While some people will tackle any DIY job around the house, others would rather call in a professional. But many tasks are very straightforward and with plenty of online tutorials available, can be done with relative ease.
Putting up shelves
There are many types of shelves so if you’re new to this kind of DIY, choose one of the simplest shelving systems. Find a good quality tutorial online and follow the instructions carefully. Your two best friends when installing shelves are a spirit level and a pencil, use them wisely. Remember to check your wall for pipes and wires before drilling.
Cleaning out a U bend
First, switch off your water and place a bowl underneath the U bend to catch any drips. Unscrew the fittings on either end of the U bend and gently take it off. Wash it in a bucket of hot soapy water, ensuring you don’t lose the washers. When it’s clean, reattach it to your pipework and you’re done!
Installing blinds
When fitting blinds outside of the window recess make sure the brackets are fitted at an equal distance on both sides. For installing inside the recess, ensure that there is enough space for the blind to move freely when the brackets are fitted. Follow the fitting instructions, take your time and then stand back to admire your handy work.
Replacing silicone sealant
Silicone sealant does not last forever and will at some point need replacing. Rather than paying someone to do it for you, why not give it a go yourself? Use a combined sealant remover and smoother tool, silicone remover, some new sealant and a cartridge gun. Follow the instructions on the sealant remover, clean and dry the area and then apply the new silicone, finishing it with the smoother tool.
Adjusting sticking doors
Find where the door is sticking by closing it gently a few times and checking all the edges. You may be able to adjust the hinges but if that doesn’t work it may require sanding or planing down a little depending on the amount of wood you need to remove. It’s better to take off a small amount at a time rather than risking removing too much.
Cleaning out gutters
This is a two person job, one to clean out the gutters and another to steady the ladder. Wear some waterproof gloves, attach a bucket to the ladder and use a scoop to remove the debris e.g. a plastic milk container with the end cut off. Move the ladder along the guttering as you work and never overreach. While you’re cleaning, check the condition of your gutters, brackets and downpipes.
Filling cracks or holes
Clean the area with sugar soap to allow good adhesion of the filler. Use a quick drying filler for small internal cracks. Apply the filler with a flexible filling knife and work it into the crack, scraping off any excess. Once it has dried, you can sand down the filler and wipe the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust.
Assembling flat pack furniture
Flat pack furniture assembly instructions and apparent endless supply of fixings can be intimidating. However, if you take your time and follow the instructions, it’s hard to go wrong. Group all the different screws, dowels and cam nuts together and lay out all the pieces exactly as in the diagrams including checking their orientation. Work slowly and methodically for best results.
Changing door handles
Whether you have handles with back plates, roses, keyholes or thumb locks it’s not that difficult to change them and all you should need is a screwdriver or two. To avoid having to fill screw holes, find a similar size/shape when choosing a new handle. Otherwise, follow the instructions for the new handles and touch up any areas that are newly exposed.
Dripping taps
Turn off the water either under the sink on the isolation ball valve or at the main stopcock. Drain any remaining water by running the tap and remove the tap head. Undo the headgear nut with an adjustable spanner. The washer is within the headgear assembly. Take out the old washer, replace it with a new one and reassemble the tap. Turn the water back on to test.
1
Leave a Reply