Having worked in carpentry as an occupation for years has allowed me to do my own home repairs, both major and minor. Knowing how to fix and replace a few of the common things around the house can save a lot of money. Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility. Upkeep can be challenging if you don't know your way around tools. Learning a few simple tips for home maintenance and who to call when you are out of your league, will make owning a home in the always changing climate of Bloomington-Normal much easier.
Recommended Tools for Around the House
Hammer
You will want to get a good quality hammer. This will be one of the most used of your tools. You won't need a heavy framing hammer, but don't buy a cheap hammer either. Buy a hammer that feels good and is as heavy as you can handle so the weight of the hammer can do a lot of the work, and your arm won't wear out as fast. Home Depot has hammers from $18.96-$35.00.
Screwdrivers
A complete set of screwdrivers is the best way to buy them. While some projects will require a large philips head screwdriver, projects like installing towel bars and toilet paper holders need a very small flat head screwdriver. With a full set you should have everything you need. Lowes has screwdrivers from $9.48-$30.00.
Battery Powered Drill
Not having to find a plug to get your drill to work will save you a bunch of time on projects. The size and brand of the drill will be something you will determine while shopping for one. Cordless drills come in a lot of sizes, from 9.6 volts up to 24 volts. The type of projects you are planning to do will determine the drill you need. If you only do light projects like hanging pictures and putting furniture together, you could get by with a smaller drill. If you go with a good quality drill, somewhere in the middle of the voltage range (12v-14v), you should be able to do just about anything. Just remember that the larger the voltage, the more the drill will cost and it will also become heavier. Menards has drills from $49.00-$500.00.
Saw
There are many different types of saws for many different types of projects. Jig saws, circular saws, and reciprocating saws are the three most popular saws for do it yourself projects. There are many brands out there that will allow you to take the battery out of your drill and use it in any of these saws. If this is the way you would like to go, make sure the brand you buy has the option to use the battery with their cordless saws. The batteries won't last as long in the saws as in the drill, so if you start to do projects that require a lot of sawing, buying a corded saw will save you a lot of frustration. Home Depot has saws from $39.97-$325.00.
Pliers
You can also find a good set of pliers. A complete set will have slip joint pliers, diagonal pliers, lineman pliers, and long nose pliers. A set like this will cover just about any need you will have for pliers. Get a set of pliers from Menards for $10.00-21.00.
Easy Home Repair
Door Knobs
Here in Bloomington-Normal, we know how much the weather fluctuates from summer to winter. When a door doesn't close properly, it allows the cold and hot air in and your cool and warm air out. When a door knob gets old, it will become loose, causing the door to not close properly. A door knob is not hard to replace. There a two screws on one side of the knobs. Take the screws out and pull on the knobs. The knobs should pull apart. The plunger is what holds the door shut. You will have two more screws to remove, then the plunger will pull out of the door. Install the new knob in reverse order from taking the old knob out. Now, the part of the new knob that will help tighten the gaps in the sealed door is the strike plate that goes on the door jam. If the door shut needs to shut a little tighter you can adjust the strike plate so that the plunger slides in with the door closing tighter. The door knobs might not be the cause of that draft that can often occur in central Illinois. You should also keep an eye on the weatherstripping. This is the foam or rubber around the door. Look for cracks or torn pieces. If you find cracks, it rips off very easily. You can replace it by simply stripping off the tape to expose the sticky part, which can then be attached to the door jamb. Check out this video for more information on how to fix dragging doors and weather stripping.
Toilets
Depending on where you live in the Bloomington-Normal area, your water might be harder than others in the area. If you see spots on your dishes after running the dishwasher, you have hard water. Hard water can really mess up the inner workings of a toilet. If you have a toilet that continues to run water, checking a couple of things yourself will save you from having to call a plumber and save you some money. Take the lid off the back of the toilet and take a look inside. It might look complicated, but it is rather a simple device. You will need to check the chain and make sure it is not caught on anything or has a kink in it. If it does, this will keep the flapper from making a good seal around the flush valve seat, causing water to leak into the drain. Also, check the flapper and the flush valve seat for build up from the hard water. It will be a white to brown color, calcium type substance. If you can, scrape it off to allow whatever part that it covers to do its proper job.
Faucets
Toilets are not the only items in your house that will suffer from hard water. Faucets will become loose and have a hard water built up. The number one problem with faucets is usually water leaking from the handles. All faucets have washers, and almost all washers are made of some sort of rubber, which can crack, get pinched, or covered in the calcium build up from hard water. If you have a leaking faucet, either a drip or water leaking from around the handle, look around for a screw on the handle. Sometimes the screw is hidden by the indicator of the water temp, H-hot, C-cold. You should be able to pop this cap off and the screw will be under there. Once you get the handle off, turn the handle to allow the water to run through and look to see if you can see the leak. If it is a washer leaking, you should be able to see it. Just remember to shut the water off before you remove the leaking washer. Lowes provides a video that shows you exactly how this can be done.
Painting
The exterior of your home is going to receive a lot of abuse from the weather here in central Illinois. If you do not have brick or vinyl siding, you are going to need to paint and caulk your house. The weather changes that we experience from season to season will make the wood siding on our houses expand and retract with a change in temperature and humidity. Keeping the joints caulked will help keep moisture and bugs out from behind the siding, which will let your siding last longer. Before painting, you should pressure wash your house to ensure the paint will stick. Putting a nice protective coat of paint will also help protect the wood. Plus, it will also keep your neighbors happy.
Experts for the Big Jobs
Keep in mind that the lowest price for the work you want to be done, will not always be done correctly. When you receive your estimates, listen to the details not just the price. If you have any questions about a contractor, you can call the Better Business Bureau of central Illinois at 309-688-3741.
Here are a few people who I know do quality work. But make sure that you are satisfied with the person that you are hiring. If you are a local contractor reading this, open an account and push the edit button to add your name and number to this list.
Bradbury Construction, New construction & remodel. 309-828-8541
Dustin's Home Repair, New construction & remodel. 309-825-4925
