Usually if something breaks or needs maintenance around our house, I try to fix it myself. This comes mostly from my upbringing. Although my Dad was a tradesman himself (a bricklayer), it was forbidden to discuss actually paying someone to fix anything in our house. My dad would try to fix most things or elicit help from his tradesmen buddies. Kind of like “you wash my back” (translation…..fix my plumbing problem), and “I’ll wash yours” (translation…..tuck-point your chimney or build your brick fireplace).

The one fix-it my Dad never messed with was electricity. After a couple of shocks and some choice words, he surrendered to fact that electricity wasn’t one of his strong suits. So like my dad, (and due to countless hours of holding the flashlight for him…….YOU FLASHLIGHT HOLDERS KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!)  I have found that I can fix most things around the house.

I even added the electric fixes to my “tool chest” (I worked part-time for a couple of electrical contractors and got my electrician’s certificate.) This took care of my Dad’s void although, somehow that “wash your back/my back” rule doesn’t apply with kids! Just kidding Dad!!  I am definitely still in the debt category concerning my Dad.

Well back to the fixes……. My wife Annie’s Dad in contrast was a business owner and due to time constraints and money (…more of it) he usually hired someone to tackle the needed fix-its. So in the beginning (when we were first married), Annie was usually a little nervous when I would tell her I was going to fix it. She has since learned over the years that my fix-it record is pretty good, which leads me to why I am writing this article –

Because she is truly amazed by my fix-it abilities (JUST KIDDING, NOT REALLY!!!)  No really, I thought some of these fixes might interest you, help you save a little money, and give you a sense of accomplishment.

You will find that with the help of information and/or instruction you can get from friends, an old timer at Ace Hardware, or a reliable person at Home Depot, Menards, or Lowes, you can figure out how to properly complete most fixes. Additionally, today you can quickly search YouTube and find almost any fix-it or home improvement project you can think of and receive great video instruction on how to tackle it.  

Well today’s tip is repairing a broken garage door hinge. Recently one of the hinges on my garage door snapped, requiring a replacement hinge. If I would have called a repair man, it probably could have cost anywhere from $100.00 to $200.00.  Instead of paying a repair man, I Googled the part, found it at Home Depot and replaced it myself for under $10.00. The removal and replacement with the new hinge and roller took all of about 10 minutes. I have outlined the fix in the short video below.