Some basic repairs that any homeowner can take care of are regular problems, which are commonly associated with all houses at some point in time or the other. You can do these repairs, with simple tools and a little know-how.

Common problems needing repairs and their solutions

An issue that besets most households is a stubborn or a sticky lock. This can be eased off by rubbing the edges of its key with a soft-lead pencil, resulting in transferring the graphite onto the key. The key is gently pushed into the lock and moved in and out to loosen the graphite into the works. Another option could be to squeeze powdered graphite -available in a tube at hardware stores and home centers- into the keyhole. Lubricating oil is not recommended as over time, it can make a dirty lock even dirtier and more difficult to operate.
Creaking drawers that insist on sticking can be replaced with the modern ball-bearing type that will ensure they roll smoothly.
A slow filling washing machine can be a bit of drag and if water just about trickles into your washer, it is likely that fill valve screens are plugged or the valve is bad. The solution would be to clean screens and replace the valve, which can be done under $25 and in a matter of minutes, the washer will fill faster.

Using the right tools for do it yourself repairs

A broken storm door handle can be a simple do it yourself repair too and these are easy to repair if you buy the same kind. A drill with 1/8-inch and 5/16-inch bits and a good screwdriver are needed for this job. Begin with removing the old storm-door handle by unscrewing the two screws that hold the two halves together. The new locations for the hole can be marked by using the template provided with the new door handle, positioned such that the new holes do not land over the existing holes. Drilling 1/8-inch pilot holes through the door at the locations marked proceed to enlarge these holes to 5/16 inch by drilling halfway through the door from both sides with a 5/16-inch drill bit. Assemble the door handle according to the instructions and screw the two halves together with the machine screws provided. Hold the strike plate in position while you mark the screw slots, close the door and remove the plate to drill 1/16-inch pilot holes in the center of each slot mark. After screwing it to the doorframe, finish off by adjusting the strike plate so the door latches firmly before tighten the screws.

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