You live and you learn. Generally speaking, the older you get and the more notches under your belt you gather, the more experience and knowledge you gain in all aspects of life. One of the areas you will largely excel in is being a home keeper. We all know how it is – your parents and/or grandparents seem to be able to fix almost any home problem, but you might feel like you’re not quite there yet.
You could wait it out and learn as you go, slowly accumulating more skills as you get older, or you get ahead of the game and learn these essential home DIY skills sooner rather than later.
Fixing a leaky tap
One of the most common issues homeowners face is a leaky tap. If you hear the dreaded drip, it’s important you take action immediately because if you don’t, you could be staring the barrel of a very expensive home insurance premium when extensive water damage is caused as a result.
Fixing a tap is relatively easy:
- Locate the cause of the drip and turn off the water supply
- Remove the handle cap and the tap handle, then unscrew the valve cover
- Loosen and remove the valve using an adjustable screwdriver, and remove the screw securing the washer
- Replace the washer and put the tap back together
- Put the water back on and see if the tap is dripping or not
If your tap has a ceramic disc valve, the process will be slightly different. You will still need to access the valve in the same way, but you’ll need to clean and replace the disc where necessary. The disc will be blue for the cold tap and hot for the blue tap.
If you need to replace the O-ring, the process is again very similar, but you will need to use a screwdriver to remove the old O-ring and tighten the new one. For changing the spout O-ring, read this guide.
Welding
You might be thinking that welding isn’t a valuable skill as a homeowner, but it actually is. From being able to create your own furniture and fixing existing items through to repairing gates/fences and parts on your car, welding is extremely versatile and useful, making it a good skill for you to have in your repertoire.
There are different types of welding for you to learn, but MIG welding is the easiest and most likely for a homeowner.
Using power tools
Welders could well be described as power tools, but there will be others you will come across more frequently that you should learn to use. A power drill can be used for almost all aspects of home renovations, from building flat-pack furniture to putting up a shelf.
Another type of power tool it’s worth looking at is a circular saw. This will help you cut all manner of things, such as wood, metal, and plastic. If ever you need to trim a blind to size, make your own furniture or commence your own home décor project, a circular saw will be the tool you turn to in your time of need.
Clearing clogged pipes
Along with leaky taps, clogged pipes will be something you likely run into several times. Rather than immediately calling for assistance, invest in a drain snake to try and disperse the problem yourself. A drain snake can easily be purchased online or from a DIY store, and the cost of it will greatly outweigh the price of calling a professional to essentially do the same thing.
Summary
With these DIY skills, there’ll be almost nothing in your home you won’t be able to tackle. What is your most valuable home DIY skill?
