Holes in sheetrock walls are a common problem in homes. There are many things that can cause a hole–doorknobs, furniture being moved, or even kids who are playing a little too rough. Fortunately you don’t have to live with these blemishes forever. Sheetrock repair is not all that tricky and most people can fix it themselves if they follow these simple instructions.

The first thing you’re going to do is cut away the loose sheetrock that surrounds the hole. This can be done with a sharp utility knife or a drywall saw. If you can, make the hole a rectangular shape, as this will make your life a lot easier.

Cut two thin strips of plywood or wood shims so that they are about six inches longer than the hole. Then insert the strips behind the hole and screw each end to the sheetrock so that you have makeshift “studs” you can attach the new piece of sheetrock to.

Cut a piece of sheetrock that fits the hole perfectly, and using drywall screws, screw the new piece into place.

Apply a mesh drywall tape over the joints between the old wall and the new piece you have just installed. Then use joint compound to cover the mesh tape and all screw holes that you created. In a day or so the joint compound will have dried enough for you to use a drywall sandpaper to sand it smooth. In most cases you will want to apply another layer of joint compound and sand it once again to assure a smooth appearance. Once you are satisfied you can paint over it to match the rest of the wall.

As you can see, repairing sheetrock is not a difficult task. The trickiest part is going to be applying and sanding the joint compound, but this shouldn’t be a problem for most homeowners. Like any simple home repair project, repairing a hole in sheetrock can be done with a little bit of patience and a willingness to get it done right.

Do you feel the urge to make your garage look better and neater. Then, it is the time for you to apply a good and high quality garage floor coating that can change the overall appearance of your garage with any color you want. Another advantage of applying a coating is that you can use a non-slip material on its top that can provide enough footing and traction even if oil and water are spilled on the floor. There are two popular products that you can choose from if you are planning to treat your garage floor. One is garage floor paint and the other is an epoxy based garage floor coating. If you are seeking long-term use, you would want an epoxy based product for your floor.

You must check to see if a sealer has been previously applied to the surface before you put any treatment on your garage floor.  Any previous sealer, whether it is paint or epoxy, can affect the new coating by shortening its life because the product will not be able to completely stick on to the concrete surface. You can check if a sealer already exists by doing the water bead test. You must first clean the floor using a degreaser and then wash it off using water and detergent. After cleaning, spray water lightly on the surface and observe the reaction of the water. If beads are formed, a sealer exists and this should be removed. The best way to remove it is to put on a weak solution of muriatic acid which you can buy on most home repair stores. After this, clean the floor again and re-test. If water does not bead anymore, you can start applying the coating treatment.

You should be exact in following the instructions on the package and do not take any shortcuts to get what you expected after applying the treatment. Make sure that you have your anti-slip additives whether you are going to use a less costly paint or a longer life epoxy. These additives should be spread out on the top before the coat dries. Imagine feeding chicken at a farm or ducks at the park when you are doing this.

The installation of a garage floor covering at your home is a recommended and useful weekend project that can give your garage a better appearance and make it safer.

Here are some of the plumbing checks which can be executed by every homeowner to avoid any worse problem with the plumbing system.

1. Every member of the household should be aware of the location of the main cut-off so that it can be easily cut when there are some evident plumbing problems in the house.

2. You should understand how the water meter works. Make sure that none among the dials of the meter are moving when there is no water running. There is a leak if the water meter is moving despite the mentioned conditions. Some of the most common items which should be checked for this are toilets and faucets.

3. Use drops of food color to check for leaks on the toilet. After 20 minutes, check again the toilet. If there is a color which you can see, there could be a possible seepage around the valve.

4. Twice a year, drain gallons of water from the tank of the water heater. This is to make sure that the valves are working properly and that if there is any build up of sediments around the tank, it will be immediately cleared to also maximize efficiency when heating. You can also consider purchasing a tank-less water heater which can surely lower your monthly bills on utility. This facility heats water when needed for use unlike the traditional tank heater.

5. If your toilet appears like it will suffer from over flowing, take off the lid of the tank and press down the flush to plug the hole located at the bottom of the tank. This is useful not only to determine the source of the clog but also to be able to free the toilet from overflowing.

6. Open and close all the water valves at least twice a year to keep them functional. The valves can freeze if this is not done.

7. Know the location of the stop valves for all the faucets. This will allow you to immediately turn off the water source when a problem occurs and prevent any further inconvenience.

8. Always have a plumber ready or any useful tools which can solve clogging.

9. Purchase various parts which will be useful for replacement such as a toilet kit and rubber gasket.

10. Avoid the use of any chemicals which can remove clogs. For example, garbage disposal repair problems usually are not fixed at all with chemicals. Buy something like the Badger 5 garbage disposal to begin with and you will have fewer problems to begin with. For other plumber issues, you can instead opt to use an auger, one which is called snake, which will also be useful for your plumbing problems.

Everyone will have to deal with bathroom plumbing at some point in their lives. You might not have to install plumbing by yourself at any point, but it’s still useful to understand how plumbing functions so that you can prevent potentially damaging issues. It’s also helpful when figuring out how you can customize the bathroom of your choice. Everyone hates paying a huge sum of money to a plumber for something as simple as unclogging a toilet or a drain.

Understanding how plumbing operates will enable you to keep it working, and help you accessorize your bathroom. If you are someone who is hooked up to a municipal water system, your water passes through a meter before it enters any part of your home. Your home has two different lines to intake water. One of these lines transports water to a heater, and provides hot water for your dishwasher, showers, and other everyday functions. The other pipe delivers cold water to any appliance or fixture which needs it.

Plumbing generally incorporates a valve to drain waste in addition to these basic supply pipes. These comprise the core of your home’s plumbing. The valve for drainage will open up into a septic system or drainage system. This will collect all of your waste water. These are things that you need to be conscious of if you’re interested in decorating your home’s bathroom, as it’s important to keep all of your fixtures working properly as you beautify them.

A simple bathroom can become completely new with the addition of customized faucets, cabinets, shower doors, flooring, mirrors, a bathtub, towel racks, and so on. You can find most of these things on the Internet, as well as shops like Lowes and Home Depot, where you can experience them directly. Specialty bathroom supply stores also offer most of these options as well. Plenty of accessories for your bathroom can be purchased for under $100, like faucets. It can life your spirit to have something beautiful and decorative in the bathroom, rather than the same old, boring plumbing fixtures. It’s smart to look online to compare prices, as well as visit different retailers to find out who can offer you the best cost for what you really want.

A quick search of the Internet will reveal plenty of sites that specialize in bathroom decor, and you’ll start to get a basic idea of what you should be paying for bathroom decorating accessories.

Everyone needs bathroom plumbing. When you understand how your own plumbing functions and see the variety of accessories which are available to you, you’ll get a much better idea of what is possible for your own bathroom as you make it an inviting and comfortable room to be in.

A house with curb appeal is one that gives buyers a warm feeling as they walk up to the front door. It’s a house that really lifts your spirit. It may not add much to the selling price, but it certainly works wonders as a tool to sell house quickly.

Improving the curb appeal of your house doesn’t have to cost a fortune, so it shouldn’t require you to take out any second mortgages. But it does depend on your level of skill with a paintbrush or hammer. Keep in mind that bad DIY is worse than no DIY at all. So if you are in doubt, just call in a professional to get the job done right.

Paint the Front Door

The front door is the first part of the house where people really notice details. So a door in pristine condition is a must. It’s OK to get a little crazy with a new color, the front door is the one place that you can! So tangerine or orchid is fine as long as it fits in reasonably well with the rest of the house. But for a more traditional look, it’s always safe to stick to black, or a dark brown or plum color.

Use Quality Door Fixtures

Send some extra money on good quality front door fixtures, because cheap hardware just looks cheap. Keep the style in line with the rest of the house. Ornate Victorian door knockers look very pretentious on a simple ranch style dwelling. And if you happen to have one of those door chimes that plays a song – now is the time to donate it to your neighborhood thrift shop.

House Numbers And Mailboxes

Whimsical or extravagant designs will often turn off a buyer, so keep it simple, classic, and legible. If your family’s name appears on the house or mailbox, take it down. You want the buyers to envision their own names there, not yours.

Installing home insulation is not a difficult process and can help save you money in the long run. Insulation is an important part of saving energy. With proper insulation you can save up to thirty percent of the energy you would have otherwise used to cool or heat your home. If you are the type of person who likes to do things yourself and have enough knowledge of basic construction, you could easily install your own insulation. If you are planning on adding a room to your home and have the basic frames up, this article will help you in knowing exactly how to cut, measure, and install your home insulation.

For starters, here are a few things you will need when installing insulation: a razer or insulation knife, a wooden board or metal leveler, safety glasses, and a mask. If you are prone to getting asthma or have breathing problems it is probably best if you wear a mask. It is up to you, but you might also want to wear rubber gloves while putting up insulation. There are quite a few types of insulation all with their unique purposes, but in this article we will be discussing how to install precut home insulation with facing. This type is available at Home Depot and is usually cut to predefined strips to fit in between your wooden frames.

When you have measured the cavities in the framing to be filled with insulation you should always cut the insulation an extra half inch or so all around so it packs in tight. This helps keeps any cracks from letting the air circulate between walls. After you have done your measurements, lay the wooden board or metal leveler across the insulation, push down, and cut it with the razor blade. The blade should slice through easily, leaving you with a clean cut. Lastly, stuff the insulation in the cavity to be filled, making sure that any wiring in the two by fours fits comfortably. Then move on until you have fully insulated your room.

The integration of efficient wood shelves is an excellent way to add additional storage spaces at home. You can either choose to purchase pre-made ones or you can build one on your own. Many homeowners opt to build a DIY wooden shelf since it is much cheaper as compared to buying a new one. Plus, it gives the assurance that it will fit perfectly in the area where it is intended to be placed.

One of the popular types of wood shelving that you can build and integrate in your home is the fixed variety. A fixed wooden shelf can be easily added into any available space in your home, may it be in the garage, bathroom, kitchen, basement, or even in the attic. There

is no need to build a complicated shelf design. Instead, stick with simple and basic shelf styles. You can create non-adjustable wood shelf from any sized solid boards. This kind of wood shelf is fairly easy to construct, and it would already be capable of satisfying average shelving and storage needs.

However, the only disadvantage of non-adjustable wood shelving is that you won’t be able to fit items of all sizes. You have to strategically plan the kinds of items that you will place within the shelves to ascertain that they will be fully accommodated. With that said, you have to consider the size of the items that you intend to place in the shelf to properly plan its construction.

To ensure the integrity of your wood shelf, it is highly recommended that you use varying types of support pieces for added durability. In particular, the use of small cleats can already offer the needed support for the shelf. Make sure that it has support at least every 3” to reinforce the structure’s integrity. If heavy loads will be placed in the shelf, you have to use supports every 2 1/2”.

It would be ideal to have wider cleats to provide the wooden shelf with immense structural strength. Wider cleats also allow the shelves to be moved in and out of the fixed shelf unit as necessary. Be sure to take note of the information provided in this article when building wood shelves to ascertain that you will come up with a durable and functional shelf structure.

When it comes to using concrete and other materials that are not as forgiving as more simple choices, like wood or pavers, having a good working knowledge of the project and skills required is important. Well, this is one of those projects that likely will benefit from you knowing a thing or two about construction or the building trades. At the very least, you should have some idea of how to use the appropriate tools. Your knowledge of building with masonry products will greatly assist you, but an avid DIYer could tackle a project requiring the use of concrete anchor bolts like this.

Concrete is one of those materials that is relatively inexpensive on the smaller scale and can be acquired quite easily with many uses. It makes it one of the more popular materials to use for an outdoor patio space. So, if you plan on building a wood or stone patio cover or have some other outdoor shed or garden plans, a little instruction or guidance about using anchor bolts might be a good idea or refresher for you.

There are really two basic ways that you can use or install concrete anchors around your home. If you are already occupying a home with a poured slab, then you will likely only have one of the options available to you. If you are opting to pour your own slab for a new project, then you can go with installing the anchors in the wet concrete.

This is the first option; installing the anchors in the wet concrete. If you choose to go with this approach, you’ll need to ensure that all of your measurements are accurate and you have the right anchors for this application. You’ll need to keep the threads exposed enough to reach through your bottom plate and avoid getting concrete on them. Often, the pros will simply wrap duct tape or some other tape around the threads above the concrete.

The second option mentioned is to drill holes with a masonry bit in the cured concrete and set your anchors in that. This will take you one more step and delay your project, but will also ensure that you place them exactly where you need them. If this is your first attempt at building an outdoor or patio structure like this, this approach for using your concrete anchors is the likely preferred option.

One job that a handyman may or may not want to tackle is the replacement of broken garage door springs. These can be complicated in nature and without the proper information and equipment, a serious injury can result. It is important that a homeowner knows what type of opener is on his garage door before making any type of alteration.

There are 2 main types of spring systems that will raise and close the door unit. The first and probably the hardest to replace is the torsion variety. A steel bar will be located above the door with a cylinder in the dead center. This holds the winding mechanism that is used to adjust for the proper tension. These units pack a lot of potential energy — enough to tear loose flesh from the novice. It is recommended that only a professional, versed in the installation and repair of this kind of lifting appliance should actually perform any type of alteration.

Extension springs are the other type and they are located above the left and right track that guides the rollers on each side of the door. These extend to create tension, and are used for lifting purposes. While they are not simple by any means, a handyman can perform this type of replacement with some simple hand tools.

The first step is making sure that the door is in the open position, releasing all of the tension in the springs. If it is broken, take the entire part to a replacement center for matching up with a new one. However, if only one of the springs is broken, it is recommended to replace both springs at the same time, ensuring a smooth safe lifting action.

Undo the binding that holds the end in place and take out the old door springs. Put in the replacement springs, reversing the steps, lining it up with the other side to ensure proper length and tension. Carefully repeat the process for the second spring, and tighten firmly. All parts of the mechanism should now be lubricated to ensure smooth running.

Visit Doors Dictionary for practical information on all sorts of doors on the market today.

Side Hinged Garage Doors

Once you have your custom home or purchase a new home, over time a garage door will require some attention. Garage door repair is simply something that is a innate part of owning a home. No matter what style or type of home you have, there are four primary kinds of doors. 

1) Side hinged doors 

2) Retractable doors 

3) Canopy doors 

4) Sectional doors 

The primary type of doors installed in homes today are the sectional doors. Let’s consider each type of door before the maintenance each may require. 

Side hinged doors are some of the most traditional. There are two doors that meet in the middle. The hinges are mounted on the side. If you can imagine an old carriage house, you may have a good idea of what they could look like. Today we have seen some return of this style door in high end homes or for homeowners who are trying to match a theme with the exterior design of their home. Unfortunately, this style of door does not operate with a garage door opener, so the home owner is stuck opening and closing it on their own each time. 

The most common type of repair needed for the side hinged door is when the door drags on the ground. Over time the hinges become weakened from use. Sometimes new hinges are needed. Also the bottom of the door may need to be slightly trimmed. 

Retractable doors are one solid piece. Usually made from wood, this type of  door is track mounted. It is lifted by a counter weight system and the entire door is retracted into the ceiling of the garage. This type of door stores completely out of the way. When choosing a retractable door, the ceiling height of a garage must me high enough. 

Over time the door may sag on one side or not close all the way. The track also may become dirty or the rollers can pick up foreign objects. Sting is the worst culprit as it becomes tangled in the door rollers. If the door sags, the springs may need to be replaced or the weights may need rebalanced. When not closing all of the way, the door may require adjustment on one of the weights. 

Canopy doors are very similar to the retractable doors, except they are not concealed totally along the ceiling of the garage. Part of the door will remain outside. This is an older style of door and I have only seen it on a few garages of older homes. Counter weights lift the door. Being one solid piece, the door lifts as a single unit. 

Sectional Garage Doors

The sectional door is the most common. Traveling on a track, the door rolls up and rolls back down again. Sectional doors are most commonly made from aluminum, vinyl, wood, or another type of metal. At times vinyl is preferred over wood because it does not require frequent painting, it weighs less, and the vinyl never warps. Aluminum is a nice choice, but it does dent easily. Other metal doors can be heavy and do rust over time. Spending a little bit more and purchasing an insulated door is a great way to conserve heat in a garage. 

Sectional doors are easier to repair when the it is hit by a car. My elderly neighbor backed into his garage door twice in a year’s time. When a door panel is damaged, the effected sections can be removed and replaced. This way the whole door does not have to be rebuilt. 

The most common garage door repairs related to use, are the track and the door opener itself. If a door is not traveling up and down smoothly or is unable to pass a certain point in the track, inspect the track for dents or dings. A dented track will keep the roller from passing by it. A block of wood and a hammer can fix the problem. Place the block of wood where the dent is and then hit it with the hammer. The block of wood spreads out the force of the blow so that a dent the size of the head of the hammer is not left in the track. Also the block of wood can be positioned so that it reaches were a hammer head could not.  But be careful, as garage door parts are delicate and too hard of a blow may result in an even bigger problem. 

When paying attention to the track the rollers should also be inspected. Mud, rust, and even gum left from lubricate mixed with dust can cause the rollers to stop turning. In the case of mud and oil residue, ordinary house hold cleaners can be sprayed on the track and then wiped clean. Also inspect the rollers for things such as sting or other things than can become entangled around the wheel. A razor knife can be very helpful in cutting it away. 

As with any moving parts, the door tracking, rollers, lock bar, and even the hinges joining one panel to the next should be regularly oiled. The lubrication may build up over time and need removed, but the it should also be reoiled to preserve the life of the roller. 

If one side of a door opens faster than the other, or the door does not close the entire way, the problem may lie in the garage door springs. High tension and torsion springs are best maintained by a professional. Releasing even an older spring can have enough strength left in it to knock a person over. The safest avenue is to call a professional. The torsion springs are the most dangerous. 

Garage door openers are another area of concern. Before trying to inspect one, be sure the electric is unplugged. A shock is all one needs to change a day from good to bad. Commonly the belts to open and close the door are the thing needing attention. Also check for something, even a balloon string, becoming entangled in the mechanism. If further repair is needed be sure to record the brand of door opener. This is important to provide to the repair shop or if ordering parts for it on line. Also be sure to notice the series of garage door opener and the horse power. Providing the supplier with more information about the garage door opener parts will help to get the right one the first time. 

When all else fails and you decide to call the garage door repair man, ask around for a referral. Neighbors, people at church, or other parents at the school bus stop might just have had the same problem recently. Other ways are to check local phone book listings or to contact the company you purchased the door from in the first place. 

And when all else fails, sometimes we are all just ready to sit out on the best patio furniture you can find! 

Garage Door Repair needed from Kermyta flickr