31st May 2023

Simple Home DIY Jobs Anyone Can Tackle

Home improvement, including building, decorating and making repairs, often involves hiring professionals to tackle complex issues that require skill and expertise. However, there is so much you can do yourself, saving you money and allowing you to flex your creativity.

Tackling home DIY jobs can be profoundly beneficial to your mental well-being. Engaging in a spot of DIY is not only enjoyable, but it can provide a remarkable sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, improving your self-confidence. Here are a few simple and straightforward DIY jobs anyone can do.

Assembling Furniture

With enough patience and a steady hand, anybody can assemble furniture. While some step-by-step instructions can be infuriating, and you can hire services to assemble flatpack furniture, learning to tackle the task yourself provides a valuable life skill. Consider purchasing a basic tool kit containing screwdrivers, box cutters, allen keys, an adjustable wrench, and a hammer to make assembling furniture much more manageable. That said, it is always worth enlisting the help of a friend, as furniture assembly can often take more than one pair of hands.

Painting

Painting is something that you needn’t hire a professional for. With the right tools and techniques, you can do an excellent job of repainting your interiors. Generally speaking, you will need a good-quality paint roller, extension pole, paint brushes, tray, and painter’s tape. Don’t forget to prep your walls before painting by gently washing them with mild detergent. You should also cover your floors and furniture with sheets; no matter how careful you are, the paint will splatter.

Leaky Taps

A dripping tap can quickly drive you crazy. Instead of calling the plumber, you may be able to fix the issue yourself. The most common cause of a dripping tap is a damaged or loosened washer, which is a relatively easy fix. First of all, avoid any further mess by cutting off your water supply - your stop valve should be located underneath the sink, in the airing cupboard or near your front door. Remove the tap handle using a flat-head screwdriver, unscrew the tap mechanism and replace the broken or damaged washer with a new one.

Blocked Drains

It may not be a pleasant job, but learning to unblock a drain will undoubtedly be helpful at some point. Fortunately, many blocked drains can be fixed using simple methods, such as pouring hot water directly into the drain, followed by one cup of bicarbonate of soda and a cup of vinegar - leave this to sit for ten minutes before pouring more hot water into the drain. If this method doesn’t work, you may need to dislodge stubborn clogs with a manual drain snake. You may even need to unfasten the U bend and remove the clog by hand.

Wooden Furniture Maintenance

If your wooden furniture items are looking a little tired, there are various methods of bringing them back to their original condition. Aside from keeping them clean from dust, debris and spillages, it is advisable to re-oil and re-wax your

Upcycling Furniture

While furniture upcycling may be considered arts and crafts rather than DIY, there is a lot of DIY knowledge involved nonetheless. If you have old, outdated or damaged furniture items, you can bring them back to life with a touch of creativity and basic DIY skills. For example, upcycling projects can be as simple as repainting a desk or as complex as transforming a charity shop find into something completely unrecognisable.

Resealing A Bath

Maintaining the seal where your bath meets the wall will help keep your bathroom as waterproof as possible. Over time, this seal may become damaged or even mouldy, so experts advise resealing your bath every one to two years. Fortunately, this job is relatively straightforward. Remove the old sealant using a blade, a specialist sealant remover or a knife. After thoroughly washing away any build-up of soap, grease and grime, you can reseal your bath using silicone sealant. Don’t worry if your sealant isn’t neat - you can tidy things up with a damp finger and wipe up any excess with a cloth.