After moving into a 1927 home
that had been pretty much untouched for the last 30 years, it
was quickly discovered that watching several episodes of “This
Old House” wasn't much of an actual background for doing home
repairs in the real world.
Admittedly,
at that point in time I referred to a Phillip's screwdriver
as “the one with the little star thingy,” but everything looked
so easy and fun to do on TV… not to mention, the jobs were
always finished in an hour.
So, for all of you, who have
never so much as picked up a hammer and are now considering
venturing into home repair, these tips are for you:
1. Always research what you're
going to do before you do it, to make sure you can. Example:
Removing paint from a house built before 1978 can be a major
lead hazard and should only be done by professionals…
2. Find a store with a knowledgeable
staff to help you choose products correctly and guide you
through the process.
3. Read the labels of products
before you leave the store to make sure you have everything
you need.
4. Find out what the right tools are for the job and make sure
to use them. This may sound silly, but many of the directions
on the items you buy to work on your home assume you at least
somewhat know what you're doing, and if you have no clue, it's
easy to waste your own time with the wrong tools. (Believe me.)
5. Talk with friends that have
done home repairs before you do a job. Nothing replaces experience
and they may have invaluable information to share. Example:
A friend told me that when replacing the shut off water valve
on a toilet, I'd need to use a wrench to hold the pipe going
into the wall so it wouldn't move. This was not in the directions
and if I hadn't done this, the pipes in the walls could have
been damaged and I would have had to call a professional plumber
to repair my mistake and undoubtedly paid a huge bill, because
the damage would have been in a difficult place to access.
So, fellow novices, make sure you talk to someone who has
been there and done that.
6. Electrical? Forget it. You
don't want a learning curve with consequences of electrocution
or burning down your house... either bring someone over that
knows what they're doing or hire a professional.
7. Plumbing? Most certainly
a possibility. Just do a little research first and find out
if you can handle it. DoItYourself.com
has great instructions and even videos. This site will give
you a lot of information and tell you little additional things
you'll need to buy that you may not know about... like plumbers
putty and Teflon tape.
Quick note: If you're
replacing something like a faucet, make sure you keep the
pieces you remove in order (both on top and underneath)
so you have a guide to putting the new pieces back on… if
you don't, it can get really confusing really fast.
8. Make sure you
wear the proper protection for the job you're doing. Label warnings
will give you specific requirements. (Refer to #2, “read the
label” before you leave the store.)
9.
Leave lots and lots of extra time to do a job. If something
or someone says it'll take a couple hours to do the job, the
novice can double or triple that time easily. Make sure you
start early enough in the day that it's not a problem.
10. WD-40 is a must have item
when fixing old houses. It can loosen stuck nuts, bolts, and
screws better than anything. (Swearing profusely also works,
but can't really be used if children are present, so try the
WD-40 first.)
11. When you hire a professional
to do a job, watch them carefully, ask questions and learn
how they do it, so next time you can do it yourself.
Even though home repairs are
most certainly not as easy or fun as it looks on “This Old
House,” there is a sense of satisfaction and empowerment knowing
that you did it yourself... not to mention the added benefit
of saving a lot of money.
So be brave, jump in, and go
for it! Who knows? Your new found knowledge may come in very
handy one day…
