If you’re not the handiest of people, you may not realize that you can probably do a lot more fix-it projects around your house than you realize. Here are a few small projects you can probably take on yourself.
Replace a broken tile. If you’ve got a cracked tile in your kitchen or bathroom, fixing it probably isn’t as hard as you think. All you need to do is get yourself a grout saw, remove the broken pieces, and glue a new tile in place. This is easy enough for most people to do.
Remove stain from grout. If the grout around your kitchen or bathroom tiles is a mildewy or moldy mess all you really have to do is clean it. What, you say? You’ve tried cleaning it and it is still stained and moldy? You probably aren’t doing it right! You need a strong tile cleaner (like Tilex), but after soaking the stain well you need to let it sit for at least a few days without getting it wet, etc. Mold and mildew will turn white when they die, but it takes time to kill it. If your grout is stained with something other than mold or mildew this method won’t work.
Defrost a frozen ice maker. If your icemaker isn’t making any ice, the solution could be an easy fix. Remove the ice bin and find the tray where the water freezes into ice cubes. Once you get that opened, find the pipe that brings water to the tray. If it’s frozen you’ve got yourself an easy fix. Just dethaw the pipe (a hair dryer works best!) and within minutes you should have yourself a working ice maker again!
Tighten a loose countertop. If you have laminate countertops an adhesive (like Liquid Nails) specially marked for projects can work wonders. All you have to do is apply it beneath the countertop, press down, and put something heavy on top of the spot until it dries.
Replace loose or dirty caulk. If you have yucky, dried, dirty, or worn caulk in your bathroom you can replace it by using adhesive remover (apply with a damp sponge and allow time to soak in), removing the caulk, and cleaning the area. After it dries, all you have to do is recaulk!
Fix scratches in wood (cabinet, table, shelf, etc.). This one is so easy even a child could do it. All you need to do is head to a hardware store and buy a scratch filler which is basically a brown pencil/crayon looking object. (They also sell pen versions which are filled with colored ink if you prefer that route.) Find the shade that is closest to the wood you need to fix (it would be helpful to bring a piece of the wood if possible, or at least a blown up picture). When you get home color in the scratch and rub it in to smooth it out.
Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you — 302-629-6693.