Guide to DIY Home Repairs

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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

  • Published on Jul 1, 1987
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