Midnight kitchen raid anyone?
Your pantry cabinet in your kitchen can come in a lot of different shapes and sizes: while some people have simple shelves, others will have full-on walk-in pantries. But no matter how big your pantry is, there's no escaping the potential for a breakdown or the need for repairs. The question is simple: will you be able to repair it yourself? After you read this article, you will.
First, it's important to realize that there are essentially two different types of breaks. The break is either superficial or structural. For example, a scratch on your pantry door would fall under the "superficial" category, in that it diminishes the attractiveness of your pantry but doesn't mean you can't still us it. Structural damage, such as a broken shelf, can be a little more substantial and might even effect your quality of life - daily life, that is.
The best way to fix most items around the house is to understand how it is put together - and then take it apart. You'll have to take apart most items down to the point of the problem itself so that you can make the necessary repairs and build it back together again. That's why it's important to properly diagnose what's wrong with your pantry. If you can't get to the problem, you'll have to do some removing, including actions like removing screws. Hey, it's not home improvement without getting your hands a little diry!
Common structural problems with pantries involve broken or stuck sliding mechanisms (for shelves and doors), broken hinges on doors, and broken shelves. Oftentimes, you'll be able to make the repairs simply by re-attaching something to where it originally belonged. If there is more extensive damage, however, you'll have to look into repairing the parts themselves and, failing that, replacing them.
You can replace virtually everything in your pantry if you understand how to find each part. If you know what kind of wood to use and how to get it properly colored and stained, you can replace a dented piece of wood. If you know the specific parts to door hinges and slides, you'll be able to order many of those online or find them in a hardware store.
What you do to fix your broken pantry will largely depend on the problems you face. But don't fret; what's important about your do-it-yourself home repair isn't always the problem, but the can-do attitude you bring to the table. Don't let your pantry be broken for weeks and then months on end: it's time to stop the procrastination and to get things done!
Photo Credits: la fattina
Originally posted 2009-07-31 03:45:35.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on July 20, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix, kitchen
Needs staining.
The wood deck is one of the hallmarks of the do-it-yourself home improvement buff, but what happens if you come across a home that has a wood deck that needs to be repaired? You may know a lot about building decks, but in order to fix one up and bring it up to your standards of quality, you'll have to think about things in a different way. Here are just a few tips for fixing and sealing a wood deck.
Test out the old deck. If the old deck is rotted and unfit, you'll simply want to replace it. Only leave a deck mostly in tact if you know that it's strong enough to function fully after being repaired.
It gets worse before it gets better: If you've ever cleaned out your garage before, you know that sometimes, home improvement means that things will get worse before they get better. If you really want to do a number on your wood deck and bring it up to snuff, then start out with a "it gets worse before it gets better" mindset. Take out anything resembling a loose nail. Destroy wood that has rotted and throw it out. If there's a part of the deck that doesn't look like it will mesh with a repaired one, get rid of it.
Sure, it might feel like you're building a new deck from scratch after this. But the end result will look more uniform and new if you really do a number on the old deck.
Replace what you've taken out. If you did a number on your deck, then you have more than a few holes to plug. If this is the case, you'll want to simply replace the old parts that came out with new ones. Make sure that every piece of wood in the structure is strong so that the entire deck will function like a new deck. When in doubt, take out an entire board and simply replace it with a new one.
Seal the deck. Seal the deck at the same point in which you would seal a new one.
Make the deck look uniform. After you've sealed the deck, it's time to make the deck look as uniform as possible. You can do this by staining all of the wood a similar color. Be sure to ask someone in the know about wood staining before you try it out - you don't want to end up with a mismatched deck. You can think about painting a deck if the staining won't work.
Photo Credits: tuchodi
Originally posted 2009-12-29 03:45:45.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on May 22, 2010 in
Deck, Handyman, How to Fix
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