Home repairs come with owning a house, along with paying your mortgage and taxes.
We've started putting together a list of the most common home repair projects and we need your help making sure we've got your hot projects on the list. The list is based on my experience running a handyman business for 8 years. That means some of the most common do it yourself repairs might be missing, and that's why your feedback (leave comments below) is needed.
Using this list, we'll pull together home repair tips for for each project, using a format similar to Leaky Faucets, A Common Home Repair.
We Need Your Input on Home Repairs
- Tell us the top three to five home repairs you want to see documented.
- Scan our lists and suggest home repairs you think are missing.
- Let us know if organizing these projects by room works for you?
- Give us feedback on our proposed format for home repairs like Leaky Faucets, A Common Home Repair.
- … and those who help us build our Home Repair Workbook, will get a complimentary copy.
Note: Here we're focusing on home repairs versus home maintenance (click here for home maintenance checklists) that can reduce the need for home repairs. You should always check when doing home repairs and improvements, to see if there are any government tax credits or rebates available to save money.
Home Repairs in Bathrooms
Bathrooms are small and very active rooms, with lots of features that require more home repairs. In bathrooms and anywhere you find water where it doesn't belong, you'll want to handle these home repairs first to reduce the risk of mold and other problems.
- Leaky (or dripping) faucets.
- Clogged sink, shower or bathtub drain.
- Find and fix leaking pipes.
- Low water pressure in the shower.
- Clogged toilet bowl.
- Toilet running continuously.
- Loose, cracked or missing caulk.
- Loose tiles and/or cracked grout.
- Address bathtub stains.
Kitchen & Laundry Room Home Repairs
After bathrooms, kitchens tend to require more home repairs because everyone spends more time in this room, than anywhere else.
- Kitchen faucet hard to operate (hard water).
- Leaky (or dripping) faucets including sprayer.
- Clogged sink drain.
- Noisy or jammed garbage disposal.
- Loose plastic laminate counter tops.
- Cabinet doors/drawers loose, stuck or hard to open/close.
- Curling linoleum.
- Loose floor tiles and/or cracked grout.
- Refrigerator constantly running or doesn’t keep food at right temperature.
Leave a comment below with home repairs we've missed.
Home Repairs in Living Spaces Without Water
Not as critical, these home repairs often linger on people's punch list for too long. Setting aside an evening or weekend several times each year will allow you to enjoy your home more (read Picking Your Home Maintenance Strategy).
- Holes, cracks and stains in walls and ceilings.
- Loose or cracked caulking (around doors, windows, trim).
- Peeling wallpaper.
- Doors and windows that stick or won't close and lock properly.
- Window and door screens with holes.
- Drafts and loose weatherstripping around doors and windows.
- Squeaky floors, stairs and/or doors.
- Slamming doors (got teenagers?)
- Loose floor tiles and/or cracked grout.
Home System Repairs
Often forgotten but very important, are these key home systems which we take for granted until they stop working – heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical systems.
- Leaking hot water heater.
- Sweating cold water pipes or toilet.
- Water pipe pinhole leak
- Heating system or air conditioning doesn't turn on properly.
- Flickering lights or a spark when turning switch on/off.
Home Repairs for Outdoor Living Spaces
We spend more time indoors but we still need to take care of home repairs to our home's exterior.
- Loose screens and holes in screening fabric.
- Leaks to outdoor faucets and/or leaky garden hoses.
- Loose railings.
- Decks and other wood structures where wood is splintering, cracking or cupping.
- Missing or loose roofing shingles.
- Siding and other wood trim with insect/animal damage or wood rot.
- Clogged gutters and poor drainage that allows water to pool around foundation.
- Cracks in walkways and driveway.
- Loose boards in fencing and gates that don't latch properly.
Irfan
Your article is really great. Thanks for sharing valuable information with us.
Claire Masters
Thanks for mentioning that I should immediately fix splintering wood structures in my outdoor spaces. I think it’s a good idea to add an outdoor deck to my backyard to help me have a space to relax in. I’ll be sure to contact a competent contractor when I start with this project soon.
Joseph
Thanks for sharing this amazing information!
Best Access Doors
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