So because we talked about a complete remodel of your kitchen last week, we thought it would be wise to focus on some of the smaller things before your holiday parties. Fix My House is here to advise you in the right way to make those home fixes. There are a multitude of little things that need to be done in just about any home. Here are a few of those issues and a quick way to fix them!
Home Fixes
Doorbell
How will you even know you have guests arriving if your doorbell doesn’t work? This seems like a good place to start since it’s at the beginning of your home. Most of the time a doorbell will stop working because of the button on the outside. It receives a lot of use and goes through a lot of weather which wears it out. It’s also possible that the chime or transformer have stopped working.
To put a finger on the problem, test each component with a multimeter, which can be found at home centers. Doorbell wiring is almost never the cause of the problem but if it is, we recommend switching to a wireless system. This way you can skip the rewiring which is never fun. Just remember to occasionally replace the batteries.
Door Latches
Over time many houses that have wood frames will settle and shift. Sometimes door frames will become unaligned because of this issue. If you have guests coming to stay with you in your house, you may want to consider fixing this problem so they can shut and lock their door with ease. Here is an easy way to fix this problem.
You will want to make sure all the hinges are are tight. Sometimes a loose screw in the hinge will cause a door to sag and cause a deadbolt to get off track.
You can also try opening the door and turning the dead bolt latch, smearing a little chalk onto the bolts’ end and then turn the latch back in. Now close the door and turn the latch again so the bolt hits the strike plate. This will leave a chalk print on the strike plate. Now, unscrew the strike plate from the door jamb, clamp it in a vise, then file it down to the chalk mark. Reinstall the plate and test the deadbolt. If it is still not locking, keep filing more of the strike plate until it locks properly.
Running Toilets
No one likes a toilet that is constantly running. Not only does it boost your water bill but it also drives you a little bit crazy. This can be fixed by adjusting a few parts in the top portion of the toilet.
First you will want to turn off the water at the toilet’s shut-off valve. This valve is usually located behind the toilet near the ground. You will then want to remove the rubber flapper from the flush valve inside the tank. Look at this flapper for damage or discoloration. Then check the location of the float on chain and adjust the float to the height of the water level. If adjusting the float doesn’t work, or there is not float, you will want to install a new flapper. When all is said and done, turn that shut-off valve back on and flush the toilet to make sure it’s working properly.
Call The Experts
Regardless of the project, our team works with you each step of the way to repair, improve, and enhance the problem area. We like to leave a room looking better than when we entered it. If you are struggling with any of these problems or if we didn’t address your problem(s) here then give us a call at (602) 344-9099 or visit our Contact page.