Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Emmy®-Nominated Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather ChannelRepairs and Installation, Today's Homeowner Published 10/01/2007 by Danny Lipford
Homeowners are often reluctant to tackle projects they’re not familiar with since they aren’t sure how much time, effort, and expertise will be involved. We’ll take the mystery out of half a dozen common home repairs and upgrades that may not be as hard to handle as you might think.
These do-it-yourself home improvement projects cover everything from minor plumbing and electrical repairs to woodworking and laying ceramic tile. Remember that when using or installing any product, it’s important to read and follow the manufacturers’ directions. You also might want to consider renting, rather than buying, specialty tools that won’t be used very often.
Showerheads are available in an array of styles and finishes, from water saving models to ones that pamper you with a luxurious massage. Rather than marring the chrome with a pair of pliers or a pipe wrench, use a strap wrench instead. Remove the old showerhead, and wrap the threads of the pipe with Teflon tape to prevent it from leaking. Screw on the new showerhead, tighten it up, and turn it on to check for leaks.
Five more DIY projects are featured on this episode:
While carriage bolts are great for joining pieces of wood, their square heads have a tendency to slip in the hole, making them hard to tighten. To solve this problem, insert a few finishing nails in the hole beside the bolt before hammering the bolt into place. The nails will fill any gaps between the hole and bolt and make it easy to tighten the nut.
Delta’s new line of showerheads save on water without sacrificing comfort by changing the shape of the spray and using larger water droplets that retain more heat. The most efficient models use only 1.6 gallons of water a minute, resulting in a 36% reduction in water usage, and are available at The Home Depot.
“What would you consider the most practical tools to have around the house?”
- Lisa from Nashville
The basic toolkit that every homeowner should have includes a tape measure, hammer, screwdriver with interchangeable bits, pliers, adjustable pliers, needle nose pliers, adjustable wrench, torpedo level, handsaw, cordless screwdriver/drill, safety glasses, earplugs, dust mask, scissors, gloves, and a putty knife.
Other important items to consider adding are a ladder, car battery charger/tire inflator, fire extinguisher, flashlights, and a water cutoff tool.
Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford® is brought to you by:
January 15th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Danny I can’t believe your basic tool belt is missing 2 of the most important things …
we both have kids so you know what I mean
NUMERO UNO– PLUNGER
and #2 a wax toilet bowl ring
I know I have used these things many times
and leave the wax ring inside in a closet somewhere it works better at room temp