5 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Fix

Every home will need an occasional repair, no matter how old or new it is.  You can either hire someone to fix the issue or figure out how to take care of the problem yourself. Luckily, with a little patience and some basic home repair knowledge, you can fix a variety of problems on your own without calling the handyman. Here are five common home issues that every homeowner should know how to fix {and instructions on how to fix them}. 

5 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Fix

How to Fix A Running Toilet

When your toilet is running nonstop, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately or you’ll be facing a huge water bill in the near future. Usually, a running toilet is an easy fix. All you need to do is take a look in the toilet tank. Sometimes, the valve flush assembly {the round rubber piece attached to a chain} is simply out of place and other times the entire assembly needs to be replaced because it’s not sealing well.

How to Fix A Flooded Basement

There are several steps to dealing with a flooded basement, but the first is finding the cause of the flood. If a busted or leaking pipe is the problem, you’ll need to know how to shut off the main water supply to your home quickly. While every home is different, many water shutoff valves are located at ground level near the water meter. It could be in your basement or crawlspace or hidden in a closet or garage. Secondly, you need to turn off the power to your basement safely by wearing rubber boots and gloves and using a wooden stick to shut off the main power switch. Then, you have 48 hours to get the water out of the basement before mold becomes an issue. Renting a pump is your best option for removing standing water in a basement.

How to Fix A Clogged Drain

Unclogging a toilet or sink drain isn’t the prettiest of jobs, but it’s not something you need to call a handyman for. Instead, just grab a plunger, place the plunger over the top of the drain and press until the round part of the tool is sealed around the drain, then pull up and down on the handle until the clog is cleared.

How to Fix A Broken Outlet

Sometimes old outlets need replaced, and while working with electricity may sound intimidating, replacing an outlet is actually pretty simple. The most important thing you need to do is cut the power to the outlet and double check that the power is off by using a voltage tester. Then, all you have to do is remove the faceplate and unscrew the old outlet. Make note of which wires connected to which parts of the outlet, then hook those wires into the new outlet and replace the face plate.

How to Fix A Broken Screen

The screens on your windows and doors are part of your house’s defense against insects, and if one is broken or torn it heightens the chances that bugs will get into your home. Replacing a broken or ripped screen is a simple fix. Just pop the old screen out of its metal frame and throw it away, along with the old plastic cord that held it into place. Cut a new screen to size leaving a little extra space around the perimeter. To insert the new screen into the frame, press the new cording into the screen along the inside of the wire frame and trim the excess around the edges.

In case you missed it: How to repair your refrigerator and save a service call.

Need some back up? 

Not feeling totally comfortable? YouTube has videos showing you how to do just about anything. Start there first. You might just feel pretty proud of yourself for fixing the problem!

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