There are some projects you can DIY yourself and others that require the help of a professional. Home improvement projects vary in difficulty, but generally fall into one of two categories: do-it-yourself or hire a professional. You want to maintain your home, keep it comfortable and increase its value, but it can be an overwhelming process when you address remodeling or repairs by yourself.
Yes, if you’re looking for a roofing work to be done, you should probably get a professional to do it, but there are many other projects you can do on your own. Here are 6 of those:
1. Painting the living room
Painting the living room can be a big job, and it takes both time and effort. Here are some do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement projects that will save you money and get the job done faster than hiring professionals.
Don’t spend money on a paint job when you can paint your own walls! Painting is a big job but it’s easier than you think! Just follow these simple steps to paint your room yourself without the hassle of removing furniture and doing all the prep work.
- Step 1: Remove any clamps, guards or protectors that may be on the furniture in your room. If there are any hardware pieces that have protective covers, remove those as well. You won’t need them because you’re going to be repainting the room. This step allows for a nice clean finish for your walls.
- Step 2: Clean all the surfaces well with TSP cleaner. Use a scrub brush to remove any dirt or grime from the surface of the walls, then rinse thoroughly with water to remove all residue of cleaning solution before painting.
- Step 3: Pick out a color! The best way to pick out paint colors is to go to a paint store with swatches of your favorite colors pulled from magazines or taken from other rooms in your house.
2. Fixing loose cabinets
You don’t need any special tools for this project — just a screwdriver and some screws. The first thing to do is locate the hinges on the cabinet door, then unscrew the hinge screws and remove the door from the cabinet. Place several screws into the holes where the hinge was and tighten them in place with your screwdriver until they’re snug against the frame of the cabinet. Put the door back on the hinges and adjust the screws until it fits perfectly against the frame of the cabinet again. Use a level to make sure that your door is straight before you put it back in place.
The type of wood and finish will dictate the best method for repair. For example, if you have a smooth wood and lacquered finish on your cabinets, it is best to use a putty or filler to hide any holes left behind by removed screws. If your cabinets are painted and have a textured surface, it is sometimes easier to leave the screw holes visible.
3. Polishing the floors
Polishing your floors doesn’t have to be an unpleasant chore, it can be a fun project. With just a little bit of elbow grease and a few simple household items you can get the job done right in your own home. Here is how to do it the easy way.
- Mix up a bucket of warm water with some dish soap and add in some Murphy’s Oil Soap. This is the best home floor wax you will ever use; it leaves the floors shiny and clean looking.
- Mix up another bucket of warm water with some ammonia and add in a cup of vinegar. The vinegar cuts through all greases and oils, while the ammonia cuts through any soap residue left behind from earlier cleaning jobs.
- Mop your floor going from left to right, with the grain of the wood, using the mixture of soapy water. This will remove any dirt or grime that may have gotten on your floors throughout the day or week.
- Next, mop your floor using the ammonia/vinegar solution going from left to right with the grain of the wood, this time scrubbing every inch thoroughly to remove any soap residue or grease from earlier cleaning jobs like spills or cooked-on food from dinner from nights before.
4. Replacing cabinet handles
If you have cabinets that either have broken handles or the handles are loose and need to be tightened, you can replace the cabinet handles yourself. Cabinet handles are one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects.
There are two types of cabinet handles: the continuous hinge and the adjustable type. Each type is held on by different screws.
The continuous hinge has two screws that are located on the inside of the cabinet and are covered by a small plate, usually wood or plastic. You unscrew these two screws and then pull off the old handle, which will be attached to the door by two nails. To attach the new handle, simply line up the holes for the nails, make sure it is straight and then hammer in the nails. It’s that easy!
Then you need to screw in the two screws on the cabinet side with a screwdriver or drill. You may want to put some wood glue in between to help hold it in place.
The adjustable handle is held onto a door by three screws located inside of a small box at each end of the handle. Just unscrew these three screws with a screwdriver or drill and remove any nails that may be holding it on as well. The new handle will also have three screws; just put it back in place where the old handles were.
5. Hang Wall Pictures
Hang wall pictures with string. First, make sure your picture is clean. Make sure there are no dust particles on the frame or molding. Also make sure there’s no dust or dirt in the corners of the frame that might fall out while you hang it.
If you’re hanging a heavy picture, like a landscape oil painting, you can use nylon rope to hang your picture. Use a strong tack hammer to drive the tacks into the wall where you want the picture hung. Stay about 12 inches away from the edge of the frame so it won’t split when it’s pulled tight against the wall.
That way, you don’t have to worry about putting holes in your walls and ruining them forever. It also makes for a nice decorative touch when you’ve got some spare time on your hands and want something fun to do for yourself as well as for your family and friends to enjoy.
6. Organizing your garage
Organizing your garage can be a daunting task. However, with the right organization tools and techniques, you can optimize your space and have a clean, safe and organized garage in no time.
Here are six projects that will help you get started:
- Install shelving units along the walls of your garage to maximize available storage space. Shelves made from lightweight aluminum and steel are easy to install and easy on the budget.
- Rake through your old boxes and bins and discard any items that you don’t actually use anymore. Purging old items will allow you to better organize what you do want to keep in storage.
- Clean out the old newspapers and magazines cluttering up your space, then use clear plastic bins or large lidded baskets to organize these items for easy retrieval when needed.
- Make use of vertical space by installing hooks on walls or rafters for hanging garden tools like shovels, rakes and hoes.
- Group like tools together in toolboxes or other containers that can be stored on shelves or hung on wall hooks for convenience.
- Use nylon rope to hang heavy duty canvas bags from hooks on walls or rafters of your garage for storing items like sports equipment.
The tips listed above are intended to help you with the home DIY projects. Whether you’re looking for new ideas, or just want to figure out how to complete one of the seven home DIY projects, these tips will give you some guidance in your decision-making process. Many of us are so used to having others take care of our home repairs and improvements that we forget what it’s like to be a beginner. But these tips should make it much easier for any do-it-yourselfer in your life to get started.
We also encourage you to take another look at your roof while doing DIY work in your house. Maybe it’s time to replace it.
If you think your roof is starting to show signs of wear and tear, find your roofing companies in Winnipeg now.
