DIY Home Repairs: 5 Simple Fixes to Tackle Today
With a budget in place and a plan to lower your utility bills, you’re ready to get your hands dirty. These five repairs are perfect for beginners. They address common problems, require minimal tools, and offer a huge return on investment by saving you from a professional service call. Remember, safety first. If you ever feel unsure or the problem seems bigger than described, it is always smarter to call a licensed professional.
Fix #1: Silence a Constantly Running Toilet
That hissing or gurgling sound from your toilet tank is the sound of water—and money—going down the drain. This is one of the most common plumbing problems and, thankfully, one of the easiest to fix. A professional plumber might charge $100 to $200 for this 15-minute job.
What to Check: The problem is almost always inside the toilet tank. The two most common culprits are the flapper—the rubber stopper at the bottom of the tank that lifts when you flush—and the fill valve, which is the tall column that refills the tank. A worn-out flapper doesn’t create a perfect seal, allowing water to slowly leak from the tank into the bowl. This causes the fill valve to kick on periodically to refill the tank.
Tools and Cost: You likely won’t need any tools. A new flapper or a complete fill valve kit costs between $8 and $20 at any hardware store.
How to Fix It Yourself: First, turn off the water supply to the toilet. The shut-off valve is usually on the wall or floor behind the toilet; turn it clockwise until it stops. Flush the toilet to drain the tank. Now you can inspect the flapper. If it’s warped, brittle, or looks degraded, that’s your problem. Unhook the old one from the overflow pipe and the flush chain, and clip the new one in its place. Make sure the chain has just a little bit of slack when the flapper is closed. Turn the water back on and listen. In nine out of ten cases, the hissing will be gone.
Safety Note: The water in the tank is clean, so don’t worry about getting your hands wet. Just be gentle with the plastic parts inside the tank. If you replace the fill valve, follow the simple instructions that come with the kit.
When to Call a Pro: If you replace the flapper and fill valve and the toilet still runs, or if you see water pooling on the floor around the base of the toilet, it’s time to call a plumber. This could indicate a leak in the wax seal, which is a more complex repair.
Fix #2: Clear a Slow-Draining Sink
A sink that takes forever to drain is a daily frustration. Before you reach for harsh chemical drain cleaners, which can damage your pipes, know that the clog is usually easy to reach and remove physically.
What to Check: In bathrooms, the clog is typically a buildup of hair and soap scum in the drain stopper or the P-trap. The P-trap is the U-shaped pipe under the sink. Its purpose is to hold water, which creates a seal that prevents sewer gas from entering your home. It’s also where lost rings and clogs end up.
Tools and Cost: A bucket, a pair of pliers or a pipe wrench, and some rubber gloves. The cost is zero if you already have these common items.
How to Fix It Yourself: First, try the simple approach. Remove the drain stopper (it may lift out or unscrew) and clean any gunk off it. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to clean the P-trap. Place a bucket directly under the U-shaped pipe to catch water. Use your pliers to loosen the two large nuts holding the bend in place (remember: “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey”). Once loose, the trap will come off. Empty the contents into the bucket, clean the pipe thoroughly with a brush and water, and then reassemble it. Hand-tighten the nuts first, then give them a final quarter-turn with the pliers. Don’t overtighten, as this can crack the plastic.
Safety Note: Wear gloves, as the gunk can be unpleasant. Run the water for a minute after reassembly to check for any leaks at the nuts you just tightened.
When to Call a Pro: If the P-trap is clean and the sink still drains slowly, the clog is further down the line, inside the wall. This requires a professional with a drain snake or auger to resolve safely.
Fix #3: Stop Drafts Around Doors and Windows
Drafts aren’t just uncomfortable; they are holes in your budget. Sealing air leaks is a simple DIY home repair that can reduce your heating and cooling costs by 10% to 20%.
What to Check: On a breezy day, close your doors and windows and carefully move your hand around the frames. You will feel where the cold air is coming in. You can also use a lit incense stick and watch where the smoke wavers. Pay close attention to the bottom of doors and the edges of window sashes.
Tools and Cost: Self-adhesive foam or rubber weatherstripping for moving parts ($10-$15 per roll) and a caulking gun with a tube of paintable acrylic latex caulk for stationary gaps ($10-$15 total). A door sweep for the bottom of an exterior door costs around $15.
How to Fix It Yourself: For gaps around a window sash or a door frame, weatherstripping is the answer. It comes in a roll with a sticky back. Just cut it to length with scissors, peel off the backing, and press it firmly into place where the door or window makes contact with the frame. For small, non-moving gaps between a window frame and the wall, use caulk. Cut the tip of the caulk tube at a 45-degree angle, apply a steady, thin bead, and then smooth it with a damp finger for a clean seal. For a draft under a door, a simple screw-on door sweep creates a physical barrier.
Safety Note: Ensure you have proper ventilation when using caulk, although most indoor types have low odor. Read the product labels to ensure you have the right type for your application (e.g., indoor vs. outdoor).
When to Call a Pro: If a window is broken, rotted, or the seal between the glass panes has failed (you’ll see condensation inside the glass), these are jobs for a window specialist.
Fix #4: Tighten a Loose Cabinet Hinge
A cabinet door that sags, won’t close properly, or makes a scraping noise is a minor but constant irritant. The fix usually takes less than five minutes.
What to Check: Open the cabinet door and examine the hinges. The problem is almost always that the screws holding the hinge to the cabinet frame have become loose over time. Sometimes, the screw hole itself has become stripped and enlarged.
Tools and Cost: A Phillips head screwdriver. If the hole is stripped, you’ll also need a few wooden toothpicks and some wood glue. The cost is essentially free.
How to Fix It Yourself: First, try simply tightening the screws with your screwdriver. If a screw keeps turning without getting tight, the hole is stripped. To fix this, remove the screw completely. Dip two or three wooden toothpicks in a little wood glue and insert them into the hole, breaking them off flush with the surface. This new wood material will give the screw something to bite into. Wait about an hour for the glue to set, then drive the original screw back in. It should now tighten up perfectly.
Safety Note: Be careful not to overtighten the screws, as this can strip the hole or crack the wood. Just tighten until it feels snug.
When to Call a Pro: If the cabinet door itself is warped or the particle board is crumbling and won’t hold a screw at all, you might need a handyman or cabinet maker to assess whether the door or cabinet box needs more significant repair.
Fix #5: Quiet a Squeaky Floorboard
That one spot on the floor that groans every time you step on it can be maddening. Squeaks are caused by wood rubbing against wood or a nail. You can often silence them from above without tearing up the carpet.
What to Check: Locate the exact spot of the squeak by walking around it. The sound is caused by the subfloor moving up and down on a floor joist. Your goal is to secure the subfloor back down to the joist.
Tools and Cost: A stud finder to locate the joist and a kit of special “squeak-free” scored screws, which are designed to snap off below the surface. These kits cost about $20-$25 and include a special depth-stop tool and a driver bit.
How to Fix It Yourself: Use the stud finder to locate the floor joist closest to the squeak. Joists are the structural beams that hold up your floor. Mark the center of the joist with a small piece of tape. Place the scored screw into the special depth-stop fixture that comes with the kit. Using a power drill, drive the screw through the carpet, the padding, and the subfloor, and into the joist. The fixture will stop the screw at the perfect depth. Then, use the gripper part of the fixture to rock the screw head back and forth until it snaps off below the carpet level. The threaded part of the screw remains, pulling the subfloor tight to the joist and eliminating the squeak. You won’t be able to feel the screw through the carpet.
Safety Note: Always wear safety glasses when using power tools. Be certain you are drilling into a joist and not a water pipe or electrical wire. Stud finders can sometimes detect these, so if you are unsure, do not proceed.
When to Call a Pro: If the floor feels spongy or bouncy, or if the squeaking is widespread across an entire room, this could signal a larger structural issue with the joists or foundation. This requires an immediate evaluation by a professional contractor.
