Top 10 Skills You Need To Fix Common Household Problems (steps 1-3)

Too bad a house doesn't come with an owner's manual,  the keys to the castle come with no troubleshooting guide :(  At some point, you're going to have to know how to change out a light fixture, or paint a double-hung window, or stem the flood when the toilet overflows, and you're probably going to want to do things right the first time. So consider these 10 tips a crash course in homeowner self-confidence. Study them well, owning a house means you're going to have questions. Luckily for you, I've got answers.

1. Fix a leaky faucet

This particular type of issue is likely due to a failed washer inside a handle, the faucet is just the messenger.  To replace the washer, turn off the water supply valve under the sink. Stuff a rag in the drain so you don't lose parts, then take the handle apart. Pop the screw cover on top, remove the screw and pull off the handle. Use a wrench to disassemble the stem and line the parts up on the counter in the order they came off, so you know how it goes back together. Examine rubber parts or plastic cartridges for cracks, and take the offending piece to the hardware store for an exact replacement. Reassemble the parts you've laid out, in reverse. Then enjoy the piece and quiet of no more drips :)

2. Locate a stud

Say you want to hang a shelf, knocking on the wall can pinpoint a stud, but to improve the odds when your electronic stud finder has gone missing, use deductive reasoning. Most studs are placed at 16-inch intervals; once you know where one is, you can usually find the rest. Start at a corner, where there's always a stud, or take the cover plate off an electrical outlet and find out on which side it's mounted to the stud. From there, measure 16, 32, 48 inches and you should hit a stud at each go. Eliminate all guesswork by using a thin bit to drill a test hole at the top of the base molding, which you can easily repair with a dab of caulk.

3. Unclog a sink

"Chemicals rarely clear a stoppage — they only make a small hole," says Richard Trethewey, This Old House's plumbing and heating expert.  A full stoppage requires mechanical clearing, remove the stopper and block off overflow holes. With water in the bowl, the water puts more pressure on the clog, plunge with a flat-faced plunger. If that's not enough, get under the sink and take off the trap to see if that's where the clog is lodged. If the blockage is deeper, rent a hand snake. Slowly push the coil down the drain, carefully twisting, pulling and pushing when you hit the blockage. If the snake fails, call a drain-clearing service to get things flowing.

Steps 4-7 Tomorrow