Do you look around your home and say “I really need to fix this” and then months go by and it is still not fixed? Fix those things now before they get worse or lead to an accident and possibly injury. Here are 12 quick and easy DIY projects of common home repairs suggested by HomeAdvisor.
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Removing wax from carpet
Tools required: hairdryer, paper towels
Difficulty level: 1 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Lay paper towels covering the wax. Heat the wax by blowing the hairdryer over the towels. Throw out the paper towels when they become saturated with wax. If there is wax remaining, cover the wax with new paper towels. Keep repeating this process until all of the wax is gone.
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A running toilet
Tools required: hairdryer, paper towels
Difficulty level: 2 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Shut off the water to the toilet by turning the lever protruding from the wall to the left. Remove the top of the tank. Flush the toilet to drain the water from the tank. Locate the flapper which is connected to the bottom of the chain. Unhook the chain. Remove the flapper. Install the new flapper and hook it up to the chain. Put the top back on the tank. Turn the water on by turning the lever to the right.
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Covering a hole you drilled in the wall by mistake
Tools required: drill, drill bit, saw, hammer, glue and dowel
Difficulty level: 3 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Match your dowel to the same size drill bit. Cut the dowel to match the depth of the hole with the saw. Press glue into the hole. Press the dowel into the hole using the hammer. Allow to dry. Cover the patch with the same paint or wallpaper as the rest of the wall.
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Wallpaper peeling off the wall
Tools required: sponge, water, wallpaper adhesive and roller
Difficulty level: 2 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Damp the peeled off wallpaper with a damp sponge. Using a knife, raise the loosen wallpaper away from the wall. Apply adhesive to the back of the loosen wallpaper. Press the wallpaper to the wall and allow to dry. Roll over the fixed area with the roller. Wipe any remaining adhesive.
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Scratches in wood flooring
Tools required: steel wool, sandpaper, mineral spirits, wood filler, plastic putty knife, varnish
Difficulty level: 4 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Rub the steel wool or sandpaper over the scratch in the direction of the wood grain. Cover the sanded scratch with mineral spirits. Using a putty knife, cover in the scratches with the wood filler. Sand the area. Apply varnish to the area to seal.
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Toilet does not flush
Tools required: wrench, new toilet handle
Difficulty level: 2 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Shut of the water to the toilet by turning the lever protruding from the wall to the left. Remove the top of the tank. Empty the water from the tank by lifting the chain up. Remove the handle using the wrench. Remove from the chain. Install the new handle and
connect to the chain. Put the top back on the tank. Turn the water back on by turning the lever to the right.
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A broken banister railing
Tools required: hammer, nails, sandpaper, wood glue and new railing post
Difficulty level: 4 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Remove the cap from the stair that has the missing rail. Sand the holes and fill with glue. Place the new railing into the spot and nail the top to the handrail. Replace the cap.
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Pulled down curtain rail
Tools required: plugging filler, screwdriver and gloves
Difficulty level: 2 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Remove debris from the hole needing repair. Fill the hole with filler so it is even with the hole. Using your finger, insert screw and allow to dry. Remove the screw and replace with the curtain bracket using the screwdriver.
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Wobbly wooden chairs
Tools required: dead blow hammer, wood glue, sandpaper, bar champs
Difficulty level: 4 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Using the hammer, disassemble the legs. Using sandpaper, clean mortise and tenon. Hold the chair is place using bar clamps and reassemble the legs using the glue. Allow chair to dry.
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Sagging gate
Tools required: two brackets, bolts, metal cables, turnbuckle, screwdriver
Difficulty level: 3 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
On the hinge side, screw a bracket into the upper left corner. On the latch side, screw the bracket into the lower right corner. Install the metal cables to the brackets and the turnbuckle. Adjust the height of the gate by turning the turnbuckle.
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Cups rings on wooden tables
Tools required: petroleum jelly, cloth
Difficulty level: 1 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Cover the rings with petroleum jelly. Allow to dry for 8 hours. Remove the jelly and marks.
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Paving slab is cracked
Tools required: replacement slab, club hammer, chisel, spade, wood, broom handle, mortar
Difficulty level: 4 of 5 (with 5=difficult)
Using chisel and hammer, remove the pointing. Using spade, lift the slab and place wood under the spade. Roll out the slab by inserting the broom handle. Using chisel and hammer, remove the old mortar. Apply new mortar. Put the new slab in and press it in with the timber and hammer. Repaint.
12 Little Accidents and How To Fix Them HomeAdvisor