1. Clean bathroom vents
Ventilation is essential to prevent mould from getting established in your bathroom. Having bathroom vents or an exhaust fan clogged with dust reduces their effectiveness making it more likely that your bathroom will get mould. Remove the cover from your exhaust fan and give it a good clean to remove any dust. Don’t forget about cleaning the vent on the outside of the building either.
2. Fix a rattling door
Don’t put up with a door that rattles in its frame on a windy winter’s night, it’s a simple fix that you can do in minutes. Grab a screwdriver and unscrew the striker plate, which is the part on the frame that the door latch goes into. Next, use a hammer to bend the tongue that’s on the back of the plate so it protrudes further into the hole. Reattach it to the frame and try the door. The repositioned tongue pushes against the latch when the door is closed holding it tightly in the frame. If it’s still rattling pull it off and try again.
3. Check your smoke alarms
Most house fires occur during the winter months and to avoid your home from becoming to a statistic, make sure your smoke alarms are working properly. Hold the test button for a few seconds and wait for the beeps. If you have no joy, replace the battery. Also make sure you have enough alarms. There should be one between the areas of the house containing bedrooms and the rest of the house. It’s also wise to have an alarm on any other storey not containing bedrooms.
4. Sharpen your tools
Prepare for a busy summer OF DIY ahead by making sure all your cutting tools are razor sharp. Not only will it give you a better result with your work, it also makes the tool safer to us as you don’t have to use as much force to do the job. Sharpen your chisels with a sharpening stone and honing guide. You can sharpen your secateurs using a fine metal file. For tools with replaceable blades like utility knives and power planes, check your stock to make sure you have plenty on hand.
5. Tidy your workshop
When the weather warms up and your DIY project are back in full swing, the last thing you want to do is waste time rummaging through your shed looking for a particular tool, nail or screw. Take an afternoon, head to the shed and get sorted. Group all your fixings according to size and use and place types of tools together. If you’re planning a particular project and are super organised, you can get all the tools and materials you’ll need for the job in a bucket so when the time comes to get started you can just grab it and go.
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