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The Handyman's Compendium
Raziel
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
It's summer, and that means it's time for DIY. Big or small, rented or owned, any house or apartment is going to need some work at some point. Whether it's replacing a broken light switch, replacing a washer in a faucet, or fixing a ding in drywall, it's usually cheaper and easier to fix the problem yourself, rather than hiring a contractor or eating the hit to your damage deposit.
In that spirit, this thread is intended to be a collection of basic skills, tools, and techniques to MacGyver your house back into livable condition.
In that spirit, this thread is intended to be a collection of basic skills, tools, and techniques to MacGyver your house back into livable condition.
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Scott's Turf Builder with Weed and Feed is great. It says to use it whenever weeds are growing, but you shouldn't put it down more than twice per year. If your yard looks like crap, use some weed and feed now. Wait 24 Hours, then water it often. In the fall overseed your yard and water it like a madman. Next year your yard will be beautiful.
Removing wallpaper is a soul crushing process. Your walls will probrably looked destroyed after removing it. Get all the glue off and use "Patch and Paint"(its a very lightweight joint compound) to fill in the nicks and drywall paper tears. Sand it smooth and then Paint.
If your fridge is running(you better go catch it!) but isn't cold, the circulation fan is most likely dead. Take the back panel off in the freezer. The fan there that isn't moving is supposed to circulate the cold air off the coils and into the freezer/down into the fridge. Remove it, take it to a specialty shop in your area and get a replacement. Ta-DA you fixed your fridge for 30-60 bucks instead of paying a grand for a brand new one.
Before buying a new stove/dryer, pay special attention to what plug your current one has. Newer appliances/houses have a second ground for the stove and dryer(4 prongs). If your current one has a single ground you need a new stove that has a single ground(3 prongs). You can get an electrician to change out the plug for you, but why pay that hundred bucks when you can just buy the right appliance?