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.

Pee You Your Home Stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Homebuyers don't want houses that stink. Sellers must identify and remediate odors that make prospective purchasers hold their noses and run for the exits. Unfortunately, it's not always easy for sellers to identify familiar smells that might be problematic. There is no odor meter people get used to the odor of their house and may not notice that something is not pleasant

Outside sniffers
The best way to find out whether a house smells OK is to ask someone who doesn't live there to come inside and give an opinion. The obvious "someone" would be the real-estate broker hired to sell the home. But not all brokers will point out that a house smells bad, even if they're willing to offer other helpful suggestions.
Some agents are not outspoken about odor issues, instead they rely on other agents who bring buyers to see the property to break the bad news. That way, the message gets delivered with less risk to their cordial relationship with the sellers.

Pet odors
The two most common sources of difficult and offensive odors are pets and cigarettes, neither of which, is easy to remediate. The point might seem obvious, but the first line of defense in any smelly situation is to remove the source of the problem, even if that means a beloved pet must board elsewhere for a while.
It's not the nicest thing to do but you have to present the question to them "would you buy a house that smells like a dog or cat if you don't have one?" Cat urine, among the worst of the bad odors, can seep into carpet fibers, carpet padding, concrete and wood floors, upholstery fabrics, and furniture cushions and pillows.
Oftentimes you have to remove the carpet, remove the pad and seal the floor, and then replace the carpet and the pad.

No smoking
Cigarette smoke can cling to furnishings, drapes and other window coverings and work its way inside walls. Some topically applied solutions can help to reduce the stench, but an ozone generator, hydroxyl generator or air scrubber should be more effective. Experts find these methods very effective in absorbing odors, though there is no guarantee that an odor can be eliminated.