Changing locks in your home sounds so simple, and it can be if you know what you’re doing. Of course there are on the market different styles of handles, and certain styles have different locking mechanisms.

Each style has its own unique function, so if you’re going to change your lock, know what type works best and why. Read on and learn a little about how to change a basic lock, and other style issues and uses.

You need to know what you’re using your lock for before changing out the lock.

Here are a few styles that you’ll want to consider:

Free through Passage Handles

If you need to change the handles in your house for a closet then you won’t have to fool with locks on this one. It’s free through exactly as the name sates. You can buy them in a knob type handle style, or a lever type that is very popular. Of course make sure that you don’t need one a lock before purchasing a free through handle. Any medications that are stored will need to be locked if you have small children around.

Privacy Door Knobs

Hooking up a hot water heater is one of the most common home repair jobs there is. However if you don’t know what you are doing, or don’t know the first thing about hot water heaters, well then you could be in hot water…quite literally.

But installing a hot water heater can actually be a rather easy thing to learn. You just have to make sure you read all the directions before you start, so you don’t get in over your head before you even start. The last thing you want to do is realize you can’t do this and then be stuck without any hot water!

Steps in connecting your new hot water heater successfully:

The first thing you have to do is the most obvious. You have to disconnect and remove your old hot water heater. Doing this is pretty easy. You just have to be careful. Remember it is full of hot water still. So, first turn off your gas or electricity that is connected to that water heater. You will then need to drain the water from the old unit.

The array of hinges found in a local hardware store can be dizzying. How do you know which hinge is the right one for your project?

Choosing the right hinge:

First and foremost, you may be able to narrow down the selection by some major factors. Based on the size, weight, and shape of your work materials, does the hinge need to be small and delicate or heavy and durable.

Another factor to consider is that, while most hinges are reversible (either end can be mounted in the upright position); some are made for either a right- or left-hand door. One example of this is the loose-pin hinge. With this hinge, common for hanging doors, the pin must be removed from the top; therefore, you cannot reverse a loose-pin hinge.

You can tell if you need a right- or left-hand hinge by standing on the outside of the door. If the door opens from you toward your right-hand side, you need right-hand hinges. If it opens from you toward your left-hand side, you need to stock up on left-hand hinges.

Although the hammer is one of the simplest tools—consisting of a handle and a head—there is nonetheless a great variety of sizes, styles, and functionalities. For basic home repairs, which ones should you have handy? Read on to find out!

Knock these off the list

In general, there are some tools that fall into the “hammer” category that are only used for more specialized tasks. These include mallets and mauls, which are woodworking tools; ball-peen hammers, used for metalwork; and more heavy duty options, such as the roofers’ hammer or sledgehammer. Assuming you are just looking for something that drives nails and occasionally breaks things apart, we’ll disregard the options below and discuss the more common varieties.

What’s it made of?

Hammer heads, which have the striking surface, are typically made of metal.

The handle allows a good grip, extends the arc of your swing thereby increasing speed and velocity of the strike, and—in modern times—serves as a shock absorber. The most common and inexpensive handles are made of wood, just as they have been since the hammer was first invented.

The seasons turn and your house takes a beating from all of the wind and rain hitting your home. Your gutters can quickly get clogged with all of the debris hurled through the air. There are steps that you can do to keep your gutters in good shape, and it won’t take too long to do it. Regular home maintenance is the key to keeping your gutters like new. Read on about 5 tips that will help you keep the clog out of your guttering system.

If you’re old enough to remember the inside ritual of spring and fall cleaning by Grandma, you’ll remember that it happened every year. Even if it didn’t look like it needed it. Grandma was smart and Grandpa was just as smart too. Outside maintenance was important then, just like it is today. So, get into the habit of cleaning those gutters before stuff starts growing in them!

Tips on how to be safe when cleaning out your gutters:

There are a few tips on how to get safely up to clean your gutters in the spring and fall. Read over them and take them to heart, when climbing on a ladder and roof.

Garage door replacements:

Older garage doors are often the subject of replacement in a home. At some point in the life of the door, they simply wear out. The great news in this project, though, is that new garage doors have features manufacturers never even considered in older models.

New garage doors are insulated which not only means warmth, but sound proofing too. That can be really handy when your teen decides to use the drum set his grandma thought to be a good idea to give him for Christmas. Moreover, they are far more secure than they used to be, which can be nice for people who store more valuables than just their cars in the garage.

In these days of more and more possessions, the garage often becomes a place of storage for a number of important items. More than that, though, they provide the maintenance free beauty you would want for any part of your home.

While wood was once the first choice material for garage doors, steel, fiberglass and other synthetics are now the choice for many homes. These materials allow for a classic look, tailored to your preferred colors, without the hassle wood doors once provided.

Before you start losing it and screaming at your furnace in the dead cold or the heat of the summer time, stop and take a deep breath. Your furnace might not be working because of a few simple issues that can be fixed quickly.

Sometimes the simplest thing is right before your eyes, and when you’re agitated you can miss them. Take a few moments and read about 3 common things that can go wrong, and more importantly what you can do to keep your furnace working.

Here are 3 tips to use before you call your service repairman:

Check your Setting

People have actually called a service technician and they’ve found out that the only problem was that their temperature setting on their thermostat control was not turned to the proper setting for heating or cooling their home. That’s not only embarrassing, but a very expensive call for something so simple. Be sure and check.

Check Breakers and Service Switch

If your service switch isn’t on, or any of the other switches aren’t on, the furnace won’t run. The service switch is located near or on the furnace. Look at the main breaker box in your house too. If it’s been tripped it won’t come on either. Sometimes all that’s need is to replace the service switch if it’s gone bad.

Faucets don’t go out very often, but when they do it’s a mess. If you’re a home owner expect to have a few leaky faucets to fix in your house. There’s no need to panic over the water spraying in your home, just get busy and find the problem and fix it.

Most indoor plumbing disasters have an easy solution. Read on about a few leaky issues you might run in to, and how to fix or prevent them from happening.

Handy tips list for some common everyday solutions to your plumbing problems.

Kitchen Leaky Pipe Joints

Your kitchen gets as much use as your bathroom, in fact maybe even more use than you realize. Joints in faucets can spring a leak that are either slow leaks or fast quick ones that can leave your face and shirt a mess. To fix a leaky pipe joint is not a problem. All you have to do is to turn the water valve off that goes to the sink. Take out your joint and hold it up to a bright light.

It’s cold and you want to use your fireplace, but you’ve been having problems in the past with it smoking. You can correct your smoky fireplace issue with a few easy steps. Take a gander at these fireplace tips to correct any issues of a smoky one.

Here are some tips to correct your smoky fireplace issue:

This list of tips should help you correct any problem with a fireplace that fills your house up with black silt smoke. Not only does it need to be done because you can’t use your fireplace, but smoke from a fireplace ruins walls, carpets and drapes.

This type of smoke is almost impossible to get out of any fabric including your clothes. Besides it not healthy to breathe in the smoke and it’s especially true with anyone suffering from allergies of any kind.

Stoke up the Fireplace Chimney

Be sure to open your damper. It’s usually found in front of the fireplace and it’s a simple switch to pull back. Next warm the chimney air by burning newspaper or any other type of safe material in the fireplace. The goal is to get the air warmer in the chimney so it’ll push the cold air out and away. Colder air pushes the warmer air down and smoky air can occur.

Many “do-it-yourself” (DIY) projects are trial and error. You may still laugh at your first attempted faux finish or the shelves that crashed to the floor five minutes after you triumphantly tapped the last nail in.

Electrical projects do not fall in the trial-and-error category. However, all homeowners do need to perform some basic electrical repairs. Before attempting to fix electrical problems, follow the steps below to ensure a safe and successful repair.

Steps to follow before attempting to fix electrical problems:

Do I have your permission?

Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a permit from your local electrical authority to do electrical work on your own home. According to the Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Services (ODBCS), homeowners do not need a permit “to replace electrical devices or to perform the maintenance on an existing electrical installation.” However, the ODBCS states that a permit is require to

install or alter any permanent wiring or electrical device

run additional wiring, put in an electrical outlet or light fixture, install a receptacle for a garage-door opener, or convert from fuse box to circuit breakers