Here are seven common outdoor repairs you could do yourself, no experience necessary.
If you need help, dont be shy about getting it.
Come equipped with the details of your project and some pictures, if you’re free to.
Theyll point you in the right direction.
Replace an Outdoor Light Fixture
Replacing an outdoor light fixture is a pretty simple task.
Turning off the switch for the light is not good enough.
After you remove those, the fixture should come away easily.
Unscrew the nuts and the wires should come apart easily.
Just connect the wires in the same way they were on the old fixture.
The instructions on the new fixture will have a diagram if you need it.
The other problem is when the landscape light doesnt come on.
There are a few possible causes for this:
A bulb is bad.
Changing a bulb in a landscape light is almost as easy as changing a bulb in your home.
The connection between the electrical source wire and the light is bad.
A single underground power cable runs from somewhere in your home.
Each light is connected to that cable with a couple of leads (power and neutral).
That connection may use simple wire connectors inside the light housing or the leads may connect using wire nuts.
As shown in thevideo above from ehowhome, both these problems are easy to fix.
The main cable or source is bad.
Leaks happen at one of two places: the handle or the spout.
Before you do that, ensure you turn the water off at the source.
As shown in thevideo above from A4WE, disassembly is pretty straightforward.
Youll remove the handle, take off the packing nut, and pull out the valve stem assembly.
Chances are that youll just need to replace the washers rather than the whole assembly.
Youll be able to spot if they are worn or cracked.
Even if you do need to replace the assembly, its a pretty cheap fix.
Just take the old one to the hardware store with you so you know youre buying the right thing.
Pull the old one out and take it with you to get a replacement.
Or, just buy a bag of replacement washers.
Theyre not at all expensive.
If the actual hose leaks due to a tear or cut, youll need to patch the hose.
If its a minor break, you could often patch it with just duct tape.
They happen due to moisture in the underlying ground and wear and tear from the weight of vehicles.
The video even recommends tamping by placing plywood over the patch and driving your car over it.
After tamping, use some crack repair sealant around the edges of the repair.
Next, use an air compressor or vacuum to remove the finer debris you cant get with your tool.
After youve removed the debris, youll use a caulking gun to spread caulking sealant into the crack.
If the crack is on a grade, youll use standard caulk.
You may need to apply more caulk and use the putty knife again to ensure youve got everything covered.
Allow several hours to dry and youve got a freshly-repaired driveway.
First, youll need to prepare the surface for painting, which is detailed in thevideo above from WeekendWorkbench.
When youve got everything prepped, its time to prime the metal.
