Top 10 Skills You Need To Fix Common Household Problems (steps 8-10))

Here is a continuation of my blog from the last two days on skills every home owner needs to fix common household problems

8. Stem a flood — and save your wiring

As a safety measure, you should know where your main water and electrical shutoffs are. The water shutoff will be near where the water enters the house. Look for a metal wheel or a flat handle like a paddle. Or check outside for a mini manhole cover — the shutoff may be there. The main electrical switch will be in or near the main box. On an old fuse system, it may be a big lever or a handle that pulls out a whole block. On a modern breaker box it will be an isolated switch near the top of the box. Flip it to keep the circuits (and you) from getting fried.

9. Paint a double-hung window

Forget the blue tape for this job. Your No. 1 tool is a 1½- to 2-inch sash brush. Its angled bristles come to a point, giving you a fine line. Raise the bottom sash and lower the top sash so they've almost switched places.

1. Paint the exposed parts of the top sash, now on the bottom, including the muntins.
2. Carry a thin line of paint onto the glass to seal the glazing.
3. Nearly close the window and paint the rest of the top sash.
4. Paint the entire bottom sash, without getting paint between the sash and the stops (the pieces of wood in front that hold them in place).
5. Paint the casing, sill and apron. Before the paint dries, move the sash up and down. "If you can't see a clear crack between the sash and the stop because of wet paint," says Tom Silva, "then you just glued the window shut."

10. Stop an overflowing toilet

A toilet works by gravity: The water in the tank — just enough to fill the bowl — drops down and pushes waste through the drain. The float drops, opening a valve that lets in water to refill the bowl and the tank simultaneously. The valve closes when the float rises far enough to shut off the water.
If the water from the tank can't leave the bowl fast enough, the refill will spill over. To stop the refill action, take off the top of the tank, grab the float and pull it up to close the valve. That should give you time to reach down and shut off the water, or at least wait for some of the water in the bowl to drain.