Whether you’re looking to sell your home, or just want to spruce things up a little, there’s a good chance cracked walls, leaks, stains and marks are high up on your list of things to do. Although a lot of these problems might call for a professional, a lot of them you’re able to Handle on your own.
From wonky cabinet doors, loose Door handles, creaky hinges and holes in walls, we’re glad to say that all of these issues can be fixed, at home with just a little elbow grease and not a whole lot of cash.
Take a look below at a few of the most common household problems homeowners often need to repair, and how best to fix them.
Indents and Holes in Walls
Surprisingly, these problems are quite easily to fix. Given that the damage is relatively shallow or cosmetic holes and indents are able to be fixed in just a few minutes.
All you’ll need is some wall filler and a spatula or a scraper. Clean up the hole in the wall and scrape off any loose drywall or plasterboard and scoop out some of your wall filler.
With the wall filler, just patch the hole and smooth out the filler to be flush with the wall. It may take a few tries to get the filler completely flat, but in a few minutes time it’ll be like there’s no hole in the wall at all.
Broken Door Handles
Another relatively easy fix is the door handle conundrum. If your door handle has come loose or fallen off entirely, we’re happy to say this isn’t too hard of a fix.
Because doors have a cutout for the handle, all you’ll need to do is buy a new door handle, or use your original so long as you have the screws, and screw it back into the handle’s cut out.
You’ll need a screwdriver or electric drill here, and you will have to put your door handle back together with the door between the two halves of the handle. Test out that the tongue detracts when you use the handles, and then screw it back into place.
Cracked Walls
Similarly to holes in walls, you’ll need some filler if they’re quite large. Otherwise, paint can do the trick if your walls are only moving because of your home settling.
Grab your wall filler, scoop out some of the putty and wipe it over the wall so that it’s flush and covers the cracks. Again, it might take a few ‘wipes’ to really get it perfectly flush, though you’ll have no trouble hiding those pesky cracks.
A key point to remember here is wall cracks can be a telltale sign of poor foundations, or major movement below your home. If you’re seeing large diagonal or spidering cracks, it’s a good idea to reach out to repairers like BuildFix for assessment.
Stagnant Pool or Pond Water
Another common issue for homeowners is stagnant water that you can’t figure out how best to remove. Getting a bucket to empty the pool or pond doesn’t seem very effective and nor does waiting for it to evaporate.
Our tip here is to rent or buy a submersible water pump which you can use to drain the pond or pool so that you’re able to clean it up. These pumps often do the trick in record time and if you keep one on hand, you’ll be able to routinely clean your pools or ponds should anything go green or foul-smelling again.
It’s a good idea to make this a routine procedure too, especially if you’re in a city, as your ponds could be leading to mosquito infestations that spread disease.
Kitchen Cabinet Problems
An often-overlooked issue due to pricing concerns are kitchen cabinet hinges and doors.
Many homeowners are concerned that kitchen repairs are expensive due to the fact that kitchens are one of the most costly spaces in the home to renovate. However, this isn’t the case.
Most of the time, getting your wonky cabinets fixed takes just a little dedication and a screwdriver. Swing open your cabinets and take a look behind the door and you’ll see a hinge with four to six screws holding it to the inner cabinet sheeting. Take your screwdriver to these screws and tighten them up.
The same goes for cabinet hinges, open the door and you’ll find two or four small screws holding the hinge to your cabinets. Tighten these too and you’ll have a solid, grippy cabinet hinge once again.
