4 straightforward DIY repairs to try taking on in the new year

There’s a cold reality that you learn when you buy your first house:  You’ve just created a ton of work for yourself.

It doesn’t matter if your house is brand new or decades old, things start breaking almost immediately after you move in.  

When I finished building my current home near Leavenworth, I thought I had earned a few years of reprieve from maintenance demands. But almost right away, I found myself repairing leaks and replacing major components like faucets and door handles.  

Maintenance requirements on an older home are even more daunting because you’re more likely to have water-related issues.

Repairing a home is a constant battle against the forces of weather, gravity and roughhousing children. So, as you make your resolutions for the new year, consider taking on these four DIY maintenance jobs. All of them are fairly simple, are cheaper to do yourself than to hire a professional for, and could help you avoid bigger problems down the line.

Roof flashing fixes

Of the potential problems that homeowners face, a leak in the roof is among the worst.

One tiny penetration point — if left ignored — has the potential to cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage or, in extreme cases, even ruin a whole house.

A leak can trigger a knee-jerk response that the entire roof needs replacing. But the problem might be isolated to a single location.

In my experience as a contractor, I’ve rarely seen a leak that originates in the middle of the roof. When it happens, it’s usually around a penetration point.

Most roofs have a handful of spots where something passes through — like a chimney, vents for the plumbing or skylights. Because of exposure to the elements and natural expansion and contraction, keeping these areas sealed over the years is challenging.

Recently, I discovered water dripping into my son’s bedroom around the window. After doing some sleuthing, I found that the water entry point wasn’t the window at all, but a spot near the chimney flashing where the sealant had dried and cracked. From there, rainwater was seeping into the attic and traveling about 30 feet downhill before finding a way into the bedroom.

Fortunately, the fix was easy. And it’s the same solution that often works for other types of roof issues. First, I cleaned the roof area of debris and wiped off any dust, grime and organic material. I found a silicone caulk designed for chimneys that was rated for high temperatures. Then I spread it liberally over the seam, coating the existing seal that had split.

The type of sealant you buy will vary depending on what surface you’re working on. For example, if you are trying to connect metal to metal, choose an option designed for flashing and gutters. On a roof, silicone is a good choice because it can handle extreme weather and expansion. Check the label carefully because there are dozens of options.  

Some leaks I’ve encountered are on composite roofs where a crack develops around the flashing, or a small piece of shingle has come loose. For small repairs on composite roofing, opt for a sealant, such as Henry Wet Patch, that looks like gooey black tar. Many of these products can be applied in wet conditions, and emergency fixes can be made even during a rainstorm.

So before paying $10,000 for a new roof, see if a $10 tube of sealant can solve the problem.

Animals in the attic

While visiting my parents recently, I heard an unusual sound coming from their ceiling. We muted the football game and listened carefully. After a few seconds, the telltale scratching noise could be heard in the empty attic above.

Unwelcome critters making a nest in your house is a shiver-inducing thought. Rodents can chew on wires, tear up insulation and leave unsanitary droppings in your living space.

The next morning, we did a comprehensive walk-around to find the unwanted guests’ entry point — and we discovered not one, but six spots where holes in the siding were big enough to let animals inside.

In this case, vents in the soffits had been installed when the house was built and those holes were covered with mesh screens. Over the decades, the screens deteriorated and woodpeckers had enlarged the openings.

It doesn’t take a big hole to allow an animal inside. A mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. A squirrel can fit into an opening only an inch and a half wide. Calling an exterminator may eliminate the animals already living inside, but it won’t prevent more from getting in later.  

Fortunately, there are two common, effective methods for stopping infestations. Both are easy and inexpensive.

To seal off the woodpecker-enhanced holes, my dad and I bought wire-mesh screens (sometimes called hardware cloth) with 1/8-inch openings from a local hardware store. It’s important to use a galvanized screen so it won’t rust. We cut rectangular pieces using metal snips, trimming down the larger roll into sizes that extended past each hole by several inches. Then, using a staple gun, we firmly attached the screen over the holes. Problem solved.

Ideally, the screens would have gone on the inside of the attic, but the holes were hard to access and the idea of crawling across insulation speckled with animal droppings was less appealing than using an extension ladder and attacking the problem from the outside.

For entry points where it’s not possible to install wire mesh, you can use steel wool.  

Get a pack of standard kitchen steel wool (the kind without soap in it) and separate the wads a little bit. Then tear off small pieces and stuff them into the cracks and pipes that you’re trying to seal.  Rodents can’t chew through the metal, but it still allows moisture and air to pass through.  

After my home was finished, I discovered a section of conduit holding internet cable running between the garage and house. It had become a mouse highway for rodents entering our crawlspace. Stuffing a piece of steel wool into either end of the conduit was a five-minute fix that didn’t permanently plug the pipe. 

Under-sink plumbing replacement

Water issues are always high on the list of problems I want to avoid. Not only can they be costly to repair, but if left ignored they can lead to mold and a host of health problems.

As a landlord, one of the most common problem areas I see — especially in older buildings — is leaky plumbing under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. It’s an area of the house that tenants and homeowners alike routinely ignore.

These P-trap assemblies can fail for a number of reasons. Old metal pipes can rust out. Cheap PVC plastic can crack. The assembly can accidentally get knocked out of alignment.  

I’m not talking about the pipes inside the walls — if you have problems there, it’s best to hire a professional. But repairs to everything between the sink exit point and the wall is ripe for DIY fixes.

That’s because those pipes come in standard sizes and are commonly sold in hardware stores. Replacing them doesn’t require specialized tools or training. You can usually unthread and reattach everything by hand. Replacement parts come in plenty of shapes and sizes, so you can figure out a solution that fits, even in tricky spaces. And you can replace an entire assembly for about $25.

There are a few tricks to know about how these types of pipes fit together. If you’ve never worked with sink plumbing before, you should watch a couple of videos online so you don’t make a rookie mistake. For instance, it’s critical to make sure you have enough slope on your exit drain. Some parts use compression rings that need to be installed correctly. And the parts that thread together need to be aligned well.

But usually you’re just copying what’s already in place and adding new components. In fact, it’s advisable to take the old assembly to the store to make sure everything you purchase is the right size. 

Once you’ve replaced the parts, run the water for a while and look for leaks. If you see drips somewhere, take it apart and try again.

Last month, a tenant notified me about a slow leak that was soaking the wall and cabinet under their kitchen sink. I had to take the whole P trap apart to find the source of the problem, which was a cracked $2 compression ring at one of the connections.  

While it was annoying to take the sink apart, the repair was complete in under two hours and a plumber would have billed hundreds of dollars for the visit.

Patching holes in the wall

It pains me to say this, but my kids put a new dent in a wall about once a month. With two boys under 7, we now view it as normal wear and tear.

As a tenant, I always dreaded the end-of-lease conversation with my landlord to settle up on the holes I created when moving my furniture.

Drywall patches — even for large holes — aren’t difficult fixes. But they do require time and patience. Since the repair must take place over several days, even a small fix can be expensive to pay for if hiring a pro. So if you are going to learn a modest DIY skill, drywall repair is a useful one to master.

How you attack a drywall fix depends on the size of the damage. For minor dings — about the size of a quarter and smaller — it’s pretty easy. Simply buy a small container of spackle (also called joint compound) and work it into the hole with a putty knife.  The spackle will often shrink as it dries, so overfill the hole or add another layer after the first application dries.

Let it cure overnight, then use some fine-grit sandpaper and gently level the repair until it’s blended with the wall. If your surface has a flat finish without any texture, you’re in luck. Just paint the patch and you’re done.  

If your hole is larger, you’ll need to install a new piece of drywall. Buy a small piece at your local hardware store. Drywall comes in a variety of thicknesses, but 1/2-inch is the most common for walls.

 A good trick is to cut a piece that is slightly larger than the damage. Then trace the pattern of the patch on the wall. Carefully enlarge the hole to match your patch, creating a snug fit. Fill the seams with spackle, or tape them if needed. Repeat the filling and sanding process until the surface blends nicely. Spackle is pretty forgiving, so if it’s not perfect the first time, try again.

If the hole is near a stud, you can enlarge the hole to expose the framing. Use drywall screws to attach the patch to the stud. Sometimes you have to scab in some framing material behind the hole to provide adequate support. For this, I like to use a scrap piece of a cedar 1-by-2 because it’s easy to screw into, and small pieces of cedar are less prone to splitting.

If your wall has a texture, you’ll want to match it. This is perhaps the hardest part of the job. Textured sprays sold in hardware stores are available in different textures, but it’s challenging to match the exact pattern.  

It’s helpful to practice your aim, distance and technique before spraying your wall. If the finish doesn’t look quite right when it’s applied, you can wipe it off while it’s still wet. Once it looks good, be sure to let the texture dry thoroughly before painting.  

A common texture on walls is called “knockdown,” which involves using a paint roller to apply watered-down joint compound. A flat trowel or taping knife is then used to gently knock down the globs to get the right texture. If you’re attempting this technique, it will take some practice to make it match.

While drywall work can be tedious, it’s a lot better than losing your damage deposit or staring at unsightly holes in your walls.  

Writer and general contractor Jeff Layton has been in construction most of his adult life as a home remodeler, landlord and Airbnb host. He is the owner of the Seattle-based deck company Open Space Design.