Do it Yourself

Winter is fast approaching and that means the leaves that fell in the fall need to be cleaned up before they get frozen over. While the changing leaves may be beautiful to look at, they can quickly pile up in your gutters and cause an issue at your home. When gutters are blocked with leaves, twigs and other debris, water can no longer flow freely away from your property. A buildup of water can cause damage to all areas of the home from the roof to the basement.

It is recommended that you clean your gutters twice per year – once in the late Spring and again in late Summer or early Fall. This avoids clogged or leaking gutters as well as an accumulation of mold, neither of which is something you want to deal with. Both are expensive problems to fix while cleaning your gutters is cost effective and simple. Follow these steps from Pro Home Improvement to keep your gutters clear this year.

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A loose window frame is not only an annoyance but it’s an energy and security concern as well. Loose frames can rattle on rainy, windy days or shake if a door is slammed too hard which could even cause the window pane to break. Loose frames could lead to someone easily being able to open them or cause air leaks to occur, leaving your home too hot in the summer or cold in the winter.

The good news is that there are two ways to quickly and easily repair your loose window frames.

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Repairing Your Garden Hose

While the garden hose is one of the most common homeowner tools, it often gets neglected. The best way to maintain your hose is to take good care of it, by bringing it indoors during the winter so it doesn’t experience the freeze-thaw cycle and weather the elements. Also, drain it and clean the threads. However, even despite some maintenance best efforts, hoses do eventually spring leaks. Luckily, they are easy to patch. If you are struggling with a leak, here are the steps to patch it yourself.

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It seemed like the heat wave would never come, but here it is! When running your air conditioning unit this summer, it’s easy to be distracted by the cool air and forget to question how clean and healthy that air actually is. Almost all AC units have a filter and that filter needs to be cleaned and maintained. Cleaning your filter ensures that your system is running optimally and cleaning the air as it enters your home. A dirty, clogged filter will carry dust and debris inside as well as reduce the air flow. This poses a threat to your health, your family’s health as well as drives up energy costs.

There are different types of filters that are used within an air conditioning unit. Some are reusable while others need to be replaced. An air conditioner naturally collects dust and dirt over time. If you have an existing unit, the filter should be cleaned before it is first used during the warmer weather. From there, a cleaning every 1-2 months throughout the summer and early fall is recommended. While a professional can be hired to service and clean your unit, you can also easily and quickly clean it yourself when needed. Here are a few steps you can follow to make sure you can adequately maintain your AC unit this summer.

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Your storm door is a great asset to your house. It protects your main door, acts as a window, allows you to keep your door open without letting in the elements and even lets trick-or-treaters know you are ready to hand out candy. They can be tricky to use, however. Most storm doors come with a pneumatic closer that cushions the door from closing too hard.

Does your storm door close too quickly and slam? It’s pretty simple to adjust if you know what to do.

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Your windows let in beautiful views and sunlight, but they can also lead to leaking and draftiness if they aren’t caulked in properly. Caulk is used around the exterior joint between your windows and the exterior siding or brick to fill in the gap. If a gap were to remain, bugs, water, and wind could get inside.

Caulk is important because it keeps that gap closed. However, all caulk will eventually shrink and possibly crack. So what, is this another costly fix? No, it’s something you can do yourself with some time and a caulk gun.

What You’ll Need

• A Caulk gun
• A putty knife
• A utility knife
• Tubes of caulk
• Some rags and some water
• Your hands

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Springtime is coming! We are less than a month away from the first day of spring, and with it come all of the amazing smells of budding trees and flowers. Your sliding screen door or screen patio door is a great way to be able to enjoy the upcoming weather, but not if it has a hole. Holes are common in screen doors, but they tend to let in bugs and other critters.

Luckily for you, fixing a hole in a screen is not too difficult – it is definitely something you can do yourself with a quick trip to the hardware store.

What to Buy

Most hardware stores have rescreening supplies and door hardware for you to use, but you need to be aware of manufacturer specific parts. Anderson only sells parts through Home Depot due to an agreement. But, if your door is not Anderson, generic parts will probably work just fine.

Buy enough screen so that you can overlap the frame of the door by at least 2 inches on each edge. You will also need a new spline, which is the rubber tubing that holds the screen in a groove surrounding the frame. Spline tends to become brittle and break over time, so replacing that can be a good thing.
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