Let’s diagnose a common refrigerator problem that you can most likely repair by yourself.  Has your refrigerator stopped getting cold even though it’s plugged in, has power, and the lights are on inside?  If so, your condenser may have overheated from the fan being so dirty that it can’t properly cool anymore.  We’ll show you how to clean a refrigerator condenser fan in the handy video below.

Diagnose This Refrigerator Problem

The condenser fan may be dirty and clogged in your refrigerator if:

• The refrigerator is plugged in
• The fridge’s power is on
• The lights come on in the refrigerator

but…

• The refrigerator is not cold
• The fridge is getting warmer inside
• The frozen foods are starting to melt
• You can’t hear the cooler (compressor) kick on for the refrigerator
• The refrigerator looks normal but is not making any sound

How to Repair Your Refrigerator by Cleaning the Condenser Fan

Before calling the refrigerator repair man, watch the short DIY (do it yourself) repair video below that shows how to clean a refrigerator condenser fan.

This refrigerator breakdown happened in my house last night.  Luckily, my husband was able to diagnose the problem and repair it by cleaning off the condenser fan right away. 

Keep in mind when you watch the video that your refrigerator will probably be WAY more black and dirty inside than the one in the video (mine was).  Our cleaning project took about 30 minutes and the filth was very built up, so have a bandana ready to cover your nose and mouth and expect to get dirty.

Being able to handle this refrigerator repair yourself will save you a lot of money by not having to hire a repair person.  This frugal home DIY refrigerator repair project is a must-know!

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

DIY Repair: How to Clean a Refrigerator Condenser Fan Video is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Home DIY: How to Clean and Repair Rain Gutters Video
2. How to Clean Refrigerator Coils (Video)
3. Home DIY: How to Repair Cracks and Holes in Drywall

The following guest post was written by Marcy Tate, a home improvement blogger at Networx, Your Home Improvement Network. She works with remodeling contractors on budgeted home remodeling ideas.

8 Easy, Simple and Frugal Home Improvements

The average American’s budget doesn’t allow for extensive remodeling projects; even when budgets do, by now, most Americans have caught on to the importance of saving and putting away any spendable income.

However, there are some simple and inexpensive ways that you can give your home a little lift without spending thousands of dollars. You’ll be surprised at how small, simple changes can improve the look and feel of your home.

1. Switch Plates

A switch plate can be made out of numerous materials and is used to cover the area around an electric switch. There’s a huge selection of switch plates, from decorative glass to ceramic, antique brass, wood and more. This small addition can add so much to a room. Consider making your own switch plate, or simply painting your existing ones. Check Switchhits.com for an amazing collection of switch plates.

2. Pulls and Knobs

Pulls and knobs may not seem like a significant part of your kitchen décor, but they actually have a profound impact on your kitchen. Changing the pulls and knobs on your cabinets can completely change the look and feel of your kitchen. Most pulls and knobs are at eye-level and attract attention.

To change your pulls and knobs, first decide what kind of material will best complement your current kitchen design. Popular pull and knob materials include: wood, ceramic, stone, glass, brushed nickel, polished brass, antique brass, antique copper, stainless steel and more. Additionally, you can make your own cabinet pulls.

The web is full of simple tutorials, which even most beginner DIYers can follow. A few tips: Make sure your pulls and knobs are functional as well as attractive. If you have a family with young children, you may want to skip the glass art-deco pulls and knobs. Visit myknobs.com for some great ideas and discounted products.

3. Reface or Paint Cabinets

Refacing or painting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets is a budgeted way to give your kitchen a new look. Aside from saving you money, it will save you time and allow you to be more creative than installing new, pre-fabricated cabinets. If you are a do-it-yourselfer with an average-sized kitchen, you can pull off this project for under $100.

4. Paint

There’s no faster or cheaper way to improve a room than a fresh coat of paint. To give a complete new look to a room, you don’t even need to paint the entire room. Paint just one wall as an accent wall. For new wall décor, hang a few newly framed pictures of your family. Be sure to select frames that complement the new wall color.

If you can’t do it yourself, hire a neighborhood painter to do it for you. During these challenging economic times, many painters offer discounts and are willing to take on smaller jobs. Visit the website of Benjamin Moore for some great accent wall color ideas.

5. Wall Decals

Wall decals are very popular nowadays, as they provide a quick, affordable and quality way to update the walls of any room in a home. Look for vinyl wall decals, as they have the best reputation for the longest lifespan.

Many homeowners equate wall decals with children’s room décor. However, the wall decal market is huge, and wall decals are available in some very elegant patterns for even the most formally styled dining rooms. For one of the best selections on the web, check Wallies.com.

6. Area Rugs

An area rug can add warmth and style to any room in your home. Think out-of-the-box when selecting an area rug, and consider the various shapes, sizes and colors. One of the best places to look for discounted area rugs is overstock.com. You’ll find great quality rugs steeply discounted.

Alternatively, check into carpet tiles. Carpet tiles are very popular, as they are a cost-effective way to carpet a small room or small space. Check Flor.com, the leader in modular carpet tiles.

7. Mini-Bathroom Makeover

If you are trying to give your bathroom a new identity, then replacing your soap dispenser or shower curtain won’t do the trick. However, the good news is that replacing your soap dispenser AND shower curtain (along with a few other accessories) can make your bathroom feel fresh and fun.

For the most significant change, consider adding or replacing the following: window treatments, light fixtures, wall colors, framed art, pulls, knobs or the towel rack.

8. Address Sign and Mailbox

The address sign and mailbox are the most common porch items that homeowners let go. Updating yours will surely bring a smile to your face as you pull up to your home each day. This subtle and simple update will likely get noticed by neighbors and visitors. Mailboxes4less.com is a great place to start to get ideas for mailbox styles and address plaques.

Love home improvement and home DIYs?  Next, read 14 Home DIYs Every Homemaker Needs to Know.

8 Easy, Simple and Frugal Home Improvements is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Before and After Home DIY: Painting Kitchen Cabinets
2. Dutch Boy Home Makeover Contest for $5000 & Home DIYs Series

We recently found an old farm style kitchen table in pieces at a local consignment shop.  It had a dark brown faded finish and a lot of scratches. It was easy to see its potential as a great kitchen table with a little imagination.   All it would need is some sanding, stain, paint, and reassembly.  This frugal project cost only a fraction of the same table at retail price. 

All in all, we paid $40 for the table and about $30 for the paint and staining supplies.  The identical farm table at a local retail store was $200!  Plus, now we have enough leftover paint and stain to refinish matching kitchen chairs should we find them at a consignment or thrift store.

Thanks go to Purdy Paintbrushes for providing the paint brush we used for the staining process.  My husband, Michael, performed the staining and used two different paint brushes for separate coats to gauge if the quality of the Purdy brush was better.  Purdy brushes are generally used by contractors but aren’t as well known by home DIY enthusiasts who do painting home improvement projects.

Michael noticed that when applying the coat of stain with the Purdy brush, the stain went on easily and the brush didn’t lose any bristles.  However, when using the store brand of paintbrush, he noticed that it lost a lot of bristles during stain application.  The result was that we ended up picking bristles out of the table’s surface – not something you want to do during your table refinishing project.

We decided to go with a burgundy paint for the legs, sides and drawer, and a warm brown stain for the table top.  The finished project is a beauty!

Farm Table Before and After Photos

This photo was taken after the sanding was started.  Here is the before photo of the kitchen farm table:

Here are the after photos of the kitchen farm table:

We’re excited to move our new-to-us farm style kitchen table into our new house and fashion some matching chairs!  It just goes to show that frugal can be fantastic, as long as you use a little imagination and learn the basic skills to make your DIYs easy as pie. 

Get more Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.  For more before and after projects, visit Making a Happy Home Monday,  Metamorphosis Monday and Tackle it Tuesday.  

–  

Disclaimer:  In compliance with the FTC Guides, updated 10/5/09, this article has material connections.  IS World Media (ISWM) received no fees for the writing or publication.  The product review of Purdy Paintbrushes was conducted by Michael Simmons and is his honest opinion.  The paint brush was provided to ISWM at no cost by the Sherwin Williams Company to facilitate the review process.  We cannot make claims as to the typical results users should expect from this product, as we are trying it for the first time and have no way of knowing other users’ experiences.

Frugal Table Refinishing DIY – Before and After Pictures is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

This short home DIY project video shows how to remove wallpaper.  The skill level for this home DIY project is intermediate.  How easy or how difficult it is to remove wallpaper depends greatly on factors beyond your control, such as what type of wallpaper was installed and if the walls were properly prepared before hanging the wallpaper.

If you’re a beginner and you’re determined to take on a project which involves removing wallpaper in your house, make sure you watch the video below several times first.  Get all the proper tools before beginning, and expect the unexpected (you can find a lot of hidden surprises, like mold and mildew, under old wallpaper). 

Our bathroom DIY project of removing wallpaper had some shocking roadblocks along the way, including the discovery of walls that were not properly primed before the wallpaper was hung 30 years ago.  This can result in a situation like we had in which the top layer of wallpaper comes off but leaves either adhesive behind and/or removes layers of the drywall with it.  If this happens during your wallpaper removal project, you’ll want to read our article about how to repair drywall before you continue on with painting the walls.

Health and safety warning:  This video shows two methods for removing wallpaper.  The first is using gel adhesive remover and the second is using a wallpaper steamer.  Please keep in mind that while gel adhesive remover may be more effective, many brands do contain chemicals known to cause birth defects, so make sure you check the label before purchasing it.  If you are pregnant or uncertain about using these chemicals in your home, opt for the wallpaper steaming method of removal instead.

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

Home DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Home DIY: How to Repair Cracks and Holes in Drywall
2. Home DIY: How to Clean and Repair Rain Gutters Video
3. Bathroom DIY Project with Dutch Boy Paint, Part 1

This home DIY video shows how to repair holes in drywall.  The step by step instructions cover repairing drywall holes of all sizes, including:

• Small holes caused by nails
• Medium holes caused by doorknobs
• Large holes over 2.5” caused by any number of reasons

Before repainting your home’s interior walls, make sure you attend to repairing the holes in the drywall first to have a solid surface to work with.  The difficulty of this project ranges from beginner to intermediate, so it’s best to start with the smallest holes first and fix them to gain experience and improve your technique.

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Want more? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

Home DIY: How to Repair Cracks and Holes in Drywall is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Home DIY: How to Clean and Repair Rain Gutters Video
2. Home DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper
3. DIY Repair: How to Clean a Refrigerator Condenser Fan Video

This short video shows how to clean and repair rain gutters, just in time for the end of the season.  Cleaning and repairing gutters is an essential step in preparing your home for winter.  This would be a good time to print out our get ready for winter checklist also.

It’s recommended to clean out your house’s gutters each spring and fall.  The Autumn cleaning we feel is the most important, as it will remove all the fallen leaves from the channels.

This easy video on how to clean and repair rain gutters was put together by Lowe’s Home Improvement.  The skill level is beginner, so even if you’re a brand new home owner, you’ll be able to get your house prepared for winter with this gutter cleaning DIY. 

A word of warning: This video recommends wearing latex gloves.  As latex is a common allergen and is also one of the fastest growing allergies in the USA, we recommend wearing non-latex gloves as an alternative (e.g. nitrile gloves or vinyl gloves).

(Subscribers will need to click through to this article to watch the video.)

Here are the printable instructions for how to clean rain gutters which were mentioned in the video.  Remember that regular maintenance will keep your gutters, home and foundation from being damaged and make your cleaning job easier.

Want more home DIY projects? We’ve got lots of How To videos and instructions!

Home DIY: How to Clean and Repair Rain Gutters Video is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. DIY Repair: How to Clean a Refrigerator Condenser Fan Video
2. Home DIY: How to Repair Cracks and Holes in Drywall
3. Home DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper

Have you changed the filter in your air conditioner lately?  Home DIY maintenance often doesn’t get done because we don’t know just how easy it is.  This short video shows how to change an air conditioner filter (a must-know skill for every frugal homeowner). 

Changing your air conditioner’s filter regularly will:

• keep your air conditioner functioning properly
• keep the air in your home clean and free of dust, spores, and allergens
• and help you save on utility bills by not making your air conditioner work harder than it has to.  

Thanks to Tim Gibson for making this great how to video for how to change an air conditioner filter. 

How to Clean an Air Conditioner Filter (Video) is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Home DIY: How to Clean and Repair Rain Gutters Video
2. DIY Repair: How to Clean a Refrigerator Condenser Fan Video
3. How to Clean Refrigerator Coils (Video)

You may have read about when we decided to start remodeling our bathroom by ripping out all the wallpaper.  If not, you can read about our start to the DIY bathroom painting project here.  We want to thank Dutch Boy for supplying the Refresh Paint which is going to redo our bathroom and our kitchen cabinets.

Bathroom DIY Problems

We encountered some serious unexpected problems after starting this bathroom DIY, which you can see in the video below.  

As it turns out, the wallpaper is at least 30 years old, and beneath it was a teeming population of mold an mildew which has infiltrated the drywall.  That is not what we expected to find for what was supposed to be a quick and easy “remove-wallpaper-then-paint-bathroom” project! 

The condition of the walls is so bad, due to a leak inside the walls coming from the ceiling, that the ceiling has actually turned rubbery and caves in with a simple touch.  We don’t know where the leak is coming from, as our roof was re-sealed last summer. 

We’re left with mold to contend with, as well as possibly replacing sections of the drywall and maybe having to get the ceiling repaired.  This project will be on a short hold while we get expert opinions about the extent of the damage.  I’ve already alleviated much of the mold by cleaning the walls with straight bleach.

We’ll be moving on to the kitchen cabinet makeover DIY project in the meantime, also brought to you by Dutch Boy Paint.  Stay tuned to watch brown 1970s style paneling-look cabinetry go from disco flop to country kitchen beauty!

Bathroom DIY Project with Dutch Boy Paint, Part 1 is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Home DIY: How to Remove Wallpaper
2. Dutch Boy Home Makeover Contest for $5000 & Home DIYs Series
3. Before and After Home DIY: Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Welcome to the first installment in our Home DIY Projects series: How to Hang Pictures!

If you’ve ever wondered what the easiest way is to hang pictures, this home DIY is for you.  This chore is no problem if you follow our step by step instructions for how to hang pictures, which usually can be done with some basic tools available at your local home improvement store. While it is easy to do, it is also not as simple as driving a few nails into the wall.  So keep reading, and you’ll be hanging pictures like a pro in no time!

Tools You Need to Hang Pictures

• Pencil 
• Eye screws (also called screw eyes) for larger frames or triangle plated hangers for smaller frames
• Picture wire
• Hammer
• Level
• Ruler

Get Ready to Hang the Picture

Evaluate the room where you want to hang your new picture. Keep in mind the design and the layout of the furniture in the room. Notice the already existing pictures; you may need to move more than one picture to incorporate the new one into your decor.

How To Prepare a Picture Frame

Some picture frames come with a picture hanger already attached to the back.  This may look like a little silver metal piece with one jagged side (these are called saw tooth hangers), or may look like a metal wire attached on two ends with a slack between them. 

If your picture frame already has a hanger on the back, you can skip to the next section, How to Hang Pictures on the Wall.  For picture frames that do not come with a hanger already attached, you’ll need to prepare the frame yourself. 

For a small picture frame, you’ll want to use small triangle plated picture hangers.  You can see what triangle plated hangers look like and how to attach them in the video below. 

How to attach picture hangers to a frame:

How to attach screw eyes to a picture frame:  For hanging larger frames, you’ll want to use screw eyes for stringing the picture wire.  Place the screw eyes about 1/3 of the way from the top down the picture frame on both the right and left sides. Next, drill each screw eye into the frame by hand by turning it constantly and pressing firmly until the eye screw is secured in the frame.

How to attach picture wire:  No matter whether you chose eye screws or triangle plated hangers, you’ll want to string them with picture wire next.  Picture wire comes in various kinds of gauges and the size you choose depends on the size and weight of the frame to be hung.  Cut the wire about 1 – 1 1/2 times the width of the frame.  

Watch the video below to see how to attach picture wire to a frame:

How To Hang Pictures on the Wall

Now it’s time to choose exactly where to hang the picture on the wall. Once you have decided on the perfect spot, mark the wall lightly with a pencil of where you want the top of the picture frame to rest. With a level, make marks on the wall to ensure that the picture is straight.

Using a ruler, measure the distance from the top of the picture frame to the hanger.  Knowing that distance, you can measure the appropriate distance down from your pencil mark on the wall.  This measurement will tell you where to place the nail.  Hang the picture up on the nail, and make sure it is where you want it to be.  If the placement isn’t correct, take it down, re-measure, and try again.  After you’re satisfied with the picture frame’s location, use a level across the top of the frame to make sure your picture is straight.

Hanging pictures like a pro is a snap if you have the right tools and know the steps to follow.  Did you like our Home DIY Project: How to Hang Pictures?  If so, check out our other DIY home improvement projects. 

Home photo by trentsketch.

Home DIY Project: How to Hang Pictures is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Dutch Boy Home Makeover Contest for $5000 & Home DIYs Series

Home DIYs, also known as do-it-yourself projects, are essentials that every homemaker should know how to do.  Not only does being self-sufficient give you a good feeling from knowing that you can take care of your home’s preventive maintenance as well as being able to fix problems should an emergency arise, but DIYs also have an added financial bonus.  Acquiring this valuable knowledge and doing the project yourself means that you won’t have to pay expensive fees to a professional or a repairman.

So fire up your printer, because you’ll want to print out these useful home how-to guides and save them for later!

14 Home How-To DIYs That Every Homemaker Needs To Know

1.  How to fix a garbage disposal. From jams caused by items falling into the garbage disposal to simple clogged pipes, this how-to will show you how to fix your own garbage disposal in no time.

2.  How to eliminate rats in your home.  Learn why they chose your house, how they got inside, how to catch them, how dispose of the rats after they have been caught, and how to help prevent your house from being reinfested in the future.

3.  How to reset a circuit breaker. This great how-to explains how to tell if your fuse is blown, why it happened, and how to fix it.

4.  How to unclog a sink. Cheap and green, this how-to uses safe household ingredients.

5.  How to remove rust stains from nails.  Whether indoors or outdoors, it’s easy to remove rust stains from nails with common household materials before painting over them.

6.  How to unfreeze pipes. This complete set of of instructions should be printed out and hung on the wall next to pipes that are possible problem areas for easy access during an emergency.

7.  How to fix a toilet.  This how-to guide addresses common toilet problems such as plugged up toilets, overflowing toilets, water that keeps running, water levels too high, and even tells you how to replace a toilet seat.

8.  How to change a light bulb. The owner of a home renovation company teaches you a safe and effective way to change a light bulb in this how-to video.

9.  How to fix a dripping faucet.

10.  How to clean a dryer vent. Being able to clean your dryer vent properly will help you to eliminate the risk of fire started from your dryer.

11.  How to clean an air filter.  Not only will a clean air filter improve the quality of the air in your home, but it will also help you save money on your utility bills.

12.  How to clean out a fireplace.  This DIY only includes directions on how to clean the fireplace, not the chimney (which is a much more involved process).

13.  How to dispose of fireplace ashes.

14.  How to clean rain gutters. 

For more Works For Me Wednesday, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Home DIYs Every Homemaker Needs to Know is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

You might like these articles too:

1. Dutch Boy Home Makeover Contest for $5000 & Home DIYs Series

How to Unclog Your Plugged Drain Using Household Products

Have you ever had your sink clog up when there doesn’t happen to be a bottle of Drano under your sink? The last time my husband was out of town the bathroom drain got plugged up. There was no Drano in my house, I didn’t want to run to the store to buy a pricey drain treatment product. I certainly didn’t want to pay for an expensive plumber to come unclog the drain! Did I mention I had never unclogged a drain before?!

Luckily, I knew this handy trick that makes it easy for homemakers to solve their own drain problems. The best part about it is the price! Using household products to unclog your drain is not only fast and simple, but it’s also easy on the environment and easy on your pocketbook!

How to Unclog Your Plugged Drain Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

To Clear a Plugged Drain:

1. Measure 1/2 cup of baking soda
2. Measure 1/2 cup plain white vinegar
3. Pour a little baking soda directly into the drain, followed by a little vinegar. You’ll see and hear sizzling or fizzing.
4. Wait a few seconds and repeat the process until you have used 1/2 cup of each ingredient.
5. Let drain sit filled with mixture for 20 minutes.
6. Run HOT water through the drain until the water does not back up into the sink.
7. When the water flows normally through the drain, your job is done!

To Keep Your Drains From Getting Clogged:

Once a month, use half the ingredients (1/4 each of baking soda and vinegar) and repeat the process above. Using this method will help to prevent the buildup that causes drain clogs in the first place!

How Much Does it Cost to Use This Method Instead of Store Bought Drain Products?

Using prices from Safeway grocery stores, we have calculated the price difference between unclogging your drain with household products and with store bought drain products. It costs this much to unclog your sink only ONE time with:

• Drano max gel, one time = $2.50
• Liquid Plummr, one time = $2.35
• Generic Safeway drain product, one time = $1.70

Using Arm & Hammer baking soda bought in a 16oz box, and regular vinegar bought in a 128oz jug, our household drain remedy costs a mere 45 cents!

During my husband’s business trip, my father called to check on me. When he asked if anything was wrong, I told him that the bathroom sink had clogged but that I fixed it with baking soda and vinegar. He was impressed, and told me I deserved a merit badge!

Homemaker Barbi Says: Every homemaker should know how easy it is to maintain her home with common household products while spending as little as possible.

How to Unclog a Drain For 45 Cents is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.