Maintenance in Cars

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What your home inspector won't check, and what you should

A standard inspection is a visual, non-invasive look at a house on one dry morning. Plenty of expensive problems sit just outside that scope.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Re-caulking a bath and shower without it peeling in a year

Most new caulk fails because of what happened before the tube was even opened. The order matters more than the technique.

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Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Why Fences Lean, and How to Set Posts That Don't

A fence never fails at the pickets. It fails in the first eight inches of dirt below grade, and that part is decided on day one.

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Home6 min read

The paint job that still looks right in three years

Most rooms don't fail because of the paint. They fail at the caulk line, the patch you didn't prime, and the coat you called good enough.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Changing your own oil without making a mess of it

The order to do it in, the two mistakes that dump five quarts on your driveway, and the parts nobody tells you to buy.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Changing a tire at the roadside without getting hurt

The order matters more than the muscle. Loosen before you lift, and know the one place you should never do this at all.

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GuideHomeWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Find Your Shutoffs Tonight, Not At Two In The Morning

A burst supply line puts out hundreds of gallons an hour. The difference between a mop and a claim is whether you already know where the valve is.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20265 min

How to bleed a radiator without soaking the carpet

Cold at the top and hot at the bottom means trapped air. The whole fix takes eight minutes, and the mistake people make is doing it in the wrong order.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20265 min

How to stop a dripping tap in fifteen minutes

Water off, handle off, washer out, washer in. The job is small. The mistakes are the expensive part.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideHomeWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Five house repairs you should stop paying someone else to do

A running toilet, a blocked sink, a hole in the wall, a dead switch, failing caulk — all of them are an evening's work with tools you already own.

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

The six multimeter checks that solve most problems

A multimeter does forty things. You'll use six of them, and they cover almost every dead battery, dead outlet and dead appliance you'll meet.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

How to wire a plug properly, and when to leave it alone

Brown right, blue left, earth on top, and a fuse that matches the appliance. The rest is knowing which jobs aren't yours.

GuideHomeWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Ten tools that cover ninety percent of household repairs

Most jobs around a house fail for want of the right tool, not the right skill. This is the short list that handles nearly all of them.

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Jumping a dead mower without frying the battery

A flat mower battery is a twenty-minute fix if you do it in the right order, and an expensive one if you don't.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

Skills6 min

Unblock the drain yourself before you pay somebody

Home3 min

The first aid kit in your house is probably useless

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What should I wear to this?

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 22, 20266 min

Sharpen a knife properly with what's already in your house

No fancy stones, no gadget clamps. A marker pen, something flat, and twenty minutes gets you a knife that slices paper.

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Skills6 min read

The wiring jobs worth doing yourself and the ones that aren't

Swapping a switch, a receptacle or a light fixture is within reach for most people. Knowing which jobs to hand off is the part that keeps you safe.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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