c/diy-repairs

Warning: The week I tried to fix every squeaky door in my house

It started Monday with the front door. By Friday, I had taken apart four interior doors. The problem was I used the wrong grease on the hinges. My wife said the kitchen sounded like a haunted house. I had to clean all the pins with mineral spirits and start over. Anyone know a better lube for old brass hinges?

My kid's wobbly chair went from junk to his favorite spot after I spent an hour with some wood glue and clamps.

I found the joint had completely separated, so I cleaned off the old glue, applied Titebond II, clamped it for a full day, and now it's solid as a rock, which makes me wonder if anyone has a good method for fixing those plastic chair bases that always crack?

Fixed a leaky faucet after my neighbor called my work 'hacky'

My kitchen faucet was dripping for weeks. I tried the usual, just tightening stuff. My neighbor, an old plumber, saw it and said, 'Kid, that's hacky. You gotta replace the cartridge, not just crank on it.' He was right. I watched a video, bought a $12 replacement part, and did it last Saturday. Took about an hour but the drip is totally gone. Anyone have a go-to brand for those cartridges, or are they all pretty much the same?

Why does nobody talk about the wild guesses in online part descriptions?

I needed a new belt for my garage door opener, so I looked it up on a big parts site. The description said it fits 'most models' and had a picture that seemed right. When it arrived, the belt was about three feet too long and felt like rubber bands. I checked the product page again, and in tiny text, it said 'for industrial use only'. My garage door is from a home center, not a factory. Now I have a belt that could probably launch a small rocket. How do these sites get it so wrong sometimes?

My door hinge fix just made everything noisier

I saw a quick video saying to oil a squeaky hinge, so I grabbed some from the garage. Sprayed it on like they showed, but now the squeak is way louder, lmao. There's a gross oily mess on the floor too, which I have to clean up. I feel like the tutorial left out a step or something. Now the door sounds worse than when I started. What a waste of a Saturday morning, honestly.

Custom part delays are killing my DIY momentum

I was fixing my garage shelving and needed a specific metal bracket, so I found a site that promised custom cuts and fast shipping. Ordered it four weeks ago, and it still hasn't shipped! Every time I check, they say it's 'processing' with no real info. I've emailed three times and called twice, but no one gives a straight answer. My garage is a disaster with tools everywhere because I can't finish the job. I just wanted a quick weekend project, but now it's taking forever. How hard is it to give honest delivery dates? This kind of service makes DIY so much harder than it needs to be!

Forgot to kill the power before my doorbell swap

I was changing the chime unit on my front door yesterday. My kid came home and pressed the button while I had the wires exposed. A loud pop and a small flash scared us both, and now the doorbell just makes a clicking sound. It dawned on me that even quick jobs need the circuit off, no exceptions.

TIL why loose blender blades are a sneaky hazard

I was blending frozen fruit when the blade unit wobbled free. It sent chunks flying and made a grinding sound that scared me. The base threads had stripped from me cranking it too tight last time. Always hand-tighten only and give it a test spin before you plug it in.

Staring at my broken dryer for three weeks while the part shipped from overseas

My dryer drum stopped spinning, and the only correct replacement belt was backordered from another country. I had friends telling me to just rig a generic belt, but I worried about safety and longevity, so I waited. Do you think it's worth the wait for specific parts, or is getting things running quickly more important in DIY?

Unpopular opinion: Painting over wallpaper is a valid DIY hack

I skipped stripping the old wallpaper in my bedroom and just painted over it. Some people warn this leads to bubbling and peeling, but my walls look great so far. Is it ever okay to paint over wallpaper, or should it always be removed first?

Question about using plumber's tape to stop a drip under the kitchen sink

Fixing my leaky garden hose nozzle changed how I see water use.

Honestly, I never paid attention to the constant drip from my hose. Tbh, after wrapping the threads with plumber's tape, the leak stopped completely. I checked last month's water use and it was way lower. Now I'm fixing all the small leaks around the house to save more.

Stripped screw has me stuck with a kitchen cabinet that won't close

I was tightening up a loose hinge on my old cabinet when the screw head stripped out completely. Now the door hangs open and rattles every time I walk by. I tried the rubber band trick, but it just snapped and made a mess. My drill with a reverse bit didn't grab anything either. I'm thinking about using a screw extractor, but I've heard they can break off and make things worse. Has anyone had success with a different method? I'm open to any tips before I resort to filling the hole and starting over. This is turning into a bigger headache than I expected.

Has anyone tried Duramax Sheds Online for replacement parts?

I need some accessories and an extension for my existing setup. Has anyone tried Duramax Sheds Online for shelves and hook and things like that?