Whether you are living in an older home and you want to preserve the historic appeal, or you want to save money, or you just like to tinker and do it yourself, here are 10 things you can either repair yourself or have repaired, which may save you a bundle of cash. Also, saving what you have reduces waste and environmental stress.

1. Woodwork. Especially in older homes, older woodworking is often sturdier than its modern counterpart. If wood is fading or scuffed, consider refinishing the wood surface rather than replacing the product altogether.
2. Torn window screens. You can easily fix these with transparent duct tape so that repairs will be hardly noticeable.
3. Patio Furniture can take quite a beating from the weather. If you want to make old patio furniture look new, apply some automotive paste wax. If you’ve got a filthy plexiglass tabletop, try spraying it with vinegar, letting it sit for a few minutes, and wiping it off.
4. Squeaky Stair Treads. Usually that annoying squeak you hear every time you walk up and down the stairs is fairly easy to fix. Typically a tread (that part which you actually step on) has come loose, either through bowing or cupping, from the stringer beneath. The fix can be as easy as finding exactly where the squeak is coming from and screwing the tread down until it is tight against the stringer once more.
5. Fencing. If you’ve got an old wood fence that looks grayed and weathered, check the condition of the wood. If the wood is in an overall good condition then there is no need to replace the fence. You can replace a few boards here or there. You may be able to power wash the fence if you’d like to rejuvenate that “like new” look and refinish the surface to make it last this time.

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Recently the price of metals has been on the rise, especially copper. But even steel, aluminum, and others are consistently climbing as the demand outstrips supply. So, if you have piles of scrap metal collecting spiders in your basement or shed, then consider getting paid for getting rid of it! Especially after using copper piping or a roll of wire for you remodel, you may be able to cash in on the old stuff.

A quick look in the phone book will locate a local scrap metal yard where you can trade in old scrap metal for cash. Copper pipe is the real bread winner in metals recycling. A pile of copper pipe could garner you a few hundred dollars or more. There are two grades of copper, clean and dirty. Dirty copper still has the fittings soldered onto it– cut these off and you can sell back the copper for more money. But don’t leave the fittings at home, you can sell the dirty copper back too. Electrical wiring contains copper itself. So if you’re doing some demo, don’t toss out that old wiring. Note that electrical wire is worth less with the insulation still attached.

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After a good year of work, wear, and weather on your outdoor surfaces, it’s time to get things clean and sparkling again. If your wood deck is looking worn or your driveway or patio are stained, and a good scrubbing won’t do the trick, then your next option is power washing.

Power washing, or pressure washing, will work for common outdoor surfaces such as concrete, wood, aluminum, or vinyl. It can eliminate stains, grit, dirt, mildew, moss, or peeling paint. Power washers are great tools for preparing surfaces for repainting or staining. For wood, they do an excellent job of returning grey, weathered decks or fences to their natural appearance. (more…)