Random Handy Homeowner Thoughts with Bonus Handy Woman Tips

I've necessarily become a DIY homeowner. Although I hate that things seem to be breaking in rapid succession, I love the feeling I get after successfully diagnosing and fixing the problem. Before this period in my life, I had never considered that a toilet would even need a wax ring, what the guts of my washer looked liked, how to discharge an appliance capacitor, or how to track down and fix an 'open ground' for three different outlets.

The truth is that although I theoretically knew how to use a soldering iron, I couldn't read a circuit board schematic to save my life, and although I could have figured out how to wire a light switch, I would have started an electrical fire if I had tried to wire a few 3-way switches for one socket.

Most of the time, I can do those things now and can proudly declare that I'm not afraid of my house anymore! I may be frustrated during the diagnosis process, but I feel like roaring out loud (ROL!) when I figure out the fix, turn on a previously-broken appliance, and find it works perfectly. I will never quit my day job, but I like that I don't need to see a repairman's buttcrack anymore when my garbage disposal dies.


In the interest of shared knowledge, I'm passing on just a few random tips I've picked up over time: 

•  No user serviceable parts" really means "Non-standard screwheads inside."

• A handy one learned today: when you caulk or grout around a toilet, leave an inch or two uncaulked around the back so you can see leakage and know if the wax ring failed before your subfloor is ruined. Finally, a cool, handy tip learned BEFORE I screwed it up! 

• If you go into your attic and notice daylight around the edges, do not fill the soffit vents with insulation thinking that is the source of your high winter heating bills. Or if you do, don't be surprised when deadly icicle daggers form from your gutters during  next winter's snowstorms.
   
• If you hear a dripping sound and your ceiling is wet every time it rains, but you can't find a roof leak to go along with the dripping, assume the obvious: there's a leak and you just haven't found it yet!  
  
  * NOTE: This is true even if all your male DIY-type friends say "it's probably just rain blowing through the vents during heavy storms and isn't a problem at all" when they look at it after the storm has ended and the wet spot has dried. Eventually, the telltale stain will appear, you'll still have to find the leak and repair part of your ceiling, and you'll kick yourself for not listening to your gut. The only good news will be that the leak will be probably much easier to find after it rots part of your roof and expands.

I've come to the realization that most anything can be a DIY job if you're determined enough. I realize determination isn't necessarily the best thing in all situations though--after spending too much money on microwave parts (it's part of my stove, so it's not cheaper to replace), I realize sometimes it is less expensive in the long run to just pay someone to fix something, especially if they do it for a living and can get it right the first time. But bonus for me if the repair person is a man, his pants fit nicely, he looks fabulous in a tool belt, and he doesn't mind showing me how to do it myself next time.

Go on now, fix something! And ROL!