The advent of modern technology has made it easier to hire someone for just about any odd job lying around the house. However, the best approach to tackling everything in your life might not always be to hire someone. Spending money on every situation doesn’t only become costly, but it prevents you from learning various skills as well.
In some cases, if you have the time, patience, and willingness to learn, you can handle the tasks yourself. Just because you can hire someone does not mean you should. In addition to saving you a substantial amount of money, it will help you develop several valuable character skills.
To make your household run more efficiently, here are a few handyman skills you should know.
- Handyman Skills That Everyone Should Know
It is not necessary to spend years learning electronics or plumbing maintenance if you are interested in general skills. There is little to no pre-earned expertise required for the tasks we are talking about, and they can be mastered as you complete them.
Hopefully, these handyman skills will come in handy for you in years to come. It shouldn’t take very long to learn them, but they require some practice for them to become second nature.
- Operating the Main Water Supply
It is important to know how to turn off your main water valve if you are living in a stable home. In case of an emergency, you can turn off the water quickly, saving money and property damage. Water pipes can burst at any time, so you cannot expect to find a handyman within a second.
Water supply controls are located near the meter. They may be in the basement, garage or outside. Once you locate them, there should be a valve that you can turn on and off to control how much water flows through them.
- Unclogging the Drain
The majority of people avoid this task for understandable reasons. If you are willing to get your hands dirty, you don’t have to hire an expert to clean your own bathroom. You can easily fix an overflowing toilet or a clogged drain with a plunger in your hand. If you use your plunger for your toilet in any other purpose, make sure you don’t use it again.
- Cleaning Washers and Dryers
Taking proper care of your washer is important if you use it to clean your clothes. It is a good idea to just do it yourself instead of hiring someone to do it for you. It is usually a better idea to do it yourself rather than hiring someone to do it for you.
In terms of cleaning the washer, it is relatively easy. Put two cups vinegar and one quarter cup baking soda in it, and run it at the longest setting and the hottest setting. You don’t have to do anything else. Your washer will clean itself on its own. For the best results, you should clean it every month at the very least.
- Cleaning the Garbage Disposal
It is not unusual for your garbage disposal in the sink to smell bad if it has been left unchecked. When this happens, you should clean it. While you can hire someone to do this job, it is usually easy, and you will not need any special tools.
Using either half a cup of baking soda or vinegar, pour them down alternate sides of your sink. It will react as soon as it goes down the drain, forming fizzes at the pipe mouth. After some time, you can flush it down with hot water, and it will no longer smell bad.
- Fixing Drawers
There are times when pulling out a drawer is not smooth, and you need to exert more force to get it to open. Sticky drawers are quite a common issue, even in new furniture. You can fix it yourself without hiring a professional if you get tired of pulling it out a few times every time you want to access the drawers.
The most common fix for sticky drawers is to rub a bit of paraffin wax along the edges of the drawer. If this doesn’t work, you can tape the sides of the drawer that seem tight or loose.
- Replacing the Light Fixtures
Most people will hire a handyman to replace their light fixtures when they get old, but you can handle the task yourself saving a lot of money.
It is important to first unplug the fixture’s power source. However, this is not a tricky job, as you simply need to match the connections and secure it to the ceiling with screws and nails.
- Painting Rooms, Doors, and Houses
A handyman is often hired to paint a new house. It’s easy and everyone can do it. You must have this skill on your resume as a handyman. A brush or sprayer is all you need to handle paint applicators.
Before you start painting, make sure you prepare the room. Ensure the wall is free of blemishes or holes before you begin painting, so the paint coat is even. You should also tape down any surfaces you do not wish to paint so that you can freely work.
- Replacing the Toilet Seat
Although some people might laugh if they have to, you would be surprised how many toilet seats break down as a result of rough handling. This can be fixed easily with some basic knowledge. In most cases, you can repair it yourself more effectively than hiring a handyman with the proper knowledge.
The bolt cap must be opened first before replacing the toilet seat. The bolt cap can be found at the back of the toilet seat. Using a wrench, unscrew the two bolts on the clamp by gripping it. Lifting the old seat off and replacing it with the new one is all that is required. You can use your hands or a wrench to secure the new one with the bolts.
- Cleaning the Filters in an Air Conditioner
Over time, air conditioners’ filters can become dirty, and when this happens, they are unable to reduce the room’s temperature as effectively. Hire someone to get a full checkup and maintenance done under the hood.th some basic legwork; you can clean the air filter in order to delay a full checkup.
You can begin by taking off the front cover of your unit. There you will find the air filter, which is a translucent plastic cover with tiny pores. Remove it gently and gently clean it with a damp cloth without tearing it. Putting it back in after it has dried will allow for a cool temperature for a prolonged period of time.
- Replacing a Doorknob
With a few basic tools, anyone can replace a doorknob that is no longer functional. Getting rid of the old one is the first step. To remove the knob, unscrew all the screws located in its faceplate, knob plate, and strike plate. Piece by piece, it can be removed.
When the new knob and faceplate are installed in the front of the door, the pawl mechanism can be pushed into place. Incorporate the handles into the faceplate and screw it into place. You are now done installing the new doorknob, just screw it into place and presto!
- Installing Screws on the Wall
When it comes to hanging a painting on the wall, there is no need to hire a professional every time. You can do it yourself in just five minutes if you have a basic set of drill drivers. Moreover, you will be pleased to know that you are capable.
If you want this to go where you want it to go, you’ll only need to buy a set of anchors. You should use metal anchors on plaster walls, and plastic anchors on drywall. Just use your drill driver and hammer to drill it into the wall. You would be better off hiring a professional if you plan to hang heavy objects from the wall.
- Replacing the Showerhead
It is possible for a showerhead to stop working for a variety of reasons. Mineral accumulation inside the pipe may slow down or clog the flow of water. A new one needs to be purchased when that happens. Fortunately, you can do the task yourself if you wish.
At this point, you might even try soaking the showerhead in vinegar to see if it fixes the problem. When you get rid of the old showerhead, use an adjustable wrench to loosen it and then screw it off.
If there are any leaks, you may need to tighten it more. Wrap a few rounds of Teflon tape over the exposed pipe and smooth it out. Attach the new shower head and tighten it clockwise by rotating it. If there are leaks, you may need to tighten it more. The old showerhead can be disposed of once everything has been set up.
- Replacing the Furnace Filters
When you have pets and/or are a heavy smoker, replacing the furnace filters every three months is essential. However, hiring a handyman to replace the filters every three months doesn’t seem like a very efficient solution. You can do it yourself with some basic knowledge, especially if you have some basic knowledge.
Finding the vent cover is the most challenging part of this job. An example could be a large grate attached to the wall or ceiling, or even a furnace itself. The position of the furnace may vary depending on the model. Refer to the manual for more information.
Remove the vent cover as soon as you find it. Once it’s out, throw it away without making a mess. Replace the cover with the new filter and slide the new filter into place.
Conclusion
The purpose of this article is to help you become a successful handyman service provider. If you have any skills that we are looking for, sign up to join our MySquard team for a chance to make money. You can offer handyman services through MySquard.
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