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If it is broke, FIX IT!
Top 6 easy home repairs for less than $15
By Ross Stewart rstewart@kansan.com
Photo illustrations by Matt Bristow
Socket sense: Finding out how to do easy fixes around the house can save money and you won't have to bother your landlord with petty household problems.
Sink's leaking. Toilet won't stop running. Window screen's ripped. House is chilly. Floor's scratched. And the holes in the wall need a fixin'.
Ever find yourself talking like this about your place? Well, if so, don't fret. Two local hardware stores give tips on the top six home improvements for college students for under $15.
Drippy faucet
Can't sleep because of a constant drip down the hall? Depending on what is really wrong with the sink, it could cost just a lowly 30 cents. A drippy faucet is not only maddening but also runs up your water bill. The advice from one hardware store is not to replace the whole faucet, but rather look for easy fixes."Typically, it's just take it apart then put it back together," says Gregg Anderson at Ernst & Son hardware store, 826 Massachusetts Street. "There's no mystery to it. It's just an experience."
Anderson recommends turning the water off at the main source to the sink first. Then take the handles off. The problem could be the seats and springs under the handles, which cost a few bucks, or it could be a 30-cent washer.
Running toilet
If you flush your toilet and it keeps running for minutes afterward, you most likely need to replace the flapper. The flapper is a rubber piece in the tank on top of the toilet that seals water in or releases it down into the bowl. These cost less than five bucks and are a super easy fix. Take the top of the tank off, remove the chain from the old flapper, and put on the new one. If this doesn't do the trick, don't go overboard with the repairs. "Don't go too ambitious the first time out," Anderson says.
Ripped screen
Ever drank too much and locked yourself out only to kick the screen in on your bedroom window to get inside? Enjoy the summer breeze without the bugs getting inside. Window screens are cheap and easy to fix if you have the right tools. But for another six bucks in labor you could get your screen redone professionally. Cottin's Hardware & Rental, 1832 Massachusetts Street, rewires screens with a few days turnaround for $10 a pop.
Weather stripping
Does your house not retain hot or cool air very well? Anderson says having improperly sealed windows and doors is like cutting a four-inch-round hole in the side of your house. Weather stripping is self-adhesive and simple to put on. If you can put tape down in a straight line, you're set. Just make sure the surface you're putting it on is clean so that it will stick. Wipe off the surface with a rag before putting the stripping down. You place it where a door or window seals shut at the edges, base or top depending on the style. It doesn't cost much more than $5 to $10 for a roll.
Damaged woodwork
Hardwood floors are easy to keep clean, but they're also easy to scratch. The easiest way to conceal scratches and nicks is to use a wax such as Briwax, which has pigments that match different kinds of woods. If you're not skilled at matching or knowing wood types or finishes, take a picture of the floor into a shop with you."Come into a local hardware store and ask for advice," says Linda Cottin, owner of Cottin's Hardware & Rental."Who you talk to will know several tricks." Briwax can camouflage nicks and dings in most any woodwork well, and the $15 for a can isn't much in comparison to your security deposit.
Hanging up your favorite work of art can make your house feel like a home, but what about the holes that it leaves behind? Anderson boils it down to two supplies: a $2 can of spackle and a $1 putty knife. Smear on the spackle, let it dry, then sand off the excess spackle and make it smooth. Then find matching paint.
Holes in walls
TO DO
1. Always check with your landlord before doing any work. Check your lease and figure out what parts of your place your landlord is obligated to keep up.
2. Pictures of what you need to fix are useful, especially when you don't know the name of what you need.
3. Electrical work is something to avoid. "If you mess up plumbing, you get wet; if you mess up electrical, you get dead." says Linda Cottin, owner of Cottin's Hardware & Rental.
4. Ask for help at local stores. You'll get the supplies you need on your first trip to the store.
April 30,2009
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