Household maintenance and repair
This section you are most likely to just skip over, but I don’t recommend doing that. My suggestion is to look up online videos of how to do these projects. You can also search at your local library books on basic home maintenance and repair. As you get older and maybe move into a house of your own, these will come in handy. In your household binder(which you will be making later on), is where you would keep notes about when you change your smoke alarm batteries or when to replace furnace filters. You might want to seek out an older male figure in your life who can introduce you to simple household repairs and maintenance.
Learn and identify what these basic tools are:
- Hammer
- Flat head screw driver
- Star screw driver
- Screw
- Nail
- Pliers
- Monkey wrench
- Adjustable wrench
Skills to learn:
- How to read a tape measure
- How to swing a hammer
- How to use a drill
- How to use a level
- How to calculate square footage
- How to clear a clogged sink drain—–rule of thumb—-DO NOT put down any grease from your pans after cooking, as it cools it will harden in your pipes. Dump outside on the ground. DO NOT put spaghetti noodles, orange peels, or egg shells down the garbage disposal. These when put in excess, will clog an entire drain system. In small amounts normally this is fine with the water continuously running but not large amounts.
- How to clear a clogged toilet—-after you plunge it, pour some cleaner on top of your plunger and plunge a few times in the toilet to clean it off before putting away.
- How to remove hair from a tub and sink drain. They have little hook tools that are just a few dollars, that you put down the drain to remove any hair that can get caught.
- How to calculate square footage of an area. This will help you learn how much flooring or how much paint or wallpaper to purchase.
- How to turn off a toilet water line—–important to avoid any water spillage everywhere.
- How to reset a circuit breaker
- How to find a stud in the wall
- How to hang a picture—you can put toothpaste on the hanger and line it up on the wall. Press up against the wall and you will find where the toothpaste is to put your nail in.
There are many other skills that you can learn how to do as well. Pay attention the next time something is needing repairs in your home. You can learn some valuable skills to help you in your life.
Simple wood working projects
If you have the ability to do so, I encourage you to ask someone to help you with one of the following woodworking projects:
- Bread board
- Simple stool
- Simple shelf
There are many more online if you type in beginner woodworking projects. The best way to learn how to do something, is to do it and mess up. The next time you will know what “not” to do.
One thing that I remember learning about screwing things in whether it be a screw, a knob, or a bolt, there is a saying, “lefty loosey righty tighty.” This will help you to remember which direction to turn things when tightening them. I have only come across a special screw a few times in my life that turns the other way. This will work for most all of the time.
