Five Home Repair Hacks to Make You Handy at Home

The weekend is the perfect time to tackle that long-awaited home makeover or home repair that you’ve had sitting on your to-do list. If you’re not careful, though, weekend DIY projects can turn into more trouble than they’re worth.

How can you make sure those “simple” DIY upgrades don’t become aggravating, messy chores? From learning how to hang a picture properly to full home repairs, Extra Mile is here to help you. Check out a few of our quick videos—as well as tips—for a cleaner and easier weekend home makeover.

Home Repair Hack #1: Remove a Stripped Screw with a Rubber Band

As you perform various home repair and weekend projects around the house, you may encounter old screws and nails that need to be removed. Use this hack to remove a stripped screw using a rubber band and find other tips on how to get screws and nails out of your walls without causing unnecessary damage to your wood and framing.

Use rubber bands on stripped screws. Put a rubber band over the top of the screw head and then use the screwdriver to try to unscrew it. The rubber provides much-needed traction to help you extract the screw.

More Tips to Remove Nails and Screws

Remove old paint. For an easier time extracting an old nail or screw, scrape away any old paint from around the head—especially the outer perimeter and any slot meant to hold a screwdriver tip.

Try the basic methods. Once you have a clean surface, try using the right type of screwdriver—whether a Phillips-head or a flat-head—to remove the old screw from its hole. The back of a hammer (the “claw”) can be used to remove old nails, too.

Use lubricant for stubborn jobs. Applying a lubricant, such as WD-40, around the head of an old screw or nail may make it easier to remove.

Home Repair Hack #2: Use Painter’s Tape to Make Clean-up Simple When Drilling Drywall

One of the easiest ways to change up a room is to hang something on the wall. If you need to hang a mirror in the bedroom or picture frames above the sofa, you may need to drill a few holes in the wall. Here’s a hack to help trap the dust plus more tips for reducing the dust, damage and frustration of drilling.

Use tape to trap the dust. Tear off a piece of painter’s tape that’s five to six inches long. Fold the tape in half, lengthwise, sticky side facing out. Stick the bottom half of the tape directly below where you’ll be drilling. The top half should face up toward the drill site and once you start drilling, the dust should stick to the top half.

More Tips for Easy Drilling

Find the stud. You’ll typically want to hang heavy items by drilling the screws into the wooden beams (“studs”) behind your walls; otherwise, those items may not have enough support and could damage your walls. A stud finder, which you can pick up at any hardware store, allows you to easily locate the studs behind your walls.

Start with a hammer. Before you drill, consider using a nail and hammer to create a small hole in the wall. It will help to guide and support the drill as it goes in. This means less error and less mess when drilling.

Use the right type of drill bit. Your drill may accommodate several types of bits. Make sure to use one designed to drill into wood and other light-weight materials—called a Brad Point or Dowel—rather than a bit used to drill into masonry and other heavy-duty materials. This will minimize the risk of damage to your walls and reduce the amount of dust produced.

Use anchors to strengthen the hold. If you can’t drill directly into the studs–perhaps because there are no studs located where you want to hang your décor–you can use screw anchors. These are small plastic tubes that are inserted into drill holes in order to strengthen the holes before inserting screws. Screw anchors are an especially good option when you’re hanging heavy pictures or large frames, mirrors or shelves.

Use a dustbin to trap the dust. You might want to lay a tarp or other cloth over your floors and furniture to protect them from dust or debris while drilling your walls. Another quick solution is holding a dustbin beneath the site where you’re drilling to collect the dust as you go.

Home Repair Hack #3: Photocopy a Picture Frame to Hang it Perfectly

Hanging picture frames and other types of wall decor can be frustrating—stepping back and forth from your picture hanging hooks, tilting your head to make sure it’s eye level, aligning the top of the frame over-and-over again trying to get it just right.

To avoid all that, here’s a hack using a photo copier to get the placement just right plus some other tips on how to hang a picture straight.

• Photocopy the back of your frame. What better way to visualize your picture’s positioning on the wall than to hang a life-size replica? Photocopy the back of your picture frame. Be sure to capture the holes in the frames that are meant for hanging. Make sure to turn off the “auto-scale” feature so that your photocopies reflect the true size of the frame.

• Tape the photocopy to the wall. To determine where you want to hang your frame, use tape to stick the photocopy (or photocopies if yours is a larger frame) on the wall.

• Adjust as needed. Before you start drilling or nailing, make sure your photocopies are in the perfect, eye-pleasing position.

• Use a laser level. Not sure if you’ve hung the photocopies as straight as possible? Use a level or laser level to ensure that your photos are right where you want them to be.

• Drill through your copies. Use the holes shown on the photocopies to determine where to drill or hammer. Insert the screws or nails directly through the paper to ensure that you’re in the right spot. Once you’re done, you can remove the paper.

Home Repair Hack #4: Use Tape to Hang Objects with Multiple Mounting Points

Place a continuous piece of masking tape, or painter’s tape, to cover the holes on the back of the frame. Use a pen or pencil to mark where the holes are beneath the tape. Remove the tape from the back of the frame and position it on the wall where you want the frame to go. You can then drill directly through the tape.

Go the old-fashioned route. Don’t forget about the old standby methods for hanging frames, either, which is as simple as using a pencil and tape measure or a wire hanger.

Home Repair Hack #5: Use a Rubber Band to Prevent Paint Splatters

Painting a room doesn’t have to be a huge, time-consuming mess. There’s nothing quite like seeing a room come to life because of your own hard work—not too hard, though. Check out this unique use for a rubber band and other tips to help your paint project go smoothly.

Put a rubber band over the paint can opening. After you open your paint can place a rubber band around it so that the band goes over the can’s opening. You can use that band to wipe off excess paint every time you dip your brush. This is crucial because a brush loaded with too much paint will drip and splatter.

More Painting Tips

Choose the right style of brush or roller. Use a large, flat brush or roller when painting a large area. Use an angled paintbrush and paint with caution when attention to detail is required, such as when painting the top of a wall next to a ceiling.

Buy a quality brush. This means buying a high-quality brush. A high-quality paintbrush can range from $15 to $25, but you’ll quickly notice the difference between a more expensive brush and vs. cheaper brushes. Natural bristle brushes are good for oil paints, whereas synthetic brushes are good for latex paints. Brushes made with polyester are well-suited for exterior work, whereas brushes made with nylon are a better fit for interior and detailing work.

Use a large bucket instead of a roller pan. If you’re painting a large area and plan to use a roller, five-gallon buckets with roller grids are easier to work with than roller pans. And as an added bonus, they’re much less likely to tip over.

Consider ditching the tape. Many people automatically whip out the masking tape before they paint. Not only does taping take time, but when removed, it can leave behind a jagged line as it tears away some of the “skin” of the dried latex paint. Instead of taping, practice cutting in with an angled brush. Once you get the hang of the technique, you’ll save time and get better results.

If you feel more comfortable with tape, it’s best to use actual painter’s tape. This kind of tape is specifically designed to prevent the problems typically associated with generic masking tape. It will not peel or rip paint from your walls, it will not leave a residue, and some can even be applied on wet paint.

Put down a drop cloth. Covering the floor with plastic or heavy cloth provides extra protection in case there are any drips or spills. Consider taping your drop cloth to the baseboard to prevent it from moving and exposing the floor while you paint.

Move anything of value. Don’t risk paint dripping on your sofa. Remove anything from the room that you wouldn’t want the paint to fall on. If something’s too hard to move, put a drop cloth over it. No matter how careful you are, it’s important to cover all your bases. You’ll be happier in the long run.

Remove drips quickly and carefully. Even after taking these preventive measures, you may still experience drips. By using a cloth and white vinegar or nail polish remover, you can clean up paint on a variety of different surfaces before it dries. Be sure to test your quick-fix paint remover on an area that won’t show, just in case it causes damage to your furniture or other materials in your painting area.

Before you start your next home improvement project, all you have to do is plan ahead. From learning how to hang a picture the right way to a complete home makeover, a home repair can be both exciting and rewarding. Weekend DIY projects are a great way to add value to your home. And with a few tips, home repair projects can be a fun weekend activity!

Want to learn more about home repair projects from Extra Mile? Keep Reading: Home Design Trends

Please use the comments to share any home repair hacks you’ve discovered.