3 Home Repairs You Can Do Yourself!
While decluttering mostly has to do with getting rid of the stuff you don't need, it would be wasteful to throw things away especially if those things can still be fixed. Now, we understand that conducting repairs may seem beyond your expertise, but this shouldn't stop you from learning how to mend simple objects within your home. To help you with this, we've put together a list of home repairs that you can do yourself!
Leaky Faucet
Let's start the list off with something simple. While it may seem like a minor nuisance, a leaky faucet can do more damage than you think. The Washington Post details that trillions of gallons of water are wasted annually due to the leaky kitchen and bathroom faucets across the United States. So it would be in your (and the planet's) best interest to resolve this problem as soon as possible.
How can you go about doing this? First, you'll need to determine the cause of the leak. Turn off your water supply and take the faucet apart so you can inspect it for internal damage and debris. One of the most common reasons for a leak is a mineral build-up within the faucet so be wary of that when you're inspecting it. However, if you find that any part of the faucet is damaged then you'll have to replace it or call in a professional to try and repair it for you.
Burst Pipes
Burst pipes are incredibly common during the winter. Gizmodo explains that this is due to the water in the pipes expanding as a result of the cold weather. And while this problem may seem too dire to attempt to fix yourself, it's actually doable if the damage isn't too severe.
Before you attempt to do this there are some things to keep in mind: firstly, if the leak is near any electronic devices then certain precautions must be taken. HomeServe states how important it is to turn the power off, as you could be in danger of accidentally electrocuting yourself while you're trying to repair the pipe. Another thing you have to do is to shut off the water supply before attempting to do any repairs. Now that you've done those two things, it's time to repair the pipe itself. For this, you'll need to make use of a sleeve clamp -- you can purchase these at your local hardware store -- and then it's just a matter of putting the clamp over the damaged area and tightening it with a screwdriver. If the issue still persists, do call in a professional as any further attempts to repair could lead to more damage.
Clogged Toilet
Last on the list is the dreaded clogged toilet. While seemingly intimidating, unclogging a toilet is more like a battle of attrition than anything else. It isn't an exact science, as you can brute force your way to a solution with enough effort and determination.
You'll want to get a good quality plunger to try and physically clear the obstruction within your toilet. Position the rubber end of the plunger directly into the hole, and pump away. Be sure that you've created a vacuum and that no water is seeping into the hole. If this still doesn't work, then you may have to try a solution that involves a little more finesse. While there are heavy-duty chemical solutions available, home repair experts from The Guardian recommend using bicarbonate of soda as it poses the least threat of damaging your pipes.
If you enjoyed reading this article and want to do a little more home improvement, check out our article Decluttering Your House of Tech and Gadgets!
Written by: Victoria Payne
This is a contributed post. All views and opinions expressed are those of the author of this article and do not necessarily reflect views and opinions of ‘An Organized Life’. We only accept posts that provide quality articles for our readers. If you would like to contact Lauren regarding collaboration opportunities, please contact her directly at lauren@anorganizedlife.info
