Considering all the economic uncertainty we’re facing in the new normal, from the erratic behavior of the stock market and to the sudden jump in cryptocurrency, it’s no surprise why most households have chosen to abstain from any risk-taking maneuvers in their financial plans. As a result, more people opted for a passive approach to investing and decided to boost up their savings just in case any unforeseen event puts us all on the back-end once again.
However, with the rise of penny-pinching attitudes and frugality, this approach has also extended to home fixes and projects, wherein both homeowners and real-estate investors are opting for easy home repairs instead of professional help. So, today we’ll be going over the potential disadvantages of this method and when it’s actually more cost-beneficial in the long term to get professional services for the job.
Bad-Smelling Sinks, Drains, And Disposals
Ah yes, we’ve all been through that one mess where a kitchen sink or the garbage disposal ends up smelling worse than usual and spreads throughout the entire house with its awful odors. It’s downright annoying and near impossible to work through unless you have a nose of steel that can shut off the sense of smell for a couple of hours or so. However, there are many DIY fixes that claim to be very effective and can actually solve the odor issue without much effort.
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A Bad Clog On Your Hands
One common culprit behind a bad-smelling sink is a major clog holding up all those food particles behind and preventing them from going down the pipe and all the way through. A simple solution would be to circulate some hot boiling water down the sink to help loosen everything up and encourage all the food debris to flush. Others also stand by their trusty plunger to do the trick, relying on its suction powers to get rid of unwanted clogs.
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Good Old Baking Powder & Vinegar
Especially for garbage disposals and any other foul-smelling drain, mixing a bit of baking powder and vinegar is a proven technique of eliminating bad smells. It creates a reaction that loosens up all the leftover materials clogging everything up and takes away the smell with it. Afterward, you can go back to pouring over boiling water and finishing up with bleach to get a more pleasant smell.
However, The Smells Might Be A Sign Of A Sewer Line Issue
On the other hand, despite using these techniques and common methods of getting rid of bad odors, they might only mask the real issue and only work as a temporary solution. Although these cases don’t happen too often, very bad smells are a major sign that you have a sewer line issue on your hands, which is something that DIY fixes won’t be able to overcome. You can further confirm if this is the problem or not if you double-check in your crawlspace to check for any other signs. And we recommend consulting sewer line replacement services before it spirals beyond your control.
Annoying Holes And Cracks On Your Walls
Seasonal cracks and those that are caused by structural age are annoying to look at but aren’t the end of the world. However, they can do a number on the aesthetic appeal of your home, and it’s not something anyone is looking forward to happening. Lucky for us, small cracks and holes on your walls are very common issues that have their respective DIY home repairs. And with the right tools and equipment on hand, you generally don’t have a lot to worry about because they are minor problems at most.
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Drywall Compound Will Do The Trick
Drywall compound goes a long way when it comes to patching up cracks and holes in your walls. All you need is to cut out a generous area where the hole is found, fill it up with your drywall compound, and let it sit until it dries. Plus, the same concept applies to using different fillers on different materials, like how spackling paste works best on small cracks on metals, and epoxy-based wood fillers are perfect for windowsills.
However, Serious Cracks Are A Safety Hazard
On the other hand, not all cracks are simple issues, and there are those that could indicate severe safety hazards like structural damage that compromises the entire building. A good way to tell this is when the cracks are very jagged or if they sink a lot deeper than expected. As a good rule of thumb, we strongly recommend that you have a structural engineer survey the home and get a professional contractor to do the fixing up.
Sometimes It’s Better To Get An Expert To Help
Although it’s all good and fine to save a few dollars here and there, considering that some of us are still waiting on our stimulus checks, not all home fixes can be solved through DIY. And, when we go on to more serious issues, saving that extra bit of money should never come at the expense of your health and safety either. So, take the smarter choice of getting an expert on-site to work you through everything.