Guide to DIY Home Repairs

By Buck Purlin
Published on July 1, 1987
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Begin your investigation outside. Look for cracks in foundation blocks and joints, misaligned ridge and eave lines and obvious things like out-of-whack siding, doorframes and window trim.
Begin your investigation outside. Look for cracks in foundation blocks and joints, misaligned ridge and eave lines and obvious things like out-of-whack siding, doorframes and window trim.
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Diagram: Pier-and-girder method.
Diagram: Pier-and-girder method.
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Diagram: Jacking below the beam.
Diagram: Jacking below the beam.

Setting things straight from the ground up, a DIY guide to home repairs.

Guide to DIY Home Repairs

Don’t get me wrong … crooked floors and cocked door jambs can be charming as all get-out in a home that’s seen enough seasons to settle down gracefully. But when you’re remodeling a ranch house that’s hardly 10 years old–as I’m doing right now–sagging sills and drooping floor joists lose their appeal the first time you try to find a square corner.

Human errors and a host of other unforeseen problems can take their toll on the integrity of any structure. If yours happens to be one of them, I’ll share a few things I’ve learned about putting a house on the level without spending a fortune on home repairs. (See the home repair diagrams in the image gallery.)

Take Stock and Take Notes

The most important part of the repair job doesn’t require that you fix anything; it does demand that you make an honest examination of the problem areas. I knew something was wrong because my floor dipped and the bathroom door wouldn’t close correctly. In your case, it may be buckled baseboard trim, cracked wall joints or a cocked window casement that gives you the first clue.

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