Let’s face it: even in today’s world of growing equality between the sexes, home repairs are still largely a man’s domain. It’s time to change all that. If the only tool you own is a pair of tweezers, and the last screwdriver you held was made of vodka and orange juice, then this guide is for you.
The ugly truth hit me out of the blue, and it wasn’t pretty: I was completely and utterly ignorant when it came to even the simplest household maintenance and repair. It happened when I realized that, despite having a power drill and a lovely assortment of bits, I had no idea how to use it to hang a picture. I couldn’t use a simple tool to hang a picture; whatever would I do in the event that a minor emergency such as a clogged drain should arise? The revelation left me more than slightly embarrassed at my ineptitude as a handywoman. I’m one of those girls that can whip up a soufflé, bring a languishing houseplant back to life or tell you how to spell any word in the dictionary, but ask me for a Phillips screwdriver and I go all ditzy.
I guess I’m a typical product of my traditional upbringing, where Mom did the cooking and the cleaning and Dad opened jars and fixed things. The truth is that women need not depend on men for anything – not even those traditionally “manly” household jobs. If you’re like me, don’t be ashamed – you don’t have to be DIY-challenged any longer!
Before You Begin: A Few Words of Wisdom …
No matter what type of job you’re trying to do, you should always begin by gathering all the available information about that particular task: owner’s manuals, diagrams, and instructions. Read everything thoroughly and make certain you understand what you’re about to take on before you ever start the project. It may seem time-consuming, but you’ll be sorry if you get in the middle of the job and realize you don’t really know what you’re doing. (Plus, you’ll save the embarrassment of having to call for help; that can put a real damper on the “I can do it” attitude.)
Some things are dangerous. Never attempt to do anything that could hurt you – such as messing with electrical wiring – without learning how first, and always have someone on hand who can do the job in the event that you decide you’d rather not risk it. Better safe than sorry!
Don’t hesitate to ask for advice from the friendly folks at your local hardware or home improvement store. They can be valuable resources when it comes to choosing the right materials for whatever project you’ve got in mind. If you want to ensure that you’re talking to an expert, try to schedule your visit at the store’s least busy time, such as on a weekday morning; that way, the employee is probably full-time, not a part-time weekend or evening helper that may not be as experienced.
Toolbox Basics
It’s hard to drive a nail with the heel of a platform shoe (come on, you know you’ve tried it!). This is where the hammer comes in. But in order to have an effective toolbox, ready to handle any household repair that comes your way, you need much more than a hammer and a screwdriver. Some companies try to market “women’s tool kits” with dainty little pink-handled accoutrements. Don’t buy them just because they’re pink! You’re doing a real job – and you want the right tools.
Claw hammer. There are several different types of hammers, sorted according to their weight and function, but this one is the best all-purpose. It’s specially designed for nailing: both putting in and pulling out. But you don’t want a little tack hammer; it’s not tough enough to tackle too many jobs. You want a heftier sixteen-ouncer.
Nails. For general use, purchase common nails (it’ll say that on the box; “common” is actually a type of nail) or box nails. For cabinets and woodwork, you’ll need finishing nails. The difference between these types of nails is all in the head: finishing nails have a very tiny head, while common and box nails have broader heads designed to stop the nail at the surface of the wood.
Screws. Screws hold better than nails. Besides that, they’re differentiated from nails by two things: the slot in their head, and their ridges, called “threads.” The most common types of slot on a screw’s head are straight slots (one groove that runs across the diameter) and Phillips (two grooves that make a cross design in the center of the head). Two tips about using screws: one, you can avoid splitting the wood – an error that commonly occurs when you’re drilling screws – first drill a “pilot hole” slightly smaller in diameter than the screw you’ll be using. Two, putting wax or paraffin on the threads of a screw will make it go in easier.
Screwdrivers. You’ll need two types of screwdriver tips to go along with the two types of screw: Phillips and standard (a.k.a. straight). Ideally, you should have more than one of each. Shorter screwdrivers are better for working in tight spaces, and long ones give better turning power.
3/8-inch power drill. These range from simple and cheap to embellished and pricey. They’re available cordless, corded, fixed or variable speed, with or without sanding and buffing attachments … choose according to your preferences (and your budget!).
Carpenter’s level. This is a metal bar that has an indicator in it to tell you when a surface is level. The indicator is basically a little tube of liquid with an air bubble in it, located in the middle of the metal bar; when the bubble is in the center of the tube of liquid, your surface is level. Carpenter’s levels have lines on the indicator to clearly let you know when the bubble’s in the center.
Adjustable wrench. This tool has “jaws” on the end; the lower jaw can be moved up or down to tighten over the head of a nut or bolt.
Slip-joint pliers. This is a tool with two hinged arms and serrated jaws, perfect for grabbing, gripping, and turning. “Slip-joint” simply means that the pliers have a joint that’s adjustable to two positions in order to increase the width of the jaw’s opening.
Utility knife. This handy-dandy knife will cut through almost anything. It has a retractable blade that’s kept inside the handle (which also usually contains spare blades).
Retracting tape measure. Useful for – you guessed it – measuring things! Be sure it’s made of metal.
Hacksaw. This is a small, handheld saw that cuts through metal: nails, tubing, etc. It’s a metal arch, with a handle, that fits around a narrow saw blade.
Sandpaper. Comes in varying grades (levels of coarseness, or “grit”) ranging from 30 grit (very coarse) to 1600 grit (extremely fine). The different grades are designed to handle all jobs from smoothing very rough surfaces to polishing as a final finishing touch.
Toilet plunger. Don’t want to be caught without one of these babies! It’s a bell-shaped rubber cup at the end of a stick, and it produces suction in order to dislodge blockages in your plumbing line.
Drain auger. This is also a useful tool for unplugging clogs in the plumbing. It’s a long and flexible tube, made of light metal, with a corkscrew tip; it’s forced through the pipe as a method of knocking pipe blockages loose.
Toilet auger. A.k.a. “plumber’s snake.” Basically like the drain auger but made especially for toilet clogs.
Work gloves. You may need to stick your fingers into icky clogged pipes – ‘nuff said!
Where to Find Utility Shutoffs
In case of emergency, you should always know where your utility shutoffs are located – and what to do once you’ve found them.
Water
If you’re working with the pipes, you’re probably going to want to make use of this shutoff or else you’ll have a mess on your hands. This type of shutoff may be found either inside or outside the house, and it’s usually near the point where the pipe enters the house. Each sink or appliance may also have its own individual shutoff, wherever it connects to the water (normally behind the feeder pipe beneath the sink, or behind the appliances). Most valve handles turn clockwise to shut off.
Electric
Near where the main power line enters your house, there’ll be a metal box on the wall. It holds the main shutoff that will disconnect the power from the entire house all at once. Normally it will be located inside, but sometimes it can be outside. When you open it, you’ll see rows of either fuses or circuit breakers; these act as safety devices to prevent the circuits from shorting and igniting. Before you do any electrical repairs, you have to switch off the right circuit breaker or remove the right fuse for that particular area of the house, or just switch off the electricity altogether.
Gas
The gas shutoff valve is always located on the pipe that feeds the gas into the house; the pipe is located next to the gas meter. You have to use a wrench to turn off the gas. If the gas is on, the slot in the top of the valve will be in a vertical position; use your wrench to turn the valve until the slot is parallel to the ground.
Quick Guide to Basic Repairs
You can print this part out, laminate it, stick it in your oh-so-functional toolbox, and use it as a handy reference when those pesky household dilemmas pop up.
Stopped-Up Drains
If more than one of your drains is backed up at once, that means there’s a problem in the main line, for which you’ll have to call a plumber. But if one kitchen or bathroom drain is clogged:
First, try the plunger. Plug all water outlets, such as overflow drains, with a damp cloth in order to confine the water to the drainpipe. Run enough water in the sink or tub to cover the bell part of the plunger. Hold the plunger at a slight angle as you put it in the water to avoid trapping air bubbles, and then place it firmly over the drain (make sure your plunger fits completely over the drain or it’s useless). Hold the plunger upright and push it down hard, then pull up, restoring the rubber bell to its original shape and position. This vigorous push-and-pull motion should be repeated anywhere from ten to twenty times. You may have to repeat the sequence a few times until the water drains normally. The pushing-down motion causes water to surge through the pipe against the blockage, and the pulling motion tugs at the clog.
If the plunger doesn’t work, try the trap. Every drainpipe, located beneath the sink, has a U-shaped bend in it; this is called the trap. At the bottom of the trap is an entryway into the pipe called a clean-out. It’s corked with a round or pentagonal-shaped clean-out plug that screws into it. Put a container under the trap that’s plenty big enough to catch the water, and using a wrench, unscrew the clean-out plug. (Tip: loosening the plug will cause water to spurt, so be prepared and try not to get too close, lest you get squirted in the face!) Allow the water to run out into the container, then using your fingers (this is where those gloves will come in handy!) or a coat hanger, attempt to find and clear the blockage in the pipe.
Last resort: the drain auger. If you can’t get to the blockage with your fingers or coat hanger, run the auger through the clean-out and alternately push and pull, turning the handle clockwise. If this technique doesn’t work, it’s time to call a plumber. When he comes, you can impress him by blithely mentioning that you’ve already tried to unclog the drain, peppering your speech with fancy plumbing terms such as “auger” and “trap.”
If you’re attempting to unclog a kitchen drain, make sure you first plug or disable any other drains that may be connected to the sink (double sinks or appliances, for example), before using the plunger. If you have a garbage disposal, the plunger won’t even work, so in that case start with step two (the trap).
Stopped-Up Toilets
There’s a reason for those little bathroom wastebaskets: so that things like cotton balls and Q-Tips can be thrown in there instead of in the toilet. Luckily, it’s usually pretty simple to unclog your bowl.
Turn off the shutoff valve first. It’s near the base of the toilet.
Try the plunger. You learned how to properly plunge in the “stopped-up drains” section; the same technique applies to the toilet.
If that doesn’t work, try the toilet auger. Insert it into the outflow (the hole where the water leaves the bowl) and turn its handle until the auger catches on the offending clog. At this point you can either pull the clog out, or pull the auger back and forth to break the clog into pieces. If you can’t get anything to budge, even with the auger, don’t push the object deeper into the pipe; call a plumber.
Perpetually Running Toilets
It’s one of the most annoying household problems: the persistent hiss of a never-ending flush. To fix this problem, first you must understand the inner workings of the toilet tank. It’s really quite simple given a good explanation, such as this one by the experts at CornerHardware.com: “When you push down a toilet handle, it lifts a rubber tank ball or flapper from the flush valve at the tank's bottom. Water rushes out of the tank and washes down the sides of the bowl. This displaces the bowl's wastes and water, and forces them over a trap cast in the toilet's base. When the tank is empty, the tank ball or flapper falls and seals the flush valve for filling. At the same time, a float-activated valve, called a ballcock, opens to fill the tank with water for the next flush. When the float rises, the ballcock shuts off the water.”
For toilet troubleshooting, try the following:
Check to see if the flush valve is closing. There are several possible reasons why it may not be.
If your tank has a flapper, there could be a problem with the chain that’s connected to the flush arm; it may be kinked somewhere. Adjust the chain so that the flapper falls into place. Replace the flapper if it has decayed.
Tank balls may also stick. Replace the lift wire if it’s bent.
If your problem is that the flush arm seems to be sticking in the “up” position with each flush, you should loosen the nut that holds it to the tank wall.
Adjust the water level in the tank. Bend the float arm down to do this.
Check for a slow flush valve leak. This can be done by performing a simple dye test. Add a little bit of food coloring to the toilet tank; if it makes its way into the bowl within fifteen minutes (without flushing), the flush valve seal needs repair. If you have a leak:
Realign the flapper or tank ball; it may not be sitting properly in the flush valve. First, you’ll need to shut off the water by turning the angle stop clockwise (it’s normally located on the wall at the lower left portion of the tank). Then flush the toilet and observe how the flapper or ball settles onto the opening of the flush valve. If it’s not settling the way it should, it will need to be readjusted. For tank balls, loosen the screws on the overflow tube and adjust the guide arm. For flappers, twist the rubber ring that connects it to the overflow tube.
Replace the ball or flapper.
If neither realignment nor replacement works, clean the flush valve opening with 600 grit sandpaper.
Leaky Faucets
That incessant drip-drip-dripping is more than annoying; it’s potentially costly.
Check to see where the leak is coming from: the tap, or the handle? If it’s the tap, the washer needs replaced. If it’s the handle, the faucet stem or O-ring will need to be replaced.
Turn off the water. The shutoff valve will be located under the sink … remember? Drain the remaining water from the pipe, close the stopper in the sink bowl, and put a towel in the sink if you’d like to protect it against potential chips or scratches.
Remove the handle’s decorative top. Then unscrew the exposed screw, and remove the handle completely. Using your wrench, turn the locknut counter-clockwise and lift out the stem assembly. There’ll be another screw located at the bottom of the stem assembly; remove it, and take off the washer that’s underneath.
Purchase an exact match of the washer. Take it to the hardware store with you so you can see exactly what you need.
Clean any corrosion off the stem. Replace the washer and the screw, and reinstall the stem. Put the locknut back on. Then attach the faucet handle, replacing the decorative cap.
Turn the water back on at the shutoff valve. Now turn the faucet on, and then off again, to see if you’ve fixed the drip.
Vibrating Washing Machine
If your washer is doing more dancing than the New York City Ballet, it’s probably off-balance. Appliances have screws at each corner on the bottom, and by turning them, you can raise or lower the machine. You can turn them individually to raise or lower just one corner of the appliance, or turn all four to adjust the height of the whole washer. Turn the screws to adjust the height as needed, use your trusty carpenter’s level to make sure it’s sitting level, then tighten the lock nut on the feet.
Power Failure
Obviously, if the power is out all over the neighborhood, it’s not a problem with your house – so check your neighbors’ power status before fiddling with anything. If part of your house goes dark, it may mean that you’ve temporarily overloaded your circuits (this commonly happens when too many appliances are being used at once). It can also mean something more serious. To find out for yourself:
Look for signs that single out a defective appliance. Check to see if there are frayed electrical cords, smoke, or black smudges that indicate a certain appliance isn’t up to par. Then check the fuse box or circuit breaker.
If you have a fuse box, look in the fuse’s glass “windows”; if you see a broken strip of metal or a scorch mark, the fuse is blown and needs to be replaced.
If you have a circuit breaker,there’ll be a switch that’s tripped into the OFF position; it needs to be put back into the ON position. If the power stays on, you’re good to go.
If you didn’t find anything wrong in step one, or the power goes off immediately, turn off and unplug all the light switches and appliances in the affected area. Reset the circuit breaker or replace the fuse; if the fuse blows or the circuit breaker trips off, it could be a short-circuit in the wiring, for which you’ll need an electrician. If the power stays on, it’s time for step three.
Turn the wall switches on, one at a time. If you find a wall switch that blows the power, it may be a short circuit; call an electrician. If it isn’t the switches that are plunging you into darkness, test all your lamps and appliances one by one until you find out what’s causing the problem. If the power goes out as soon as you plug in the appliance or lamp, the cord needs replaced. If it happens when you turn the item on, it might either be the switch, or that the item may be too much for that circuit. Move it to a different circuit and see what happens.
Frozen Pipes
It can be an all-too-common winter conundrum: frozen pipes. If left for too long, these pipes can burst, causing a major fiasco.
Before you start: open the faucet closest to the pipe, if possible. If it’s frozen too, don’t force it.
Wrap a towel around the frozen pipe. Secure it with duct tape. Gently pour warm water over the towel, repeating until the frozen water in the pipe thaws.
If that doesn’t work, resort to an electrical device. Important: make sure there is no standing water by the pipe before doing this. If there’s no standing water, you’re safe to use a small device such as a hair dryer, a heating pad, or a small heat lamp to thaw the water in the pipe.
Holes or Cracks In Walls
If you’ve got a small hole in your wall, it can be easily fixed in just a few steps.
Prepare the area. Use sandpaper, or a putty knife, to remove any loose plaster.
For cracks: spackle. With a putty knife, generously smear the crack with joint compound (available at hardware stores). Let it the spackle dry, then give it another smear. When that layer dries, use sandpaper to smooth the surface before you repaint.
For holes:patch. Use an adhesive repair patch with a reinforced metal center (these are also widely available at hardware stores and home improvement centers). Trim the patch so that it fits over the hole, then use a putty knife and smear joint compound over both the patch and the hole. Let it dry, smooth it with sandpaper, and repeat as many times as necessary to get a flat surface.
Apply touch-up paint to match the rest of the wall. And voila! You’ve repaired the wall!
You may not – and indeed, should not – be able to do absolutely everything in the way of household repairs. Some things, after all, are better left to professionals. But you can definitely save yourself some money, and gain some pride (and possibly admiration from your significant other) in the meantime, by doing things yourself.