Single moms are among the most admirable women out there. They balance their career and parenting duties impeccably, though no single mom would ever say that it’s easy. Indeed, there’s no easy way to raise your kid and develop your career at the same time. That’s why when your little one grows and becomes more independent, you have to snatch all the opportunities that will come with it. Among those is learning some DIY home repair and building skills.
Why are they important? Well, DIY skills will help you manage your household more efficiently. Instead of relying and spending money on outside help all the time, you can fix issues yourself, maintain your home, and know what you’re doing. Furthermore, you can impart your DIY skills to your child in time, so you two can share responsibilities in home maintenance.
So when you finally have time to learn DIY skills, start with any of the following:
1. Unclogging Drains
Aside from using a plunger, there’s no one more way to unclog a drain. Pour two to three tablespoons of baking soda into the drain, followed by a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. Rinse with water, and the blockage should loosen. The foul odors will go away as well.
If that doesn’t fix it, try this nifty hack: Get a bucket and place it under the sink. Then dismantle the U-bend. All connections and joints in plumbing pipes are hand-tightened, so you don’t need to use any tool.
Once the U-bend is off, you’d likely see the culprit of the clog or foul odors already. Thoroughly wash it off in another sink or outside using your garden hose. Reassemble the U-bend afterward, and the drains should work optimally at once.
2. Removing and Reapplying Sealants
Sealants on bathroom fixtures catch molds over time. Once they do, take off the sealants using a utility knife. This can take time depending on the severity of the mold infestation and the bathroom fixture affected.
Once the sealant comes off, clean the area with mineral spirit, and wait until it dries. Then reapply the sealant using a caulking gun. If you don’t have one, you may use your hands, though that may tire you out because you’d need to apply constant pressure on the sealant tube. A caulking gun will decrease the pressure from your hands and deliver a more precise application, so buy a caulking gun from the store first before resealing.
3. Basic Woodworking
Basic woodworking can be learned through a short course or workshop. The process isn’t as hard as it sounds; in fact, some students learn it in home economics class. That means you can nail it, too.
You’d most likely start with building small wooden items, like a medicine cabinet. Having such skill will be useful if any cabinets in your home start to break down or fall out of alignment. You can take drawers out from their rails, change and reinstall the hardware, or take out and replace the cabinet doors themselves. Naturally, you’d also know how to use woodworking tools, like scrapers and saws.
4. Installing Wallpapers
If you want to remodel your home on a budget, changing the wallpapers alone can make a big difference. Just clean the surface thoroughly and even out bumps or gaps if possible. Then follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to install the wallpaper. To save time, go for peel-and-stick types instead of the ones that require a separate adhesive.
5. Changing Backsplash or Bathroom Tiles
Installing tiles isn’t difficult, but extreme precision is required, which can make the task a little stressful. Thankfully, some tools can help you make it easier, such as tile levelers. Those are the small inserts put in between each tile.
When you’re done and the tilesets, fill the gaps between each tile with grout. This binds the tiles together more strongly and prevents water from seeping through the gaps.
6. Identifying Construction Materials and Their Purpose
When you finally build your dream home, it would be beneficial to have some basic know-how in construction. It will help you choose better materials and determine which type of particular material will accommodate your needs best.
The basic construction materials include wood, concrete, steel, and masonry. Wood is used to frame the structure and for the drywalls. Concrete is for the foundation and retaining walls, and sometimes, kitchen countertops. Steel has various purposes; high-grade stainless steel, for example, can be used for gates, pipe tubes, and kitchen countertops. Lastly, masonry is for building walls involving other materials like brick, stone, or glass blocks.
These DIY skills will let you gain a new perspective when you look at your home. You’d start to notice the details you’d otherwise not pay attention to. It would make living in your abode a lot more exciting as a result.
