The cost of home repairs can be very high. When you call a repairman, you pay for his time and toward his overhead expenses (truck, advertising, and so forth). Add to that the frustration of often waiting days for someone to come, and the poor workmanship of some repairmen, and you begin to wonder: “Could I fix it myself?”
While at times a professional is needed, there is often only one barrier to your fixing many things yourself: your lack of confidence. How do you overcome this fear of tackling what you have not done before? As in any other area of endeavor, you must learn and then do, that is, get experience.
There are many ways to learn about home repairs-some governments print booklets on the subject. Bookstores and public libraries have many useful books. Then of course there`s the Internet for lots of useful advice. You may also know a friend who can give you a few pointers. Some people can even tackle their own home refurbishing jobs, once they have mastered the necessary skills.
In some circumstances, women may be called upon to make repairs and many are as capable in using their hands as men are. Unfortunately, some repairmen take advantage of a woman’s lack of training in the area of home repair and deal fraudulently with her. She is wise to learn something about fixing things, doing some repairs herself and knowing what is involved in repairs that she hires someone else to do.
An amazing number of repairs can be made with a few basic tools. It is better to buy a few quality hand tools than elaborate equipment that you are not sure you will need or use. What might such a basic tool kit contain? Your needs will vary according to the type of material used in home construction in your area, but many in the list below will prove useful.
Basic Tools
1. hammer
2. pliers
3. electric or hand drill with bits
4. tape measure or folding rule
5. plane
6. sander or sanding block
7. saws, hacksaw and crosscut
8. screwdrivers, standard tip, cabinet tip, Phillips
9. combination square
10. wire strippers
11. chisels
12. wrenches, adjustable, pipe and set of hex keys (Allen wrenches)
13. rubber plunger
14. drain auger
Which Jobs to Tackle Yourself
It is best to start with small jobs-jobs that mostly require your time and do not involve expensive materials or appliances (furnace, refrigerator, airconditioner) that you could damage. However, you can easily learn to repair a lamp, unclog a drain, loosen a stuck window or fill in a hole in the wall. And with the cost of labor today, the money you can save by fixing these things yourself is certainly not minor!
In considering which jobs to tackle, you must first think in terms of SAFETY. Never make electrical repairs with your feet in water. Do not pick up any electrical appliance out of water while it is still plugged in. Generally it is best to avoid attempting to repair electrical systems that involve high voltage such as 230-volt power. An important principle to remember is: If something is part of a system, such as electrical or water, shut down the part you are working on or even turn off the whole system.
Usually, fixing things is a matter of replacing. If you can take something apart, remove the offending part and put in a new one just like it, you have often fixed it. This raises two problems: how to get it apart, and how to know what needs replacing. Here is where reading and doing are required.
