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Learn These DIY Home Improvements & Repairs to Save Money

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A man drilling into wood performing DIY home improvements and repairs.

While owning a home can be one of the greatest achievements of your life, it comes with a lot of responsibility as well. Over time, things will need fixing and you may want to do a little remodeling also. However, paying someone to do all of the work for you is something you just can’t afford right now. No worries, my friend! Just follow my DIY home improvement and repair advice to tackle the tasks on your own and save money.

Repairing Cracks in the Driveway

When it comes to repairing cracks in your driveway, rather than hire a contractor to come and charge you hundreds of dollars, you can actually tackle this job on your own. The first thing you’ll need to do to determine the best approach is to assess whether your cracks are hairline cracks or deep and wide. For cracks that are under 1/4 of an inch wide, you can use a crack filler with a formulation that is adjustable.

Refinishing Hardwood Floors

Before you begin sanding, your first step is to remove the base molding and then hammer down any protruding nails. If you don’t own a sanding machine, you can always rent that and other equipment and still not spend nearly as much as you would when hiring a professional.

Once you’ve sanded and buffed the floor, sweep up all of the dust. Then give your floors a nice stain and finish.

Fixing the Garbage Disposal

If you notice that your garbage disposal isn’t working at all, check to make sure it is receiving power. If it’s plugged in and you have turned it off then back on, as well as checked the breaker, to no avail, then you may need to invest in a new unit.

To remove your current garbage disposal all you need to do is unscrew the mounting brackets, remove the flange and scrape away the plumber’s putty.

While shopping for a new garbage disposal, look for a model that is the same as the one you’re replacing. If you’re able to get an identical model, installing will be as simple as reattaching the unit in the same way that you removed the previous one.

Mend Scratched Cabinetry

Fixing scratches in your wood is a DIY home improvement that is easy and doesn’t require you to spend a lot of money on hiring a professional.

To conceal any scratches in your cabinetry, you have a number of options you can choose from. You can first give the scratch a light sanding and then use a cloth to apply a little stain, then go back over it with a finish. While you could also use a touch-up pen or even a wax pencil if the scratches are rather deep, rubbing a regular walnut over a scratch can not only fill it but also color your scratches as well.

Cleaning Out Your Gutters

Although cleaning your gutters may require a little bit of elbow grease, along with some common tools that you most likely have on hand, this job is definitely something that you can do yourself. There are, of course, special tools such as pressure washing equipment and hoses that you can use, but if you have a scooper on hand, then that can work just fine.

Simply start by scooping out all of the leaves and debris and dump them into a bucket that you have hooked onto your ladder. Once you’ve removed all of the debris from the gutters, you can then use a gentle soapy solution to clean out any remaining grime.

Finally, use a hose to wash everything off and finish up the job.

Regrout Your Bathroom Tiles

When the grout around your tub and tiles begins to age, it can start to become discolored as dirt settles into it, making it more difficult to clean. Once this happens, not only is it an unsightly thing to see, but it can also be quite unsanitary as this can be a breeding ground for bacteria, mildew, et cetera.

You can easily give your bathroom a makeover by regrouting it yourself to save hundreds of dollars!

To begin this DIY home improvement, make sure that you choose a grout that is right for your bathroom, such as acrylic latex, sanded, epoxy or unsanded, which is determined by how far apart the tiles are. When applying, make sure you’re filling the joints thoroughly. Then use a moist sponge to wipe away the excess.

Patching Holes in Walls

Whether you’re wanting to fix holes that have been caused by hanging up pictures, or if a doorknob caused a ding in your wall, fixing the issue can be pretty quick and easy to do. With just some putty and a spackling knife, you can have your walls looking as good as new in no time!

Start by filling in the holes with the putty, pressing it in until the product has reached surface level. With your spackling knife, simply scrape away the excess putty in order for it to lay as flush as possible with the wall. Once the putty is completely dry, you can take a sander to it until it is smooth and ready to be painted.

Fixing a Leaky Pipe

Although there are many plumbing repairs that may require the help of a professional, certain things may simply require a bit of patching up, something that you can do yourself.

If you have noticed a leak in a pipe underneath your sink, first you want to see if you can locate where the leaking is coming from. The pipe may just need a little tightening of a slip-nut, which is something you can do in a matter of seconds. However, if you notice that there is an actual hole, this, too, can be easily fixed by adding a flexible coupling along with hose clamps.

While there are many DIY home improvement and repair projects around your home, if you’re unsure of your abilities or the job is a bit dangerous, then you should definitely hire a professional.

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