Simple DIY Jobs Which Can Save You a Small Fortune

There are few things worse than discovering that something you had dismissed as a minor and unnecessary issue in your home has turned into a major repair job. It can be expensive and time consuming to repair, and it’s made all the more frustrating when you realise you could have avoided the hassle by making a small repair earlier.

We’ve collected a few jobs which should be done regularly to help avoid a large repair bill in the future. By taking care of these issues when you first notice them you can save a lot of time and money in the future.

Mildew on the Foundation Walls

If you have a number of plants near your foundation walls they can channel additional water down the outside of the wall, which can cause still rot and mould over time. If left unchecked for a significant period of time the roots of the plants can even work their way into your foundation walls and your pipes.

Keep on top of this potential problem by trimming your garden shrubs regularly, or if that’s too time consuming consider replacing them with shrubs which require a lot less maintenance. Make sure that any new shrubs you plant are at least 3 feet from the foundation walls, which will allow the plants to grow and give the siding room to breathe.

Worn Flooring

While it can be quite hard work to treat your wooden floors, the amount of money and time you’ll save by maintaining them properly is more than worth the effort. If you can maintain the polyurethane top coat regularly you’ll prevent the wood from drying out and splintering, meaning you can avoid replacing the entire floor.

Be vigilant and keep an eye out of wear and tear on the floor. When you first start to notice the floor becoming damaged you should either look to repair the floor yourself or hire a professional to treat the floor. While there may be a little cost involved it will be far less than the cost of replacing the entire floor.

Treating Your Garden Decking

Keeping your garden decking in good condition is essential, both in terms of saving you money and from a safety perspective. If your decking boards become soft or cracked it can cause the deck to collapse, which could be dangerous if anyone is standing on them at the time. If there are any cracks in the decking try exploring them with a flathead screwdriver. If the wood has a spongy feel or breaks without splintering there’s a good chance you have rot, meaning the board will need replaced.

Damaged or rotting boards should be replaced, allowing an 1/8th inch gap between the boards to allow for proper drainage. The new boards should be stained to match the existing boards, and they should be securely fixed with new screws and fasteners. You should aim to treat your decking regularly, at least once a year, to help prevent any issues with rotting boards.

Exterior Paint Peeling

If there’s any peeling or flaking paint on the outside of your home, particularly around doors and windows, it can cause the wood to rot over time. Check these areas regularly and look to repair them as required. The wood should be scraped, sanded, primed and painted to ensure the wood is well protected from the elements.

If there’s any minor rot on the wood it can usually be salvaged, saving the cost of replacing it entirely. The easiest way of fixing minor rot is to dig out any soft sections until you reach a solid part of the wood, then fill the gap with epoxy. Sand the area down and prime/paint the area as normal afterwards.

Dirty Gutters

Gutters are designed to help prevent water from running down the side of your house or splashing back onto your roof, and having clogged gutters will prevent them from doing their job. This can cause all manner of issues, including damage to the frame of the house, water leaking inside the cavity walls and rot in the fascia.

Regular cleaning of the gutters should be part of everyone’s annual DIY maintenance, with the Autumn period typically the best time to schedule it in. Scoop out anything that’s built up in the gutter, ensure they are properly secured to the wall and that they’re slanted towards the downspouts.

Also try running water down the gutters once you’ve cleaned them out to help find any possible leaks, and patch up any cracks or leaks with gutter sealant.