Are you bored at home and don’t know what to do with your free time? How about you do something that will change how your home looks, for the better? In addition to changing the look of your home, you’ll be saving money that would otherwise have been spent on contractors. In this article, we give you tips and ideas for at home projects for guys.
Ripping Out and Replacing the Floor
Are you tired of the same floor years and years since you bought your house? You can do something about it. One of the at home projects for guys you can try is ripping out and replacing the floor. But before you do it, you should know what ripping out and replacing the floor entails.
The first option is to change the floor without changing the existing one. Some types of flooring can be installed on top of existing floors. For example, you can lay hardwood flooring on top of linoleum. You should first follow guides or online tutorials on hardwood floor service before you start the process.
When you have to rip off the existing floor, you have to get down to a smooth and level subfloor before you install your new floor. This process is more complicated compared to the first one where you just lay a new floor over an existing one. For instance, removing a floor that has been glued to the subfloor is not an easy task. This will actually make you think twice if you want to go the DIY way or if you should call the experts.
After removing the existing floor, you have to prepare the subfloor for the new floor installation. Ensure that the subfloor is level. Irregularities can cause damage to the new floor. For example, it can cause cracks in wood or undesirable defects on other types of floors. Whether you want to install engineered hardwood or any other type of floor, you want to ensure first that the subfloor is well prepared for the new floor.
The next step is to lay the new floor. Use the appropriate installation method for each type of floor. For example, nailing is preferable to gluing if you’re installing hardwood. In addition, nailing will ensure you have a gap-free floor.
Fixing Leaks
Can you imagine living in a house with leaking sinks or a leaking toilet? It can get messy. Not a good look for your home, especially if you have kids. Furthermore, floods of water inside or outside your house pose various risks.
Fixing various types of water leaks is one of the essential skills you should learn. This is one of the at home projects for guys that can prevent further damage to your house. For example, you do not want floods of water near your electricity sockets. Fixing a leaky toilet or a leaky pipe is often an easy fix, but you must have the skills first. You never know when the problem may occur. It could be in the middle of the night and there are no 24 hr plumbing services in your area. You’ll have to fix the leaks by yourself.
Fixing these types of faults is easy if you’re naturally a handyman. If not, you need to go through tutorials or guides to learn what you should and should not do. The first step in fixing a leaky pipe is to locate it. In addition, you should shut down your water supply to prevent further leakage.
You should apply plumbing putty to the leaky pipe. Putty is a powerful tool for patching and repairing leaky pipes. You should have latex gloves on before handling plumbing putty. This will protect you from chemical burns on your skin. The alternative to patching or repairing the leaking pipe is to replace it with a new one.
Installing a New Counter or Island
Installing a new kitchen countertop or island is probably one of the most challenging at home projects for guys. You can imagine the combination of skills that are required to produce the final look. We’ve not even discussed the number of tools and supplies you need.
You must first prepare the kitchen to install the new countertop. Take appropriate measurements, cut the dimensions, mark the materials, and decide on the appliances that will be needed. In addition, you should disconnect all your water sources to the kitchen and remove any extra tiles.
The next step is to remove your old countertop. You can now fit your new countertop. There are many ready-made tops for a quick fix, unless you prefer custom countertops. A custom countertop will fit the exact needs of your kitchen.
You can also design, build, and install a new kitchen island. You should design an island that fits the size of your kitchen, not too large and not too small either. You should also decide on the appropriate location for the island.
You’ll need various types of materials for this project. Choosing materials for the base and top of your island is a matter of preference and functionality. Are you going to use the island as an eating area as well? This will help you decide on the size and type of materials you should use. Like any DIY project, follow instructions provided by experts in online tutorials or manuals.
Renovating the Bathroom
Have you thought about renovating or remodeling your bathroom? Maybe you bought a house with a bathroom that has old designs or outdated finishing and you want it to have a modern look. Or you just want to change it for better functionality.
When starting the remodeling process for your bathroom, the first step is to decide on the design elements. This basically means what you want the final product to look like. This is basically the first stage in any at home projects for guys, and the bathroom is no exception. Design elements mean choosing the final colors, location of utilities, type of new fixtures, and deciding on the size and type of storage space.
Get all the tools that you’ll need for the remodeling project. Don’t forget about protective gear to prevent injuries or exposing yourself to specific hazards. If you think the whole project will be too much for one person to handle, you can hire a bath remodeler and you do the project together. The plumbing works are some of the most essential parts of the project that you should be careful about.
Being Inspired by Professional Designers
The internet is a great source for various types of designs that you want to implement in your house. Whether it’s a new design for your backyard decker, a new look for your lawn or landscape, or wall decorations, pick design ideas for at home projects for guys from the internet.
You can visit the website or social pages of your favorite interior design company and check out their gallery for inspiration. Some of the designs are simple, yet elegant. The ladies will especially like picking new ideas for their curtains, garden flowers, types and designs of chandeliers, and more.
The alternative is to call an experienced designer to visit your home and give you ideas. Take them around your house if you’re only interested in interior deco. You could get someone else to advise you on the appearance of your outdoors, including the type of garden or landscape that will fit your space.
You may decide to go entirely the DIY way, or DIY with the help of a professional designer as your consultant. This will be different from hiring them to complete the whole project. You only pay for consultation and you personally implement the ideas and steps recommended by the designer.
Finishing the Entire Basement
Some of the basics of finishing your basement include choosing flooring, adding a ceiling, and insulating walls. This seems a lot for at home projects for guys, and that’s why you should never do it alone. The alternative is to do them one by one. Do the floor on one weekend. The ceiling the next time. Then you can finish with the walls.
Before starting any basement finishing or renovation work, you should clean the basement. Remove all junk and dirt. You should then do a moisture test. This test will enable you to find out if you’ll need to waterproof the basement before starting any work.
You should also do your research on the local building permits and building codes for basements. You may need to apply for permits before you start finishing or remodeling your basement. Find out if there are specifications or rules on the height of ceilings, the number of exits required, etc. Once you’re compliant with all the regulations, you can start finishing your basement.
Gather all the tools and materials that you’ll need for this DIY project. These materials and tools will account for a significant proportion of the budget that goes into the projects, be it doing the walls, the floor, or the ceiling. To save on costs, you may not have to remodel everything. If your walls are fine or only need a new coat of paint, that’s all you should do. Maybe basement floor crack repair will be enough and you won’t need to install an entirely new floor.
Cleaning the Septic Tank
Do you have a septic tank that services your house? Do you know how to clean and maintain it? Maybe you’ve been relying on professionals to do it and you don’t think it’s one of those at home projects for guys you can try out. Because of the machinery needed, you may not be able to complete this project on your own.
Before you even think about cleaning it, do you know how your septic tank works? Septic tanks use bacteria to break down and eat waste materials or solids that enter the tank. If these bacteria die, crusts begin to form on the top of septic tanks. These crusts can cause tank blockages. The solids in the tank will also start to turn hard. At this stage, the tank needs to be pumped. If it’s not pumped, the content can transform into hard dirt which will need to be dissolved before it can be pumped out.
Regardless of the different septic designs, cleaning the tanks is almost the same process. You should inspect and pump your tank frequently. The average period for pumping for a typical household is three to five years.
Checkout for signs that your septic tank needs to be cleaned or emptied. When water starts puddling around your feet in the shower, it means that the water drains slowly. This is a sign that it’s time to clean the tank. Another sign you should never ignore is odors.
Painting the Inside or Outside
Painting is one of the common at home projects for guys. It’s an easy DIY project if you know exactly what you should do. Otherwise, you should contact an affordable house painter service near you to do the work for you.
While painting the inside of your home, you should make several considerations before you start. For example, do you want a uniform color for all the rooms? Or specific rooms will have unique colors compared to the rest. You may need to consult other family members on their preferred colors for their rooms.
Painting the outside is different from painting the inside. For example, some areas may have very high walls that cannot be reached without a ladder. Do you have the skills for this type of work and are you willing to take the risk? You may have to call a professional painter if you think the outside project will be too risky for you.
There are many at home projects for guys you can pick up and work on. You just have to look around your house and find out what needs to be changed or renewed. A bit of creativity will help you with coming up with great ideas for these projects. You can also check various online platforms for inspiration and designs that you think you can implement in your home.