7 Repairs That Can Significantly Increase Home Life Expectancy

For some, being a homeowner is a privilege, while others perceive it as an unnecessary hassle!

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You need to fix so many little things every month that you eventually become tired of all this work. Often, you just want to come back home from work, sit back, and watch a game without having to think about the faulty faucet.

Still, we can’t neglect the importance of proper home maintenance. “Basic fixes can increase the life expectancy of a roof by up to 5 years,” according to Cinch Home Services, an Ohio home warranty firm. A similar thing can be said for pipe cleaning, exterior painting, fixing a toilet, etc.

The good thing is that all this maintenance pays off in the long run. In this article, we’ll talk about 7 common breakdowns. We’ll also analyze which ones you can fix yourself and the ones you need help for.

1. Fixing Bathroom or Kitchen Pipes

Most people think that fixing a pipe is a complex process. However, you’d be surprised to hear this is something you can fix yourself. In some cases, you should need to tighten a nut, which doesn’t take any expertise. However, you’ll likely need professional assistance if a problem is deep in the wall.

In the end, you don’t want to make a much bigger mess than necessary.

2. Addressing the Ceiling

Fixing popcorn ceiling is quite a choir. It’s a type of home repair that requires professional assistance. The process starts by softening the area with a proper chemical. After that, you need to scrape all the debris with a sharp tool.

And this is where the problem occurs. You should be very handy with the scraping tool. Otherwise, there’s a risk of further damaging the ceiling by creating holes. You’d also need to paint the damaged area when all’s said and done. As you can see, fixing the ceiling is complex, so hiring a handyman is a much better solution.

3. Painting the Home Exterior

Painting the home exterior needs some time, but it’s a type of fix you can do yourself. Ideally, you should ask other members of your household for assistance.

Depending on the type of home, you’ll likely need to trim and rake your sidings and boards beforehand. Keep in mind that this is something that is better suited for younger people who are used to climbing the ladder. The process can be a bit dangerous, but if you live in a lower house, it shouldn’t be that problematic.

4. Unclogging the Garbage Disposal

Every now and then, you’ll have to unclog your garbage. Although a nasty business, it doesn’t require a professional. All you need is a special hexagonal wrench that would allow you to loosen up the cylinder on the bottom. After that, you should just poke around the waste disposal hole to separate garbage from the cylinder’s walls.

Another good method is using baking soda and vinegar. These powerful agents can dissolve acids and calk, which makes them ideal in this particular case.

5. Installing new Lights

Working with electricity is considered the most dangerous type of home maintenance. It’s one of those things that can seriously endanger the homeowner, so we always suggest that you hire a professional.

Most importantly, these projects require special tools that allow you to check whether the electricity is still coursing through the walls. Having these items is crucial when working with high voltage, which is extremely dangerous. Aside from having the necessary tools, professionals know how to avoid small mistakes that would cause lightning flickering and other breakdowns.

6. Gutter Cleaning

Cleaning the gutters is one of the most common types of maintenance. You need to do it several types a year to ensure nothing is clogging the drains.

Gutter cleaning can be done by anyone who’s comfortable on ladders. It’s a fairly straightforward task, and it would be a real waste to pay a handyman to execute this process. Although simple in nature, we still suggest that you have a helper nearby, so they can hold onto the ladders while you’re cleaning.

7. Addressing Drywalls

Fixing smaller holes in drywalls is something you can do without professional assistance. All you need is a spackle knife and some putty to fill the dent. After you’re done, you just need to smooth down the area and paint it over.

However, if you’re dealing with extensive damage, it’s much better to call professionals. In this case, the whole process will include additional steps, which is why it might be a bit cumbersome for an inexperienced homeowner.