General Home Repair

If you have borrowed a power washer and have discovered it leaks, don't get frustrated or surprised. Power washer leaks are common. A few specific areas on a power washer unit are more prone to...

How to remove a toilet seat and lid, so you can replace them for a new look, or clean under them.

A bathroom exhaust fan is primarily used to remove hot, humid air from the bathroom during showers and to expel foul air. Over time the fan will accumulate dust, hair and other airborne, household...

Oil seals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are often referred to as gaskets, o-rings, packing, or swivel seals and can be made of such things as rubber, cork, composites, and even...

Recessed pot lights are an attractive way to light rooms in your home. Although it rarely happens, fixture can become faulty and not work properly. When this happens you need to know how to change...

There are few things more annoying than stepping into a cold shower because there is no hot water. The electric hot water heater has two thermostats controlling two separate heating elements. A...

A screwdriver is a simple tool that amplifies the turning motion of a hand. Nearly every household keeps at least one screwdriver, which is used to perform simple screwing/unscrewing tasks....

Hand trucks are convenient when you need to lift and move heavy or awkward objects, but like any tool, they can break or get damaged. The tires are the typical victim of damage on a hand truck,...

Whether by accident or due to inferior equipment, many homeowners and hobbyists will experience the aggravation of having a screw get "rounded off" or worn so badly that a screwdriver will not...

Mobile homes not only go through quite a beating before getting to your property but also after you install them on your property. Numerous reasons exist for removing your mobile home's door pins,...

Screws are amazing time- and labor-saving inventions when they work properly. Too often the drive (the part that you stick a screwdriver into) becomes stripped out. In these cases, screws become...

Garbage disposals are a great addition to any kitchen. Designed to quickly get rid of food and organic material by chopping the material up and sending it down the drain. If your unit has stopped...

You've tried every way imaginable to replace o-rings in a pressure washer quick connect nozzle, but you still aren't successful. At least not successful without first injuring your hand and...

How you extract a struck screw can depend on factors such as what kind of screw it is and how tightly it is struck. A range of possible ways to extract a stuck screw are worth considering. Start...

Eyeglasses consist of lenses and the frames that hold the lenses in place. The frames are typically secured around the lenses by a screw on each side. These screws will eventually loosen as a...

The screwdriver is one of the most common tools and can be found in nearly every household. It has an illustrious history that has resulted in a number of different types.

Removing a doorknob so that it can be replaced is usually a simple job that does not require extensive do-it-yourself experience. However, like many jobs around the home, a small variation from...

Make a habit of routinely monitoring and cleaning your home's appliances, including the furnace, to keep them functioning properly. The furnace uses a heat pump to expel heat throughout the house....

If you apply too much pressure to your Phillips screws, either from over drilling or just removing the screws too often, you can strip the heads. This removes the groves where the drill bit or...

Need to change a lock? How about a doorknob?

Rusty screws can really slow down the work on your wooden deck if you don't know how to properly remove them. They often seem to get stuck just when you most need to make time on your project. To...

There are many options to consider when it comes to loosening a tight screw to remove kitchen cabinets. These range from fairly simply procedures, to the more complicated. How you loosen a tight...

One-way screws are different because they can be turned in only one direction. Also known as security screws, they received their name because they are difficult to remove and are commonly used to...

Your thermostat is your connection between the temperature in your home and the furnace. When your thermostat does not function as it should, it will need to be replaced. Once you know how to...

Only a few things can keep humans up at night, and one of them is a leaky sink. This is a rather simple project and should not require a lot of time. A sink is not the most complex item in the...

Cabinets are remarkably durable considering the constant use they get and the wear-and-tear inflicted upon them. Everyone in the household opening and closing the doors, and a few family members...

Doorknobs not only provide our homes with security but also accentuate the appearance of our doors. When you know how to replace an exterior doorknob you can upgrade the front door's appearance...

Over time the screws that hold cabinet hinges loosen. To keep your cabinet doors swinging properly and to avoid permanent damage to the hinges or cabinet, keep them tightly secured. Cabinets that...

Many people are surprised to see how complex door knobs are. Such a simple design reveals itself to be quite complicated when the knobs are actually removed. Luckily, removing a door knob is very...

Anyone who has ever tried to remove a screw and stripped the head out knows how frustrating that can be. There are special tools that you can buy to handle this problem, but I have discovered a...

A Badger disposal is a reliable kitchen appliance to have. The disposal will give you years of uninterrupted service. However, there may come a time when you may need to remove or replace the...

Using a screw driver can go beyond just holding it and turning a screw. Using appropriate techniques and some foresight you can save yourself time, money and frustration.

Any home improvement or repair project requires tools. Certain common tools are necessary whether you are working on an electrical, plumbing, carpentry or some other miscellaneous task. Having the...

Plastic rivets are types of fasteners that attach one item to another. They are found quite often in automobiles. Having to remove plastic rivets from any object can be very annoying. The removal...

Telephone jacks will go bad after time. Sometimes a storm can fry them and other times it is just because of age. Once you know how to fix a telephone jack it will not take long to replace it. You...

Stop those annoying faucet leaks.

I will explain how to open a gallon of paint, with less mess and without destroying the paint can.

Mortise locks are those old-fashioned narrow latch units tucked into the front edge of a door. They can stick, come loose or just stop working with age. Trying to repair one generally is more...

This is intended to be a breif introduction to a series of articles about home improvement and maintenance. Its also a good guide to anyone looking to purchase tools for the new home-owner in...

The pounding on the door startles you and you are surprised to discover it is your teenager making the ruckus. "I lost my key," he shrugs before the question can form in your mouth. "If I knew...

Whether you are remodeling a room or just need to replace a worn out door handle, it's an easy process that you can complete in less than a half hour. Door handles come in numerous varieties and...

As a safety precaution, virtually all self-cleaning ovens have a door locking mechanism that automatically secures the door whenever the cleaning function is activated. Sometimes, they can get...

Screws are harder than wood and can sometimes "wear away" the interior wood that holds them in place. The result is a loose screw that continually makes its way out of the hole. You can continue...

A single-handle shower faucet uses a single valve to control the flow and temperature of the water that streams from the shower head. Showers that have a bathtub spout will also have a gate...

First there was the screwdriver, then the electric screwdriver, then the power drill. The impact driver does the job of a power drill but is easier on the operator.

Spring has finally arrived and we can open the doors and windows. That's the good news; the bad news is that holes and rips in your patio screens look like an invitation to bugs to come in to...

When it comes to shoring up that sagging garage door, there are no quick fixes. Getting your garage door in tight, lean condition requires a bit if elbow grease and a good set of hand tools. Most...

Over time, towel racks often become loose. This can occur when the holes around the plastic anchors holding the rack in place become larger from the weight of wet towels. Fortunately, you can fix...

I have found the easiest way to stop a door from swinging in and out is to install a door closure on it so when you open the door it will automaticaly close. Thay bugs and dust can't fly in. Pets...

Installing a house front door requires a hammer, screwdriver and chisel. Put in a new home front door with tips from a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) certified technician in this...