DIY skills every man and woman should know

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Owning your own home is one of the major life goals. There are however plenty of hurdles to overcome when owning a home, particularly when it comes to maintaining and generally fixing up your home. With that in mind 0800 HANDYMAN, London’s first mobile handyman company has put together this list of 5 essential DIY skills that every homeowner should know:

How to fix a leaking tap – The first thing you must do when moving a new property is to find out where the main stopcock is and that it is working properly. You should ensure that you turn off the water supply to your taps before you begin to tamper with them. Another good tip is to place the plug in the plughole to make sure none of the small parts go down the plughole. Check whether the leak is coming from the mixer nozzle, if this is the case you will have to change both of the tap washers.

How to unclog a sink – Clogged sinks can be an absolute nightmare for the first time homeowner. While it’s relatively simple to just buy a chemical drain cleaner, these aren’t always as effective. Instead you can try one of the age old methods of unclogging a sink, all you need is a plunger and a bucket. Start by partially filling the sink with hot water, if you have a sink with multiple plug holes or exits then stuff the spare holes with a cloth or rag so that pressure will be focused on the clogged drain. Then position the plunger over the clogged plug hole, begin forcefully working the plunger up and down quickly, finally pull the plunger away from the clogged hole and wait to see if the water drains away, if not continue using the plunger until the blockage is cleared.

How to stop an overflowing toilet – One of the most panic inducing moments of any homeowners life, when your toilet begins to overflow and you have no idea how to stop it, fear not, the solution is a simple one. Toilets work using a system of buoyancy, as the water rises in the tank the float moves with it and closes the valve once the tank and bowl full. Should the float become jammed or stuck however, water will rise continuously and lead to an overflow, in order to stop this remove the lid of the tank, reach in to grab the float and pull it gently to the top, this should close the valve and give you time to shut off the water or allow the bowl to drain so that you can assess any damage that has occurred to the system.

How to fix loose hinges – When door and cupboard hinges come loose it can be a sign that it’s time to replace them, however there is something you can do to fix the situation. Loose hinges are usually caused by the screws that affix the hinge coming loose and stripping the hole that they’re in. Start by removing the offending screw, if the hole has been stripped as suspected you can stuff the hole with four or five toothpicks dipped in wood glue, break the toothpicks off at mouth of the hole and replace the screw, this should now allow the screw to grip properly, eliminating the looseness and returning your hinge to normal.

How to wire a plug – Wiring a plug is quite straightforward. Make sure the plug is disconnected from the power supply. Remove the plug cover. Nowadays, colour coding for the wires is blue for neutral, brown for live, and yellow for earth. Unscrew the wires and fix them in the new plug, according to the colour code. Ensure that all the screws are tight so the flexes do not come out. Add a new fuse if necessary. Finally, screw the plug back together.

These are all simple and quick DIY skills useful for emergencies and also for saving the pennies!

To make an enquiry or booking with 0800 HANDYMAN,    please telephone; 0800 426396 or refer to the website at www.0800handyman.com.

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