DIY Fixing

Yet another bank holiday weekend, yet more DIY tasks around the house. But things have to be done, and this is the ideal time to get on with them.

In the previous article you’ve read about the usual spring cleaning tasks. If you haven’t done them yet, perhaps you should start with them – whilst you’re doing the cleaning you’ll notice the things that need to be fixed.

Note these down and allocate time for them. Don’t forget that sourcing replacements, bits or materials takes time – so be organised, don’t leave the purchasing to the last minute. The likelihood is that whatever you’ll need will be out of stock, discontinued or won’t fit… If you are an experienced DIYer, you’ll know what I’m talking about. So it’s best to avoid hassles by getting together everything needed for a job before starting it..

So what are the most common fixing tasks?

Door handles and knobs tend to get loose during the winter – they need to be adjusted. Cabinet doors need to be realigned by adjusting the hinges. The hinges and brackets of some shelf-systems might also have got loose – so tighten or adjust them. Other fixtures and fittings, such as blinds, curtain rods, taps, showerheads etc might also need repair or adjustment.

Paintwork needs freshening up regularly in areas that are exposed to high traffic, steam and food such as in the hallway, kitchen and bathroom. If you have wooden surfaces, they might need a layer of wax or varnish.

The grouting between tiles gets dirty or mouldy – these you can just freshen up with a layer of new grouting and replacing the silicon sealer.

Wooden floors might need a coat of varnish, paint or wax. Repair any damage before doing so!

You can read more about general spring DIY, spring clean-out, how to decorate cleverly to avoid too much cleaning and yearly redecoration.