The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: velocistar237 on February 29, 2012, 06:48:33 AM
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When we do even little things ourselves, it gives us a feeling of empowerment, especially for those who don't [yet?] have contractor-level skills. My DIY projects take forever, and I have to research the heck out of them before I can start work. Sometimes, though, I achieve a little victory that I'm especially, maybe a little absurdly, proud of.
I fixed my drying rack. It saved me $25. What are you proud of?
(http://i.imgur.com/FCwvg.jpg)
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Any small thing I can get done on my car or motorcycle. Replacing spark plugs. Successfully troubleshooting a speedo issue, etc. This kind of work is very difficult for me, for some reason.
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I re-lit the water heater when MMM was out of town. I called MMM first and he told me to look it up online since he was on the ski lift and all...
It was actually a little more complicated than I expected, but I'm glad I learned how to do it. Yes, it was a very small victory. :)
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Anything on the car.
Changing the oil
Changing out an alternator or starter
Changing out the exhaust from the cat back
etc.
Fixing a loose doorknob or shower faucet, fixing a leaking sink, just basic household stuff you don't need much more than a screwdriver for. Those give me a little boost.
I always enjoyed those things but haven't been able to do it for the last few years because I went from a 2 car garage to a gravel and dirt parking area.
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I recently changed the battery in my (single, hardly ever used) car.
The dealership wanted $275, haha. I did the research online, found the same OEM battery in a branded form, installed it myself in about 10 minutes, and I now have a 8 year full replacement warrantee on it (that was not included by the dealership) which will probably outlast the car. Saved $175+.
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In our first house, I installed a ceiling fan/light. Never did that before and had no clue what I was getting myself into. But the fixture came with instructions, which were easy to follow. In my new house, I did the same thing.
My partner has replaced faucets and installed an old-fashioned shower on an old claw-foot tub (the kind of shower with the wraparound rods that the curtain hangs on).
We both tore down old ceiling and insulation and put up the new ceiling ourselves. And we've ripped out countless carpets and laid new flooring.
And we've repaired damaged wallboard with new pieces if it's a big hole, or mesh and plaster if it's a smaller one.
And I think I replaced a light switch once in our first house, too.
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I build all my own computers including my laptops. I install all the software including the operating system and handle all maintenance. Not only have I saved countless thousands of dollars (I've owned a lot of computers), but I've also made quite a bit doing this for other people.
I have built most of the furniture in my house: closets, beds, shelves, dressers, pantries. It's a lot more fulfilling creating something from scratch on your own than buying it and placing it in your house. I've also wired my garage with a new circuit and 8 power outlets, replaced several power outlets, hung ceiling fans, rebuilt a couple faucets, and painted the walls.
Feels good.
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-refill brake fluid and oil on my car (i have a leaky car so this is frequent)
-insulate under our floor boards to keep heat in the house better
-patch holes/ repair plaster in the walls (and painting, of course)
-sanded/ refinished our wood countertops (this one i regretted for a while--it took almost a year to eradicate the sawdust from the house)
-built a fireplace for the living room
-built planter boxes for the front yard, and working on a raised garden bed now
-general yardwork--this is the first time i've had a plot of land to take care of, and i've managed to keep a lemon tree and a lime tree alive (although this is not true for the orange or avocado tree, ha)
i didn't know how to do any of these things when i started; it feels good to learn and be able to do them myself!
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A few small things I've done in the last two months:
- installed a "new" kitchen faucet, a very high-end one, that a friend gave me for free because it didn't match his decor. Cost: 15 min of work, $0 in materials
- replaced 14 capacitors on the power supply and logic boards of my TV converter box. We never watch TV and basically have it for the odd news or weather event... seemed crazy to buy another one at $60+. Cost: 2 hours of research on the Internet on the problem + learning how to solder (I'd never done it), 1 hour desoldering/ordering parts/ resoldering, $9.79 in parts and shipping from DigiKey. ~$50 saved.
- Brake job on the Civic, front disc brakes only. $18 in parts, less than 1 hour in time. $100-200 saved? Not sure what that costs... I've never paid to have brakes done. :)
- Water heater blanket. $21 in materials, 1 hour in time. Savings: about $2/mo, forever + whatever a plumber would have charged...maybe $50-75 in labor?
- Thorn proof tubes in the kids' trailer and the wife's bike (she got into a big patch of goatheads recently and flattened all four tires). Cost: $30 in parts & taxes (4 tubes), 30 min labor. Savings: ~$32 labor (assuming the old labor rate of $8/tire that I charged when I worked a bike shop 15 years ago... it's likely higher now)
It's amazing how much one can save by doing these little projects. My absolutely non-Mustachian neighbors hire out EVERYTHING... she was recently telling me what a great deal she got on a electrician, who put in a new light fixture for just over $100 in labor... the electrician probably made $400/hr on that one. :)
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I work in the auto repair industry. Congrats to everyone that has been DIYing maintenance! It really isn't particularly difficult and will only get easier as you do more of it. Take it further and do major repairs. With a little time and the internet you will be amazed what you can accomplish.
I know just enough about computers to break them. Lately I have been learning to both fix, and maintain them myself. I figure I use it enough, I better know how to take care of it to put off a replacement purchase even longer.
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I brewed a batch of beer. Does that count?
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Years ago we had saved up $1500 for a road trip. Got the car checked as we were going remote (central Australia). Expected bills for necessary repairs:$1800. There goes the trip! So bought a repair manual, torque wrench, valve grinding paste, brake parts, steering linkage parts, suspension bushes, universal joint bearings for the main drive shaft and did the lot for about $200. (yes, it was an old car - 1970 Toyota Corolla). Somehow I had a handful of important looking bolts leftover when I reassembled the engine. Did the 8,000 mile trip ok, so those bolts couldn't have been that important.
We did have one breakdown. The car wouldn't start after we refueled at a remote gas station so the owner reached under the dash, yanked out a fistful of wires and taught us how to Hotwire our car.
I don't do a lot of that stuff now. I prefer working on the house. Leaning over the bonnet (hood) of a car for hours isn't great for the back.
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I brewed a batch of beer. Does that count?
hell yes.
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Just a recent one was a dishwasher repair. After 10 years of heavy use the plastic inside had corroded to the point that the top rack had no useable brackets and wheels to roll on. Had to track down the model number and see if parts were still available and amazingly they were. I was about to order some repair parts to fix it ourselves at a cost of $30 when I remembered that my parents replaced the same dishwasher brand about 6 years previously. My dad is a scrapper/saver so I thought he just might have saved the tub part of the washer to use as a cabinet in his storage sheds. He did! He was using it to keep his power tools out of the humidity. The parts I needed were there so our repair was free and took hubby about 15 minutes to do. I was starting to do it myself but let him take over. He builds for a living and can do stuff much faster.
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I brewed a batch of beer. Does that count?
I dunno... if I did that, I might put it over in the other thread (https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/your-biggest-diy-project-so-far/).
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My most transformational DIY victory was when I first installed a new exterior door into a house. I lived in that place for years and used it for carpentry practice, but I was always afraid of trying to change out the old 1970s windows and doors myself.
Finally I grew tired of the tiny little window in the master bedroom that didn't let in much light or views of the beautiful back yard gardens.. so I bought a giant set of glass/wood french doors to put there instead. Then I was afraid to install them, so I let them sit in the garage for a few months.
Eventually, I got a library book that explained the steps, and did the project - sawing a huge 6'x6' hole in the side of my house, adding the necessary framing, and then the door. It was surprisingly easy! It took only one long day of work, but it transformed the experience of living in that house forever.
Ever since then, I've been a window and door enthusiast, slicing new and better windows and doors into walls whenever I feel like it. It really transforms a house, and lets you bring in more light, solar heat, and nicer access to whatever side of the house is currently inaccessible.
Since most people are still afraid to do this (as I was originally), it gives you a big leg up on other homeowners when buying a fixer-upper for yourself at a discount. You can buy the place with good bones but awful windows and doors, while they won't be competing with you for it, since they imagine a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, while you just imagine a few Saturdays.
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Anything on the car.
Changing the oil
I think this will be my next DIY challenge --- but hopefully I'll be using mass transit more frequently, so the next oil change will be a long ways away! Just found some youtube videos and great articles on the subject.
Youtube is so great for DIYers, another house project I've got on the "to do" list is to take care of some nail pops in the walls. The "how to" videos I found on youtube got me straight on how to do it. Now, to find the time! Next week, hopefully. Gotta fix the nail pops before I can get rid of the avocado green paint left by the previous owner....
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I'm intending to do my first little DIY project in the next few weeks: reupholstering and repainting my sister's old glider, which we will re-use in our nursery. I bought fabric last weekend and am picking up my sister's sewing machine next weekend. I haven't sewn anything in 20 years, but hopefully my 4H skills will come back quickly! I did, after all, win a purple award for an outfit I made at the county fair one year. :)
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I completely agree on the windows and doors! I replaced a big window with a double door full height glass patio style on the back of my house. So much more natural light.
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I'm not mechanical or handy by nature, so these were significant victories for me:
I recently replaced a cracked taillight lens cover on my wife's car after it failed state inspection. Located one in a junkyard, then did the replacement. Also took pleasure in replacing a couple burned out turn signal bulbs in the past several months.
Last spring, I enjoyed building a 4'x4' raised-bed garden for the backyard. Now I have to scoff when I see Groupons for garden beds of the same size--for around $200 (down from $400)!
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I tend to be intimidated by plumbing because if I do something wrong I have a flood on my hands. So when I successfully replaced the leaking toilet bolts - that hold the tank on the back of the toilet - that felt like a major accomplishment. Plus a new package of bolts was less than $4 including tax and calling a plumber would have run at least $100, I'm sure.
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We discovered that our diswasher was not anchored to the countertop. My husband did the research online, we bought the brackets and did the job ourselves. That was the beginning of our do it yourself projects around our house in the country.
The biggest projct to date: an 8-foot high fence around our 50x50' garden. I got tired of waking up every morning to find the deer munching away on my produce.
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Just this afternoon (on this glorious 60+ degree Colorado day!) I replaced a few shingles on my roof that had missing chunks after the last few wind storms.
Does anyone know if I should use some sort of extra adhesive to make sure the ends stick down where I had to pull them up to remove/replace nails?
Feels good to work outside on a project!
Next up, planting vegetable seeds to go under grow lights I hung last weekend, and then maybe next weekend building another 4x8 garden box outside (if it's not snowing).
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Curtains for my insanely tall/high set windows. Anybody care to guess how much most retailers want for two 11' curtain panels? It's enough to make you scream. Three flat twin bed sheets and an hour of cutting and sewing (and a commitment to the trend of color-blocking) later, and I actually have somewhat stylish curtains for $15. So much better than the ones my landlord left up that were quite literally the color of old piss.
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I just made a little draft blocker for the front door. Mine isn't as pretty as the original inspiration, but hopefully it will get the job done! I had two stockings and I used some old fabric for filler. It will be hard to calculate the savings, though. I haven't lived here long enough to have a good yardstick.
http://www.squawkfox.com/2012/02/29/energy-bill/
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I just replaced my 21 year old water heater by myself!
Next, I'm evaluating the effort to renovate the water source plumbing MMM style.
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I made this:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402673_10150566566182851_752537850_9010073_126164236_n.jpg)
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Llama, how sweet! do you store garden tools in it?
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Garden tools and my outdoor candles and lanterns!
I got the plans from a book in the library, something along the lines of "2x4 Projects for your Home" or something.
Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...
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Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...
There are tons of free plans at www.ana-white.com. How about a wall shelf (http://ana-white.com/plancatalog?keys=&term_node_tid_depth=115&collections=All&findplansbyroom=All&findplansbyskilllevel=All&estimated_lumber_cost=All&style=All)?
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My most transformational DIY victory was when I first installed a new exterior door into a house. I lived in that place for years and used it for carpentry practice, but I was always afraid of trying to change out the old 1970s windows and doors myself.
Finally I grew tired of the tiny little window in the master bedroom that didn't let in much light or views of the beautiful back yard gardens.. so I bought a giant set of glass/wood french doors to put there instead. Then I was afraid to install them, so I let them sit in the garage for a few months.
I'm scared too! I would LOVE to replace our dated back door with some french doors (that would lead from the dining room to the deck). Similar situation, the windows in this door have some fake stained glass stuff on 'em and that's the only window in the room! I know that new doors wouldn't be too expensive, but we'd have to make the hole bigger. My biggest concern is how to tell if the wall is load-bearing and if the whole house would come crumbling down if I just cut into it. Was that explained in the book you had? Do you by any chance know what the book was so that I can look for that one or something similar?
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Over the weekend we (my Dad and I) installed and ran cable for a 15 foot fringe antenna installed in my attic. It was free, given to me by a co-worker who lives in the boonies and likes his satellite. Total cost of installation: $30 for a 10' antenna post we had to cut down to 40"; $30 for 30' of uncapped co-ax; $2 for the end caps; about $10 for a slick wall plate that integrates with my network cable; (so now I've got a professional looking wall plate with an antenna connection and a network drop); and then then $10 for taxes.
Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.
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Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.
If it's a digital TV, you can build this for less than $10: http://www.tvantennaplans.com/
I have build many and they all work great!
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Last weekend I installed a new chartplotter/fishfinder in the boat that had been sitting under the stairs since November.
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Video reception isn't actually much better than the omni-directional behind-the-tv unit I had before, but I do get a few more channels (mostly French unfortunately). The big thing is that I live in a high interference zone for FM, so my radio reception is spotty at best (I can live without TV, but pain and agony on anyone who suggests I live without my FM radio!) so now we get exceptionally clear reception on all stations.
If it's a digital TV, you can build this for less than $10: http://www.tvantennaplans.com/
I have build many and they all work great!
Even cheaper, I made this one for the cost of the adapter piece (which was about $3 at our local hardware store) and some things laying around the house. It works great! (Too bad I'll never be able to avoid cable altogether since boyfriend is a huge hockey fan and there are no good alternatives there, we still kill the cable for the summer) http://www.squidoo.com/a-free-antenna-to-watch-free-hdtv
It's in our attic and I ran a cable down to the living room for it, no one has to see it and it gets pretty good reception up there.
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I built a headboard for my bed based on one of Ana White's plans - it makes me proud every time I crawl into bed ^_^
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I'm scared too! I would LOVE to replace our dated back door with some french doors (that would lead from the dining room to the deck). Similar situation, the windows in this door have some fake stained glass stuff on 'em and that's the only window in the room! I know that new doors wouldn't be too expensive, but we'd have to make the hole bigger. My biggest concern is how to tell if the wall is load-bearing and if the whole house would come crumbling down if I just cut into it. Was that explained in the book you had? Do you by any chance know what the book was so that I can look for that one or something similar?
If it is an exterior wall then it is load bearing. That doesn't mean you can't do it - you'll just need a header. Find a book on framing before you start, and that should help. I find doors difficult. I have put in or assisted with 6 or so, and I still dread them. I would find a mentor - any of your family members, friends, co-workers have any remodeling experience? It's a decent size project to take on if you don't have experience. I'm not trying to discourage you, just make sure you either have a helper with a little knowledge, or a couple hundred dollars in case it becomes a problem.
Heidi
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Just fixed something that's been a nagging annoyance for years. I have an old house that's on a raised foundation with an added-on room that's on a slab. I got floor-leveling work done (they jack up the foundation and level it) which broke the connection to the added on room at its ceiling. So I had a crack you could actually see light through for a while. (Amazingly it didn't leak water when it rained since there was some overhanging roof above it.) I had a contractor who had tried to fill it by using spray foam and moving the existing wood trim to cover the opening, but over time it opened up enough that it was raining a steady sprinkle of roof junk (bits of shingle, grit, even roofing nails) in the room below. I couldn't go a week without sweeping it up.
I was looking up other stuff and ran across the notion of caulk backing rod, and was going to get some of that. I remembered I already had some pipe insulation which is basically the same stuff. Cut a strip, forced it into the gap with a putty knife, then caulked over that with elasticized caulk. No more broken house! I guess time will tell if it holds but at least it's not raining grit any more.
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I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result. The dog does too :-).
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Now I just need a project to use up the last 9/10 of the gallon of pink outdoor paint...
There are tons of free plans at www.ana-white.com. How about a wall shelf (http://ana-white.com/plancatalog?keys=&term_node_tid_depth=115&collections=All&findplansbyroom=All&findplansbyskilllevel=All&estimated_lumber_cost=All&style=All)?
That Ana is BRILLIANT! Last weekend we built a hall tree (still need to paint it, but it holds coats!!!) and now my husband is working on some adirondack chairs. He's been super excited about getting to use his pocket-hole jig or jib or whatever it is. I'm excited about getting rid of some plastic chairs.
Thanks for the tip!
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I am the absolute worst handyman bar none. This makes me frustrated as I am an intelligent guy, but put some tools in my hands and I pretty much can't do anything. I wanted to install three shoe racks on the wall in a closet due to all the shoes we have. This should have been a 20 minute job for anyone else. For me it turned into a 2 hours of sweating and cursing to put up these shelves. First shelf up was not level and had to start over.
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We rented a 70 pound electric jackhammer from Home Depot and I spent 30 minutes breaking up a concrete patio that was causing us some basement drainage issues because it was improperly sloped. Much easier than anticipated.
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Some randome DIY vitories the past couple months:
-Made two large flower boxes for my wife out of 1x12 pine boards, drilled weep holes, sanded, painted whole thing, and lacquered the inside
-built a storage shelving unit in the garage out of an old pallet
-learned to use a miter saw and table saw without chopping off any fingers
-Installed a used paperboy basket set on the rear rack of my bike (for groceries), adjusted brakes, put a $3 LED flashlight on the bike as a DIY headlamp (yes, duct tape was involved)
On the agenda:
-hanging flower boxes from the beam on our pergola using galvanized lag bolts
-installing an electric garage door opener on for our 60+ year old steel door (any tips here would be appreciated)
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I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result. The dog does too :-).
I'd love any steps you could share on this. The dog beds we buy turn to crap in a year -- I think we're buying those filled with the wrong material.
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We've given up on dog beds. They just get shredded and make a huge mess when the stuffing goes everywhere. Now we just use blankets for them instead.
I think dogs should be happy sleeping on the floor as long as they get to be in the house, but my wife insists they have designated sleeping/bedding materials.
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I recently made a large, durable dog bed with a zipper enclosure (and I had never put a zipper in anything) - took me ALL day, but I like the result. The dog does too :-).
I'd love any steps you could share on this. The dog beds we buy turn to crap in a year -- I think we're buying those filled with the wrong material.
I found an old dog bed that I liked, took it apart and used it for a pattern. Removed the zipper and repurposed it in the new one. I went to a fabric outlet and bought the toughest cotton canvas my sewing machine could handle for about $7. Cut out the pices according to the pattern, sewed them together, put in the zipper and viola. The shell washes up well, and the filling is polyester mixed with cedar chips encased in an old sheet within the dog bed. I may try a different filler (like foam) that will compress less. It was worth the effort - no signs of shredding yet!
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I replaced the igniter in the gas dryer, and the control board in the furnace.
Mrs. R was skeptical before both. Now that both are done successfully I think she's more willing to trust that I really can fix stuff.
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I cooked two meals from scratch today. The first two meals I've ever cooked in my life, all by myself. I'm absurdly proud of myself for getting over my lifelong cooking demotivation.
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I replaced the igniter in the gas dryer, and the control board in the furnace.
Mrs. R was skeptical before both. Now that both are done successfully I think she's more willing to trust that I really can fix stuff.
That's about how my boyfriend feels about me building things. I got it in my head to build a fence earlier this year. Our back yard was almost completely fenced in, save for the driveway. I still want to replace the side that has chain-link with a nice wood fence like the rest, but for this year I decided to do the gate first so the dog can run around. I built an awesome gate out of wood fencing and it already looks awesome but I have to stain/finish it still. I'll have to share some pics when it's complete. But right after I got it up, my boyfriend said something along the lines of now he trusts that I can build things and he won't be so skeptical either. But those things you did sound a bit scarier, I have to work my DIY muscles a bit more to get up the nerve to do things like that!
And Adventine, cooking for yourself is great! It'll increase your health AND your wealth! :)
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I cooked two meals from scratch today. The first two meals I've ever cooked in my life, all by myself. I'm absurdly proud of myself for getting over my lifelong cooking demotivation.
Congratulations Adventine! Cooking your own meals can save so much money!
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I spent an hour today crawling around in the loft space laying new insulation. Only a third of it is done, and I may never regain the use of my knees, but I am glad that I'm doing it myself and not paying someone else to do it!
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Single mum here - sink or swim:
painting, including wall repairs, wallpapering - removal and reapply
reseal timber deck
install bamboo shielding to balcony
put together flat pack furniture
Basic sewing repars eg sew on buttons, take up hems etc
putting up curtain rails ( and curtains)
toilet float valve adjustment
fitted draft excluder strips to external doors
supervised teen son fitting insulation, phone lines and internet connections
temporary repair of cracked sewer pipes
replace elements on stove
unblock sink
turn down hot water tank thermostat
minor repairs of furniture/household items requiring screws/nails/glueing
clear gutters on rooftop,
shred garden waste,
split wood but pretty slow
replace fuse
hang pictures
reframe pictures using old frames
snake/venomous spider/rodent dispatching
ie anything that requires a can-do attitude and a bit of common sense but not too much skill!
Over the years I've surprised my self with what I have done just by staying calm and trying to figure it out.
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I'd say today was a victory. I rewired and updated the bathroom light fixture(s) today! I may have pictures once the bathroom is 100% complete, but there are still holes in the walls and paint to be painted.
Before: an outdated light on either side of the medicine cabinet, with a wire running to the light switch on top of the drywall (wtf??) and an outlet off of that that we had fixed a while back when we had a pro around (the outlet just didn't work).
I desperately wanted the fixture to live above the mirror instead of to the sides (sort of blinding when going in close to do some makeup!) and obviously that switch wire needed to be changed. I tore the paneling down off the walls (1/2 way up, like cheap-ass wainscoting) last weekend and that's where the ugly wire was sitting, not really hidden but blending in a little bit.
I've done smaller electrical things before but none of this magnitude. I went and bought some wire and a new fixture this morning. Took from about 11am to around 5pm to do it all. I thought I'd never get the wire to fish through the ceiling! Lots of holes and a very messy floor later, I was very nervous to flip the switch. Put a bulb in, turned the breaker back on, got my boyfriend for the "big reveal" and it worked! I got very lucky with some placements of existing wires and it was a lot of work but I'm so glad I did it!
I still need to patch up the holes but since pulling down paneling a lot of that needs to be done anyways. Can't wait until I can paint and call it done-for-now. The room still needs a new vanity and mirror but that'll happen later.
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John repaired our outdoor dining umbrella in much the same way Velocistar repaired the drying rack. I do my own painting, and am also pretty good at unclogging drains. I've effed up the garbage disposal drain so bad a few times that I was standing on the countertop with a plunger!! :) Usually I call my Dad on the phone for moral support and guidance and then jump in.....
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Oh, and since John is much more advanced at this stuff than I, he is currently coffering the ceiling in our den and kitchen. The drywall came loose and almost caved in....it was covered with yucky popcorn that is hard to match and we decided to do something that would look good and anchor the ceiling forever.
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The cord for my wife's curling iron was mangled and wire was exposed, so I replaced it with one from an old, dead touch lamp we were throwing out. Just a little soldering and electrical tape. Even the lamp itself, several years ago I salvaged with the touch mechanism stopped working. I just added one of those in-line cord switches.
Also fixed my guitar amp with some soldering skill (hmm... you could probably write a Get Rich With: A Soldering Iron article).
Fixed our electric range twice, replaced a bearing in the clothes dryer twice (which we now use much less, thanks to MMM's suggestion).
I've probably saved thousands in car repairs and maintenance in the last few years, including replacing an entire ENGINE. :-)
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old water heater was on it's last legs so I replaced it. old was an Electric 40 gallon 3500 watt 9 year warranty that had been installed wrong. Someone replaced the original di-electric nipples with some longer galvanized ones and then connected it directly to the copper plumbing. Massive rust at the nipple to tank connection 7 years later was the cause of failure. Note to anyone not aware - don't mix different metals where water is involved. Rust is far more likely to occur there.... Anyways the old tank was also right in the middle of the walkway to my office. So I went to a new 60 gallon tank, which is bottom feed due to new efficiency rules in the province and since the plumbing was changing for that I relocated it 5 feet over where an old useless closet was. The old closet was removed then the new tank went in. After replumbing I went to use a junction box to extend the wiring but found that the old tank had been wired with 14-2 when it should have been at least 12-2. The new tank is 4500 watts and should have 10-2 wiring. Sure enough trying the old wiring resulted in it heating up and popping the breaker. 2 hours later I'd run 30 feet of 10-2 and everything works. Now all that remains is getting the temperature set correctly and wrapping the tank up really good with insulation. The new 60 has a lot higher standby losses then the old 40.
Anyway all of this came to just shy of $700 doing it myself. I didn't bother getting quotes from a pro. I'd guess they'd be at least double since a direct replacement of a gas tank that I paid someone to do was $600 for the tank $1200 installed...
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i fixed my toilet today! i feel a little dumb that it took me this long to do it, because it literally took 5 minute and 5 dollars. but i've never done anything like that before, so i'm irrationally pleased. :)
next i want to try to change out the kitchen faucet -- how hard is that?
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Congratulations on fixing the toilet!! I could use a new faucet too, but I don't know how hard that would be.... Maybe we will both learn that trick soon.
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Also fixed my guitar amp with some soldering skill (hmm... you could probably write a Get Rich With: A Soldering Iron article).
Agreed! I recently replaced the a/c jack on my boyfriend's laptop, the original was wiggly (still connected to the board, I think the piece itself got crappy). It would go back and forth between being "plugged in" and "on battery". The hardest part was taking the machine apart since I had to take the motherboard completely out to replace the piece. It cost me less than $2 for the part and I had the soldering iron & solder. I think it might've cost more than $2 if I took it somewhere (but what self respecting programmer takes a computer somewhere to get fixed?)
@madgeylou & @carolinakaren, replacing a faucet is super easy. I did it once when I was in high school!! My parents are borderline hoarders and on a few occasions I just went crazy and cleaned different areas where *things* were collecting. One time there was a new faucet laying around for so long, I just did it! I think the hardest part was that I had to replace the pieces that go from the connections where the off valves are to the faucet and I had to make a few trips to the store since I had no idea what I was doing. It's just a matter of taking out what was there and putting in a new thing the same way the old thing was hooked up. I like doing stuff like that because it's easy. Go for it!
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Nothing like a water heater going kaput on a holiday weekend...I had no plans so this gave me a good project. Three years ago this would have been hired out. After looking it over, this is really a pretty simple project for any basic DIY'er with a few plumbing skills/supplies.
Total cost: $420 ($365 tax included for 40gal water heater, $55 misc copper fittings and supplies).
I highly recommend for anyone to try on their own. And, there is a clear difference in the hot water supply...hopefully a clear difference in the efficiency too!
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i fixed my toilet today! i feel a little dumb that it took me this long to do it, because it literally took 5 minute and 5 dollars. but i've never done anything like that before, so i'm irrationally pleased. :)
next i want to try to change out the kitchen faucet -- how hard is that?
Faucets aren't tough. There are a few little things I've found though:
- The faucet is generally attached with a big nut from underneath, so if you don't have a spanner wide enough to get around it, try a length of chain.
- If you're lucky, the pipes leading to the faucet are flexible and attached with 1/2" connectors; your basic wrench should cover those. If not, it's time to cut some pipe...
- A new faucet will probably need new flexible connectors, so be sure to get some which are the same size. Flexible connectors are a lot easier to work with than compression joints and tiny bits of pipe.
- And don't forget to seal any joints. Jointing compound is so much easier than PTFE tape for this, I don't know how I managed before:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/BOSS-SUPER-GREEN-PIPE-JOINTING-COMPOUND-400gms-/05/!Bnz-tR!Bmk~%24%28KGrHqUOKjEEtrP0KWt%28BLl!r%29Gq4g~~_35.JPG)
HTH.
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Well, tomorrow I shall be setting up a compost bin in my backyard. It has been a long time coming.
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Power tools are a bit scary for me.
But there's a bit of painting to be done on the deck and sanding down the old paint seemed to be a good first step.
Knowing nothing about sanders, I threw myself into searching for reviews online. After a couple of hours five sanders seemed to stand out, so I went into the nearest hardware shop to see what they looked like/felt like (ie weight and balance) and have a chat to the staff. (I was the only girl in there!!). Through this process it became obvious that four of the five sanders were no good - my hand was too small to pick them up or they were too heavy. But number five sander was great. I looked at the price and went home to search Trade Me. I found exactly the same one and won the auction.
I am now the very proud owner of a random orbital sander that didn't cost much. A friend of mine (male) noticed it and was so excited by it. Apparently it's a really good model.
Right! Next step is to use it (waiting for summer)...
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A mildly amusing victory, in that I ended up not having to do anything.
I found, one evening, that the bottom of my kitchen sink was coated in water, and it had started dripping onto the cabinet floor below. I assumed it was a leak, and my first reaction was, "I'm going to have to fix this."
We triaged with towels and I started poking around. Then I recalled that my wife had had a huge ice bath in the sink for some project. It was condensation! Lots of it. Whew. Glad I didn't actually start trying to fix something that wasn't broken.
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Not my victory, but the Hubs. Our hot water heater broke. He replaced it himself. We ended up spending about $420 instead of however much it would have cost to have a professional do it. Probably several thousand dollars. It broke on a Saturday.
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Probably the coolest thing we have done was patch the roof. This involved tearing off shingles, splicing in a new joist, replacing plywood, re-shingling, and flashing around the chimney. We've done harder things since then, but that was just amazing at the time!
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My most recent achievement is replacing a dead battery in my car. It died on me when I tried to restart after the light turned green. People behind me were not amused, but a cop came by in a minute or two and blocked traffic and helped me push it into a parking lot so I could get a jump from a friend.
The battery replacement wasn't too difficult, though it was pretty dirty. There was a ton of corrosion on the connector and the nuts were difficult to access with the tools I had. A simple set of pliers actually worked best for loosening. One of the nuts was half corroded-through such that I could see the bolt threads on one side. Luckily, I had a compatible nut on hand. The corrosion cleans up pretty well when a mixture of baking soda and water is applied with a wire brush. I also followed some online advice to apply petroleum jelly to the battery studs to deter corrosion. Didn't have the pure stuff, but had Vicks Vaporub. I hope the battery appreciates the decongestant effects of menthol.
I just wish I would've picked up one of those cheap Costco batteries when I was there two days before my battery died. Would've saved me about $10. Consumer Reports says just about all auto batteries are the same, so I went with the cheapest compatible one I could find through a chain store close to my home (Advance, in this case). My car starts up so much better now! I know what to listen for, too, so next time I can purchase before it dies.
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I sewed with a sewing machine: I hemmed two pairs of jeans, sewed the pockets back on another pair, and re-sewed a seam on a shirt which was coming apart. You'd think, as a practical women, I would have been sewing all along, but I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't touched a machine since they made me take home-economics in grade 9.
I've built doghouses, replaced a chimney, fixed lawnmowers and snowblowers, and soldered electronics, but I just figured that the sewing was for girly girls. Wrong. I am wiser now: A sewing machine is a serious and useful tool.
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I recently changed the battery in my (single, hardly ever used) car.
The dealership wanted $275, haha. I did the research online, found the same OEM battery in a branded form, installed it myself in about 10 minutes, and I now have a 8 year full replacement warrantee on it (that was not included by the dealership) which will probably outlast the car. Saved $175+.
As an aside for your next battery - the Costco house-brand car batteries are very highly rated and an excellent value.
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Since we've lived in our current house, we have (some with the help of my dad):
-Remodeled the kitchen: we changed layout, but didn't move any appliances or utilities (just minor shifting), basically installed new cabinets and counters, turned a half-wall into a full wall and put up a pantry cabinet against said wall, and installed new laminate flooring; IKEA cabinetry (easy peasy, love it, would do it again)
-Replaced elements in the hot water heater
-Changed out the guts in all toilets
-Installed a screen/storm front door
-Replaced our back sliding door (drafty POS) with a new
-Replaced the control board in our furnace (bought the part on Ebay for a bit over $100)
-Replace thermostat
-Installed a ceiling fan
-Installed attic stairs
-Run a couple new cable outlets (for internet)
-Replaced all stoppers in all bathroom sinks (they all rusted and stopped working at once)
-Knitted hats and scarves for my kids
-Making bread weekly
-Making beer
-Making our own laundry detergent
-Changed oil, spark plugs, and batteries in cars (this is the limit of what I know about cars)
Things I still NEED to do (as of now):
-Replace all vanity faucets (they are all spraying from places they shouldn't)
-Hem several pairs of pants
-Replace bathroom floor (old sticky tile installed by previous owner, now cracking and crumbling)
-Make more beer
-Make the ants leave
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I can prime my own oil tank!! Yippee since I'm dumb enough to run out of fuel sometimes and so are my tenants. Used to be $10 to pay the oil delivery driver to do it and I learned how to do it from him, since I thought $10 was too much. I recently found out from a friend that the same company now charges $40 to prime the tank! The reason they gave her was that the truck drivers are not all certified and they now have a policy that only their certified people are allowed to touch the customers equipment. Certified in what? Hell if I know.
I hereby certify myself, you may call me OPTIMUS PRIMER!