201 Pomona Drive Suite D.
Greensboro, NC 27407

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Feb 06

Some DIY Home Repair Hacks from the Front Line

Not all home repairs and improvements require a professional contractor. Here are some easy DIY home repair hacks we've collected from the front line. Check them out and maybe tackle some of those projects on your own. Otherwise, call PM&R by Alert Construction. We're always happy to do the tackling for you.

You might want to call a dry wall contractor if you have a big hole in your wall, but if all you've got are some ugly nail or screw holes, try grabbing a crayon in a color matching your wall or trim.

No crayons? How about a bar of soap?

And if you're comfortable with a tube of caulk- Caulk can fix everything- well not everything, but it can definitely hide minor scratches or defects on painted surfaces. You can avoid replacing dinged-up trim work or repainting entire walls. Just grab some paintable caulk and cover those babies up and while you've got your caulk gun handy- check the caulk around all your plumbing fixtures. A little caulk maintenance now can save you lots more down the line in water damage repair costs. Use painters tape to caulk like a pro. Just peel the tape off when once you've applied your caulk and boom- perfect caulk lines every time.

Pool of water at your toilet? Is it just back splash from your sink or tub or do you have a leak? Before you call that plumber grab a pack of koolaid from your pantry or some food coloring and drop it into your toilet's tank. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes without flushing. If the water in your toilet has been dyed the color of the additive, you've probably got a bad flapper or fill valve. You can pick up a replacement kit at any home improvement store. If the new flapper or fill valve doesn't fix the problem, you'll probably need to call that plumber, but you can rule out the more simple fix first. Now if there's colored water on the floor around the base of your toilet you'll probably want to call that plumber. Possible issues could be a faulty wax ring, loose toilet to floor connection, bad water supply line connection or a shut off valve .

Cleaning gutters is nobody's favorite job, but it's required maintenance for homeowners. Here's a handy "no-ladder" hack. Make yourself a handy dandy gutter cleaner. It won't cost much and only takes a few minutes to make. Buy a 3/4" PVC pipe, two elbows, a garden hose coupling and a cap at any local home improvement store. Drill 1/16" holes in the cap as shown below. Make sure the handle is long enough to comfortably reach your gutters. Cement the parts together with PVC glue and oila- handy dandy no ladder gutter cleaner!

Now that your gutters are clean, take another piece of that PVC piping and make yourself a no ladder gutter viewer. Cut a 60-degree angle on the end of a piece of PVC pipe and tape a hand mirror to the angled end. Hoist the mirror above the gutter to see if you missed any leaves or debris.

Nothing spruces up the appearance of your home's exterior as quickly and effectively as switching out the exterior doors. Can't afford new doors? Paint the ones you've got. Here's a nifty trick that makes painting both sides of that door easy peasy. Drill a lag scree into the center of the top edge and two near the bottom corners. Set the screws on sawhorses, paint, flip and paint some more. You'll have a good as new door in no time!