A lot of cabinets these days use “European” style hinges, which can become loose, causing the door lean to one side and preventing it from closing all the way. It’s easy to adjust these hinges so they are in alignment. Whether the hinges have one screw connecting the two halves or two, you need a Philips screwdriver. Loosen or tighten the screw or screws counter-clockwise to move the door to the left, and clockwise to move it to the right (righty tighty, lefty loosey).

2. Hang a picture

• Step 1: The perfect spot: Decide where you want to hang your artwork. Consider placement with regard to windows, furniture and environment. Valuable artwork should not be hung in kitchens or bathrooms, over fireplaces or in direct sunlight. If you are hanging the artwork above a piece of furniture, center the bottom of the frame 5 to 8 inches above the furniture. If you are not hanging it over a piece of furniture, position the center of the art at eye level (roughly 5 feet above the floor). Once you’ve measured, mark the spot where the hook will go with a pencil.? 
• Step 2: Protect your walls: Place a small piece of adhesive tape on the wall below the pencil mark. This will keep your wall from cracking when you hammer in the nail. Make sure there is enough “give” in the wire on the back of your artwork to allow it to hang in the proper place. Place the nail through the picture hanger (it will go in at a 45 degree angle) and gently tap it with the hammer.? 
• Step 3: Picture perfect: Hang the wire on the hook and use a level to make sure the artwork is straight. Even if it looks straight to the naked eye, your perception may be thrown off by a slightly settled foundation or the optical illusion of a crooked piece of molding. Now step back and admire your masterpiece. You did it yourself!

3. Hang a curtain rod

• Step 1: Plan your enhancements: Decide where you want to hang your curtain rod by holding the rod up to the wall or window casing. Use your level to make sure the position is straight. Placing the brackets from 3 to 6 inches away from the edge of the window frame will give the illusion of wider windows. Placing the brackets close to the ceiling will make the ceilings appear taller.? 
• Step 2: Choose your spot: If you are placing the brackets on the wooden moldings you can proceed to step two. If you are placing the brackets on the wall, use a stud finder to locate wall studs. You’ll need to use hollow-wall anchors if you’re going to attach the brackets directly to the walls. Once you’ve decided on the placement of the brackets, use the pencil to lightly mark the top of the bracket and the nail holes on the chosen site.? 
• Step 3: Secure the brackets: Use an electric drill to make shallow holes (called pilot holes) to help you start the screws and secure your hardware to the walls.? 
• Step 4: Curtains going up: Slide your curtains on the rod, then hang the rod on the brackets. Take a bow! You just did it yourself!

4. Fix a squeaky bed frame

• Step 1: Metal bed frames: Remove the mattress and box spring. Loosen all nuts and bolts using your wrench and screwdriver. Remove each nut and bolt (one at a time) and wrap the bolt with sealant tape. Install an additional plastic washer between the frame and the existing lock washer and retighten the bolts. ? 
• Step 2: Wooden bed frames: Remove the mattress and box spring. Find each screw connection and remove each screw (one at a time). Rub the screw along a bar of soap until all grooves are filled. Reinstall screw and tighten. If the screw spins in its hole because the wood is stripped, wrap the screw with sealant tape before replacing it.? 
• Step 3: Pleasant dreams: Go ahead and get that beauty sleep. Your bed is now a peaceful place. And you did it yourself!

Get with the Program.

Your air conditioning shouldn’t be working while you’re not at home. A programmable thermostat (from $30 – $50) lets you preset temperatures for different times of the day so your home is most comfortable when you’re in it. These thermostats are easy to install. Just remove the old thermostat and unscrew the wire leads attached to the terminals on the back. Reattach those wires to the terminals on the new model. 

Psych Yourself Out.

If it’s 100 degrees outdoors, an indoor temperature that is 25 degrees lower feels deliciously cool! Set your thermostat to 75 degrees during the times you are at home. When you leave for more than an hour, turn it up 10 degrees. Reset it to the lower temperature upon your return, and the room will cool down in about 15 minutes. Don’t shut your air conditioner off when you leave, as the condenser needs more power to restart than it does to simply work a little harder than it had been.

Maintain Your Cool.

Keep your AC’s efficient by keeping filters clean. Either install a new one every month when it’s in use (or clean them if you’ve got the washable type). Check the filter’s MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value)–the higher the number, the better filtration it provides.

Be a Fan of the Fan.

The best bargain in hot weather defense strategies is the trusty fan which only costs two to five cents per hour to operate and will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. If you do run an air conditioner, a fan will move the cool air around. Since hot air rises–and heavier cool air lingers near the floor–install a ceiling fan (a simple DIY project) and set it to spin counterclockwise to push the hot air at the ceiling down and draw the cool air up. Fans at floor level also help the cooler air circulate. No AC? Set a bowl of ice in front of your fan and then settle yourself in front of the bowl of ice–it’s a quick trick for cooling off on the hottest days.

Give Mother Nature a Hand.

If the temperature at night is dropping into the 70s, open the windows and let fresh air into your home. In the morning, close the window, pull the shades, close curtains or blinds, and flip on the fans. This “farmhouse cooling” technique traps the cooler air in the house and prevents “solar gain”–the increase in temperature when the sun beats through your windows during the day. With the shades drawn, interiors should gain only 1 degree per hour when outdoor temperatures are above 85 degrees.

 If you own a house, you might want to purchase a whole-house fan. This type of unit goes in an upstairs ceiling, ideally in a central hall. Most are made to slip between the joists for easy installation. Run the fan at night with the windows open and it will pull cool air into the house and vent hot air out through the attic. Be sure to get an insulated box to cover the portal in winter. ?

Power Down.

Appliances generate a fair amount of heat, so if it’s an option have a cook out, eat out, or use the microwave to prepare meals. Run the dishwasher at night when it’s cooler. Incandescent bulbs add heat to a house and can make it feel hotter than really is. Replace them with compact fluorescents–which use about 75 percent less energy and emit 90 percent less heat.

Beating the heat doesn’t have to mean absorbing a big hit to your budget. By simply installing a timer or a ceiling fan and following simple tips for temperature control, you can be sure that you’ll get through the rest of the summer without losing your cool.

1. Install a dual carbon monoxide and smoke detector

Safety First! Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, including the basement. Make sure there is an alarm near every sleeping area. Because smoke rises, mount smoke detectors approximately 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling. Do not install smoke detectors next to windows, doors, or ducts, where drafts might interfere with their operation. Test your smoke detector at least once a month. Change the batteries at least once a year, and make sure that your smoke detector is UL certified.

2. Install a new doorknob

Doorknobs are functional jewelry for your home. You will need a Phillips head screwdriver and your new doorknob set with the matching strike plate. Detach the doorknob using the screwdriver by pulling out all screws once they are loose. Remove the metal strike plate.  Insert the new bolt into the door and screw it into place.  The slanted side should face the direction that the door closes.  Place the new knob trim between one new doorknob and the door, and insert the doorknob.  Insert the other knob and trim piece on the other side of the door.  Make sure the two are aligned so that the long screws hold them together.  Tighten the screws gradually, alternating sides so that each comes together uniformly.

3. Install a dimmer switch

• Step 1: Getting to the wiring: Unscrew the switch plate and the old switch and lift it out. If the box is metal, be careful not to let the screw terminals on the sides of the switch touch the box.
• Step 2: Testing the circuit: Touch your tester to each wire. If the test light stays off, it is safe to proceed.
• Step 3: Refresh the wiring: Before you replace any wires, especially on a three-way switch – note which wire attaches to each switch terminal. Use masking tape to mark each wire and write what it was attached to. Cut off the wires at the switch terminals and strip about 1/2″ of insulation off the two cut switch wires.
• Step 4: Match the wires: You’ve got a lot of choices here, so pay attention: If your dimmer has two black wires it has no polarity, so twist each dimmer wire together with either one of the switch wires and screw on a wire connector. If the dimmer has a green wire, connect it to the grounding wire. If a dimmer has black and red wires, wire the black one to the incoming power line and the red one to the lights. Keep the wires well apart from each other during this process. Gently fold the wires back into the box and attach the dimmer to the outlet box with screws. Replace the cover plate and press the dimmer dial on to the shaft of the dimmer.
• Step 5: Let there be light: Restore the power and set the mood.

You did it yourself! Barbara’s Way

The first step is to clear the clutter. If you haven’t used something in three months, box it up and store it away; if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. If you can’t do either, find a place to hide it, like a covered container. Be ruthless with furniture, too. Professional stagers often remove half of the owner’s furnishings, leaving rooms looking much bigger.

Once the clutter is gone, you can swap out furniture and accessories among rooms; it can give your house a fresh new look without spending any money.

Choose a few pieces of appealing art, and be creative about how you display them. Try grouping pictures, staggering them a bit higher or lower than the next. Or position them in a triangular arrangement. If you have high ceilings, consider hanging art in a verticle line to accentuate their height.

Remove heavy drapery and replace with something light and airy. Natural light improves the look of any space and makes a room appear larger. Extend curtain rods to make narrow windows seem wider. If your ceilings are low, hang the rods at the ceiling line and let the curtains create an illusion of height.

Once you’ve let the sun shine in, turn your attention to the artificial lighting in your home. Most rooms aren’t shown off to their best advantage because they are improperly lit. Aim for about 100 watts (use a variety of light fixtures) per 50 square feet of space. Once you’ve got lighting in place, install dimmers so you can vary brightness levels according to your mood and the time of day.

Don’t be surprised if after all your hard work, you find yourself wondering why you ever wanted to move in the first place. Do it Barbara’s Way!

For more tips, videos and how-to’s, visit barbarasway.com

If you think that the fan problem is a loose screw near the electrical box (located in the ceiling right above the fan’s motor), make sure to turn off the electricity at the service panel before proceeding.

WHAT YOU NEED: Phillips head screwdriver, tape measure and pliers.

HOW TO GET IT DONE:

1. Check the fan blades to see if they are loose. If  your fan is installed from the ceiling by a rod that extends down from the electrical box to the motor, check the connection between the rod and the motor and tighten any and all loose screws with a screwdriver or pair of pliers.
2. If the ceiling motor is attached directly to the ceiling, examine the ceiling mounting and tighten any and all loose screws.
3. Measure the distance of the blades from the ceiling. It is important that all the blades reside on the same plane. Hold one end of the measuring tape at the ceiling while rotating the blades manually to check the distance.
4. If a blade is not level or an equal distance to the other blades, you must gently bend the blade that is out of place. It is easier to do this step with an extra pair of hands. One person should hold the fan while the other person bends the blade.

Now you can enjoy the cool air circulating from the ceiling fan you repaired yourself, Barbara’s Way!

WHAT YOU NEED: Garden hose with spray nozzle, wire brush, chisel, hammer, safety glasses, cement adhesive, portland cement and water mixture or gravel mixture, putty knife or trowel and plastic drop cloth.

HOW TO GET IT DONE:

1. Thoroughly clean the crack with the spray nozzle of your house. Brush out any remaining debris with a wire brush.
2. Open the crack with a chisel and hammer. This works on the same principle as opening a crack in plaster, which I talked about earlier. This extra depth and width increases the strength of the repair job. Wear safety glasses during this procedure!
3. Brush cement adhesive into the crack.
4. Apply the patch mixture with a putty knife or trowel. Force the mixture into the crack as much as possible. Then smooth it off so it is level with the original concrete.
5. Allow the patch to dry for about 2 hours. Then cover the area with a piece of plastic drop cloth.
6. Keep the area covered for about 5 days. Lift the covering once each day and sprinkle the area with water.

*Note: If the patch is on a driveway, don’t drive a car over the patch for at least 5 days. This gives the patch time to dry and cure before carrying heavy loads.

The large crack has been fixed! and you did it youurself Barbara’s Way!

What you need:

Water proof duct tape, utility knife, plastic couplings and connectors and liquid dish washing soap

How to Get It Done

Step One:

Pinholes and small cracks can be wrapped with waterproof duct tape. Wrap the damaged area plus at least 1 inch past the damage in both directions, making tight overlapping spirals. Do not pull the tape so tightly that it flattens the hose or stretches too much. If it’s a very hot day, more than 80 degrees fahrenheit, make the repair in a cool place, such as a garage, or at least in the shade. The heat may make the hose expand and distort the repair.

Step 2:

For larger breaks, you will have to cut the hose and create a watertight connection with couplings. Use a sharp utility knife to cut the damaged section from the hose. Make the cut as straight as possible. Ragged cuts may inhibit a good connection. Take the damaged piece to a home center and use it to find the right size replacement couplings. Make sure the couplings fit the diameter and material of your hose. Some hoses are made of rubber and others of vinyl. Couplings are sometimes made for one material or the other.

Step 3:

Attach the male and female couplings to the cut ends, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 4:

If the fittings don’t slide in easily, soften the hose in hot water and lubricate it with some liquid dish soap.

Now you have fixed your leaky hose and you did it Barbara’s Way!