Homeownership survival skills

I am a huge fan of This Old House, and watch it religiously every Saturday morning.  Besides having the most beautiful renovation projects, they also supply some of the most informative renovation tips and techniques to help us homeowners out.  They compiled this handy list of quick fixes for the most common household problems.  Here are 24 tips that I found to be most valuable

1.  Fix a leaky faucet by replacing the washers.

2.  Move a refrigerator using magic slider discs

3.  Dig a hole without hitting an electrical line

4.  Locate a wall stud by measure every 16 inches

5.  Deal with a seized lock by using WD-40

6.  Unclog a sink without chemicals

7.  Ensure a Lightbulb's Long Life by cleaning the tab with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol (turn of circuit breaker first).

8.  Remove a stripped screw

9.  Avoid stripping a screw

10.  Remove a broken light bulb using half of a raw potato

11.  Drill through tile without cracking it using a masonry drill bit

12.  Hardwire a light fixture

13.  Pick an interior lock (this may very well come in handy with a house full of little boys)

14.  Unstick a door

15.  Clean stained grout with a steamer

16.  Dry out a flooded basement

17.  Hang heavy objects on drywall 

18.  Dispose of leftover paint

19.  Keep grout, plaster, or cement from roughing up your hands using lemons or vinegar

20.  Paint a double hung window

21.  Repair a doorbell

22.  Stop an overflowing toilet

23.  Pick up paint spills on carpet using cardboard

24.  Fix a hammer mark on trim using an iron

What are some of your home repair quick fixes?

To view the full list of tips go here