General Home Improvement & Appliances Articles

Step by Step / Updated 04-18-2023

Fixing wallpaper bubbles or bumps is a simple, five-minute process. Knowing how to fix wallpaper bubbles and bumps prevents further damage like tears or rips. Wallpaper bubbles occur when a glob of wallpaper paste wasn’t smoothed out when the paper was hung or when a weak bond between the wallpaper and wall causes the wallpaper to lift. To fix a bump caused by excess adhesive, you'll need a damp sponge, a utility knife, a syringe, seam roller, tweezers, and glue.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-20-2022

It's a good idea to be prepared for things going wrong in your home, whether it's something relatively simple that you can fix yourself, or a more complex problem requiring a qualified professional. Following is advice for both situations. First, we list some non-tool items you'll want to have around for DIY home repair. We also suggest questions you should ask before hiring a professional to make a repair or renovation in your home.

Article / Updated 04-14-2022

One of the best ways to protect your outdoor wood surfaces is to use a high-quality, oil-based wood preservative. Using an oil-based wood preservative with ultraviolet inhibitors keeps your deck surfaces looking newer longer. Unlike paint, oil doesn’t lay on the surface; it penetrates deeply into the pores of the wood, preventing the attack of moisture from within. Oil also penetrates between joints and connections. With oil, there is no rigid surface layer (as there is with paint) that can bubble or split. However, oil eventually evaporates out of the wood, leaving it unprotected. If you use an oil preservative, you need to recoat your wood every 12 to 18 months. Excessive amounts of oil can puddle, and puddled oil doesn’t dry. Plus, puddling scuffs easily and can stick to furniture, feet, and shoes — meaning the destruction of interior floors. So when you oil horizontal surfaces (especially decks), take care: They’re less forgiving than vertical surfaces (such as fences, posts, and rails). Help force the oil or oil stain into the surface by going back over the entire area with a paintbrush or roller (called back-brushing). A China-bristle or natural-bristle paintbrush is by far the best applicator for use with oil. Don’t use a nylon paintbrush with oils, oil stains, or oil-based paints. You can also make your own wood preservative at home. You need: Boiled linseed oil Mineral spirits Pigment (the kind used to color paint) Mildicide (a pesticide that kills mildew; it’s available at paint stores) Mix equal parts of oil and mineral spirits. Then add pigment to the intensity you like, and stir in a package of mildicide. (Follow the instructions for the mildicide as if you were adding it to an equal volume of paint.) When applying the preservative, don’t put it on too thick. A little bit goes a long way. If you opt for stain, choose one designed for the surface you want to cover: Horizontal surfaces: Well-meaning do-it-yourselfers often end up applying stains designed for vertical surfaces (such as siding, trellises, and fences) on horizontal surfaces (such as decks, porches, and steps). But if you want to stain a horizontal surface, look for a product designed specifically for decks. Deck stains are made to resist scuffing where lots of traffic is expected. A semitransparent, oil-based stain is a good bet. The combination of oil and a pigment protects the wood from both sun and water and hides surface irregularities. Plan to spend in the neighborhood of $35 to $55 per gallon on semitransparent, oil-based stain. A gallon covers approximately 300 to 500 square feet. Vertical surfaces: Stains designed for use on vertical surfaces are not as abrasion resistant as those made for decks. A semitransparent stain shows off the beauty of the wood because you can see through the stain. A solid-color stain won’t show through, but the solid color protects the wood for a longer period of time. Solid-color stain is not like paint; it looks like paint and acts like stain — full coverage, but without the pitting, chipping, splitting or bubbling. Always apply an oil or oil-stain finish (wood preservative) either early or late in the day when the wood is not in full sun. The thinner that helps the oil penetrate evaporates quickly on hot days and can reduce the viscosity of the oil to a glue-like mess. Oil that’s too thick will end up laying on the surface. One to three very thin applications of a high-quality product may be required. If you like the natural color of the wood that you want to protect, and you don’t want to alter its appearance, try a clear finish. Just be sure that the clear finish that you purchase contains UV inhibitors to fight off an ultraviolet sunburn. Beware of the popular “cure-all” water seals. Many of these products contain petroleum jelly or paraffin, which offer minimal water protection and absolutely no UV protection. Furthermore, these products have little penetration and rapidly evaporate.

Article / Updated 03-04-2022

Carpet-cleaning professionals say that the most effective method of keeping carpeting clean — and making it last a long time — is to vacuum it regularly. In fact, they recommend vacuuming three or more times per week, and daily in high-traffic areas. They also point out that the quality of your vacuum makes a difference. An upright vac does the best job of removing deep-down dirt, but a big canister vac with a beater-bar head is good, too. Whichever vacuum you prefer, the motor must be powerful enough to create enough suction to remove the dirt, sand, and debris that is ground into the carpet. If the vac has a beater bar, its brushes should be free of lint, fuzz, and threads. The suction port and hose should be checked regularly for suction-robbing blockages, and the bag should be changed frequently to ease the flow of air through the vac. Aside from regular vacuuming, the best way to keep your carpet clean and reduce wear is to place welcome mats outside every exterior door, and rugs on the inside to catch any leftover grit before it gets farther into the house. Finally, it really pays to have everyone remove their shoes when they come into the house. Spot cleaning But what do you do when little Nina spills some sticky red juice in the living room? Give her a big hug, tell her that you love her, and then spot-clean! Most of today’s carpets are made with a factory-applied stain guard. So usually, a small amount of water and a drop of vinegar or club soda will get out a stain. Use a clean, white, dry cloth. Don’t scrub — blot. The most common mistakes people make when they try to spot-clean are over-scrubbing and using too much water. Scrubbing destroys carpet fibers. Excess water gets below the carpet into the pad, which leads to mildew and a funky smell. Carpet cleaning solutions Sooner or later, your carpet will need to be cleaned. Most do-it-yourself carpet-cleaning machines use the hot-water extraction method: A hot-water-and-detergent solution is sucked out of a reservoir, sprayed on the carpet, and immediately extracted with a powerful vacuum. Here are a few tips that will help you be a carpet-cleaning success: Before you head off to the hardware store to rent a machine, you need to know what your carpet is made of to select the right cleaning solution. Before you start, test the solution on an out-of-the-way spot to make sure it won’t leave a stain of its own or bleach the color out. Read the instructions on the machine and on the detergent. Follow them exactly. Open the windows (or turn on the air conditioning) and use a powerful fan to help speed the drying process. The quicker you get the moisture out of the carpet, the better. Removing odors Time, home life (especially cooking), and pets can make carpets stinky. You may not notice anymore, but anyone who comes into the house probably does. If your carpet has picked up a funky smell, you can try a commercial carpet deodorizer or you can go to the pantry and arm yourself with a box of baking soda. Sprinkle it into the carpet, leave it for a few hours, and then vacuum it up. For less money and a little extra work, you can try sprinkling grated potato (yes, potato!) all over the carpet in question. Let it stand for several hours and then vacuum. If neither of these methods works, stop trying to avoid the inevitable and call a carpet-cleaning company.

Article / Updated 03-04-2022

Glass shower doors look modern and stylish and keep water off your floors, but some people hate them because they are hard to clean and slide off their tracks too easily. You can use the hints here to clean your shower doors and get them back on track in a jiffy. Cleaning solutions Try these methods to get a shower door clean and keep it that way: Using lemon-oil polish and a scouring pad, scrub the glass panels with gusto. If the door has acrylic panels, go easy on the scrubbing or you may scratch the acrylic. Scrub with sodium carbonate. You can find a pure form of sodium carbonate, called pH Increaser, at swimming pool retailers. Use a sponge and dishwashing detergent to clean the shower door (and the rest of the shower stall) after every shower. Place a couple of small suction cups that have small hooks on the inside of a shower door. Use the pair of hangers to suspend a vinegar-soaked rag on the inside of the shower door. Reposition the hangers and rag periodically to conquer small sections at a time. This may sound funny and look terrible, but the vinegar will soften the mineral deposits. Really dirty shower doors may require some scrubbing with a nylon scouring pad. Get it back on track If the doors get out of alignment, or the rollers come off the track, you can usually reset the doors by lifting them in the frame and resetting the rollers in the channel. When the doors drag, or they don’t stay in the bottom channel, you need to adjust the rollers: Lift the outer door until the rollers clear the top track; then pull the bottom of the door out and away from the bottom channel and set it aside. Do the same with the inner door. Clean debris from the bottom track and clean the door frames. Loosen the screws that hold the rollers to the door frame and adjust them to raise or lower the door as needed. If the screws are rusted, replace them with zinc-coated or stainless-steel screws. Spray a dry silicone lubricant lightly on the rollers to keep them operating smoothly.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-28-2022

Home maintenance is all about being prepared. If you spend a little time now buying ingredients for cleaners, putting together a toolkit, and staying on top of monthly maintenance tasks, you’ll not only prevent small problems from getting bigger, but you’ll also be ready to act quickly in the future if a big problem does crop up.

Article / Updated 11-08-2021

When a refrigerator is leaking water, it needs to be addressed immediately. But before you can fix it, you'll need to know why it's happening. There are many causes for a leaking refrigerator. One of the most common problems is that the water isn't able to reach the drain because the refrigerator hasn't been leveled correctly. Another common problem is a clogged defrost drain. For these cases, any homeowner can implement a DIY fix and stop the leaking pretty easily. Other reasons for a leaking refrigerator may include improper installation (for example, the water filter) or damaged equipment, such as a cracked drain pan. These issues may require part replacement and professional help. Leveling the refrigerator When you see water under a refrigerator, check the front legs. Water (from condensation) is supposed to run from inside the refrigerator to a drain hole, and then into a drip pan underneath, where it evaporates. If the refrigerator is completely level or tipped slightly forward, the water may not be able to flow into the drain. All you have to do to get it working is to adjust the front legs so the refrigerator tips back slightly. (Incidentally, that tilt also makes the door swing closed after you turn away from the refrigerator.) Here’s how to level your refrigerator to prevent it from leaking water: Have a helper tip the fridge slightly back so you can get your hand under it. Unscrew the front legs a couple of turns to raise them. (Don’t take them off, though.) Let the refrigerator back down. Use a level on the front edge of the refrigerator to make sure the legs are even. Partially open the door and walk away. It should close by itself now. Tip the refrigerator only slightly because it is designed to be (almost) level, and tilting it too much might cause a problem somewhere else. If you can’t adjust the legs, put a shim under each of them, about 1/8 inch thick at the wide edge. Cleaning the drain hole If adjusting the legs doesn’t stop water from leaking, then you have to clear the drain hole. It gets clogged with food particles that can prevent water from being drained, leading to an overflow and leakage. Follow these steps to clear your refrigerator's drain hole: Locate the drain tubes at the rear of the refrigerator or freezer. Push a small plastic tube or a pipe cleaner through the tubes. Pour a mild solution of soapy water and ammonia down the drain tube to kill bacteria. If you have a turkey baster or syringe, use it to squeeze water into the hole. Check the drain pan under the refrigerator, on the left side, by removing the front grill. If the soapy water hasn’t drained into it, you still have a problem. Go to Step 6. Working inside the refrigerator, push the tube or pipe cleaner into and through the drain tube. Flush the hole with water again. You should now find water in the pan. If you do, don’t worry; it evaporates. You can also have water problems if you keep the refrigerator in an unheated garage, porch, or basement. As heat from the motor flows across the cold exterior, it condenses and water forms, dripping onto the floor. All you need to do is put a space heater nearby, and if there’s no more water, you know condensation’s the problem. Solve the problem permanently by moving the refrigerator to a warmer place.

Step by Step / Updated 10-26-2021

Unclogging a toilet with a plunger usually creates enough suction to free the clog. Knowing how to use a plunger to unclog a toilet can preclude the mess of using a plumber's snake or the expense of calling a plumber. Water that doesn’t swirl; a flush that only trickles into the drain; and water that backs up instead of flushing out are signs of clogged toilets. You may not want to, but you can fix it. Get out your plunger, put on some rubber gloves, and hope for the best.

Article / Updated 04-19-2017

If you live in a rural area or have vacation property in the middle of nowhere, you’re no doubt familiar with the form and function of a septic system. In brief, a septic system is your very own onsite sewage treatment facility. It’s used primarily where access to a municipal sewer system is neither available nor economically practical. A septic system is out of sight and is odorless (when properly maintained). A septic system is reasonably maintenance-free. A well-constructed, properly maintained tank could last indefinitely. However, the leach field (the underground area where all of the sewage drainpipes are located) will most likely require some treatment or perhaps replacement after about 15 to 20 years of service. Following a few simple rules — like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can’t decompose — should help to make a septic system trouble-free for many years. According to proper septic tank maintenance, the tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids build up. When thinking about septic tank maintenance, be mindful about what you and your family put into your septic system. It doesn’t take much to upset the delicate biological balance within the tank. You can extend the life of a septic system by watching everything that’s introduced to the system and by following these maintenance recommendations: Inspect your system and keep accurate records. Regularly inspect your system for proper upkeep and organize your system’s records (diagram, system maintenance, etc.). Pump out your septic tank regularly. The standard rule is to pump your septic tank every one to three years to ensure that solids are properly broken down and will not clog the drain field. Routine pumping can help prevent system failure and increase the longevity of your system. Conserve water and monitor usage. Moreover, discharging more water into the system than it can handle can cause it to back up — not a desirable occurrence. Don’t use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. You can use normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals without stopping the bacterial action in the septic tank. But, for example, don’t dump cleaning water for latex paintbrushes and cans into the house sewer. Don’t deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels (paper towels that don’t dissolve easily, like the heavy-duty kind), disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won’t decompose, will fill the septic tank and will plug the system. Use a high-quality toilet tissue that breaks up easily when wet. One way to find out if your toilet paper fits this description is to put a handful of toilet tissue in a fruit jar half-full of water. Shake the jar, and if the tissue breaks up easily, the product is suitable for the septic tank. Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, because of the presence of significant numbers and types of bacteria, enzymes, yeasts, and other fungi and microorganisms in typical residential and commercial wastewaters, the use of septic-system additives containing these or any other ingredients is not recommended. Again,it's important that you have your septic tank pumped and cleaned by a professional every one to three years. A septic tank in a northern climate will need to have the solids removed more often than a tank farther south. (This geographic variance is primarily because cooler temperatures inhibit bacterial action and provide less decomposition of the sewage solids.) How often you need to have your septic tank pumped also depends on the size of the tank, the volume of wastewater, and how many solids go into it. Constant foul odor, slow drains, and drains that back up are all telltale signs that your septic tank needs pumping. When in doubt, call in a septic pro.

Step by Step / Updated 04-17-2017

Knowing how to test a circuit breaker can save on electricians’ fees. Test the circuit breaker with a voltage tester to see if it’s faulty. The voltage tester will indicate if the breaker is getting power. If the breaker is faulty, you'll need to replace it. Safety first! You have to keep the electrical current on when you use the volt tester, so be cautious. Always wear rubber shoes or stand on a rubber mat when working on a control panel. Make sure the floor or earth underneath the panel is dry —not damp or wet. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity, and you don’t want to become part of the circuit. Wear safety goggles in case of flying sparks.