projects like fixing busted drain pipes would require professional commercial plumbers’ assistance.
Re-caulking
Water accumulated from bathroom sinks and showers often produces excess moisture in the room, leading to high humidity levels and how efficiently the caulk protects the drywall. Caulk is crucial in preventing mold growth, but it will inevitably reach a point when you need to replace it. Fortunately, the task is doable, and all you need is to remove the old caulk using vinegar or mineral oil and a sharp tool and apply the new caulk using a caulk gun.
Hanging Wallpaper
Hanging wallpapers is a straightforward job. All you need to do is peel a wallpaper portion and stick it to your home’s walls. However, the challenge here is getting it straight while matching their patterns seamlessly. It’ll require two people to do the job, so have your wife or children to help you with the job. Remember that bubbling or when a strip of paper needs to be removed and replaced often happens, so make sure to stock up on wallpaper when tackling the job.
Painting the Home Exterior
Painting the exterior of your home is a big job, but it’s relatively easy. However, keep in mind that it’ll require extensive use of ladders at high levels and even climbing on top of your roof. So, if you’re squeamish about heights or aren’t comfortable staying on ladders for an extended period, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. However, all in all, painting the home exterior should be easy enough for any homeowner to tackle.
Fix a Running Toilet
Although running toilets may look like a challenging site, you can comfortably fix them with ease. You can invest in a toilet rebuild kit conveniently available in local home appliance stores or any hardware big box store. They usually come with easy-to-follow and understand instructions, allowing any homeowner to fix running toilets without breaking a sweat.
Install Light Fixtures
Electrical installations or repairs are costly, and though most significant projects involving electricity is best left to professionals, installing lighting fixtures is doable. Taking a bit of time to understand your home’s electrical system can provide you with the necessary skills to tackle some electrical projects yourself. When installing new light fixtures, make sure it’s low voltage to avoid structural and bodily harm.
Install A Thermostat
Investing in a programmable automatic thermostat is a huge step toward energy efficiency, and the best part is, it’s easy to install. All you need to do is turn off the break of your heater or furnace and air conditioning units, remove the old thermostat and leave the wires in place. It’s a relatively easy home improvement task you can do in a couple of hours. Just make sure you choose the right thermostat for your heating and cooling units, which you can tell by looking at the number of wires your air conditioner and heater have.
Clean Gutters
Roof gutters collect rainwater, directing the accumulated water away from your roofing and home’s foundation, keeping the space safe and dry. However, when they get clogged with leaves and other debris, it comprises their functions, resulting in rotting and damage in the foundation, leaving holes for pests to build nests inside your home—damaging your property further.
Fortunately, cleaning the gutters is a relatively easy task you can do, where you can use your hands, classic leaf blowers, or a fancy wet-dry vacuum to clear up the debris.
Being a homeowner instills you with a lot of responsibilities. Although some repairs still require professional assistance, many maintenance jobs such as those mentioned can be handled by the man of the house—helping homeowners maintain their home’s upkeep.
