Publication date: 05/14/2010

Click here for a printer-friendly version

Easy home fixes will make mama proud

Last weekend we celebrated Mother's Day. Now you can keep your mom, mother-in-law, or even your wife happy by fixing some of those annoying little things around the house. And remember, when Mama is happy, everyone is happy.

I have written a lot of articles with step-by-step details on these projects; access them at www.masterhandyman.com by typing words like "leaky faucet," "leaky toilet," "shower-head," or "squeaky door hinge" in the "Get help from the Handyman:" box and clicking Search.

First of all, there aren't many things more annoying than faulty plumbing. But fixing those drips in your faucets is easier than you think. Obviously, the first thing you need to do is to turn off the water supply using the shut-off valves either underneath the sinks or behind the toilets.

If you have a single arm faucet, you can usually replace the old valve seats, springs and O-ring to stop the faucet from leaking. Most brands have repair kits with all the parts you'll need. Remove the faucet handle and take out the rotating ball along with the faucet cam and washer. Then remove the neoprene valve seats and old springs with the point of a Phillips screwdriver. Next, put in the new valve seats and springs, and then install a new O-ring. Put it all back together and your faucet should be drip-free.

If you have a faucet that uses a cartridge such as Moen, just replace it. Once you remove the cartridge from the faucet, take it to a plumbing supply store to get the exact replacement.

Replacing an old leaky showerhead is also fairly straightforward.

To remove the old showerhead, use two wrenches, one on the shower-head itself and the other on the shower arm, wrapping a towel around the arm first so you don't scratch it. Holding the wrench on the shower arm firmly, rotate the wrench on the showerhead counterclockwise to remove. Before installing your new showerhead, make sure to use Teflon tape on the shower arm threads to prevent leaks. Start threading the new showerhead on by hand first, before tightening only one-quarter turn with the wrench. It's that simple.

We've all had the aggravation of a toilet that keeps on running until you jiggle the handle. Now they can easily be fixed with a new Korky WaterWI$E fill-valve kit, (800) 528-3553, www.korky.com. Korky's design won't refill the tank during a flapper leak and will shut off the water if the flapper is stuck open.

Once again, turn off the water supply behind the toilet. Flush the toilet and then sponge out the tank, disconnect the water-supply line and twist the old fill valve counterclockwise and remove from the tank. Now replace it with the new Korky fill valve, adjust the height and turn it clockwise until it snaps into place. Cut the refill tube to the proper size and attach it to the new fill valve, reconnect the water supply line and mom can enjoy a quieter toilet.

Squeaks from door hinges are another thing that can aggravate mom, and spraying lubricant on the hinges is only a temporary fix. Instead, remove the hinge pin and clean it and the hinge with steel wool. Then spray some powdered graphite onto the door hinge or spray a silicone based lubricant like Jig-A-Loo, (877) 554-1555, www.jigaloo.com, into the hinge before re-inserting the clean hinge pin.

Now, finish your household favors for mom by focusing on the sliding screen door that leads out to the patio or deck. Often these doors stick or just don't slide easily. To fix it, take a cotton cloth soaked in Windex and using a paint stick to get into the tracks, clean both the bottom and top track. Then lubricate the tracks with white lithium grease, wiping the excess off with another clean cotton rag. Adjust the tension on the guide screws that raise and lower the sliding screen. If the wheels are flat-spotted, your local hardware store has the replacement parts you need.

For next Mother's Day, I'm sure that the old stand-by of flowers and candy would be received with a smile. But after you do all this work for mom, she will probably come up with some new projects for you to tackle next year.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

20 most recent Handyman Columns