Toilet Repair Kit

Super Handyman: Doing renovations in stages makes them more manageable

Upgrading your home can get expensive. Most of us have a long list of things we would love to do, but we just don’t have the bucks to do it all at once. Make a list of these improvements, and then do them in stages.

For example, renovating your kitchen could cost thousands of dollars, but a new ceiling fixture is a weekend project and would cost a fraction of the price. It might be as simple as taking down the old one and installing the replacement in the same spot.

Next month you could replace the kitchen faucet — another weekend project that won’t cost too much. It really can make a difference in the look and function of your kitchen.

Perhaps the next month you might be ready to paint your kitchen cabinets. This might take you a little longer, but it won’t cost much more, if any. If you have any extra money in the budget, you also might replace the hardware on the cabinets and drawers.

Flooring might be upgraded by just refinishing it. If you have wood floors, stripping them and staining them might make them look a whole lot better. Tile floors can be re-grouted and sealed for a freshened look. Replacing your floor will take time, but if you do the work yourself, it can be very rewarding and could be another small step toward a total renovation.

At this point, you have very little to do except replace your appliances. These can be purchased one at a time to save money while still getting the job done, or you might be able to find a dealer with a good payment schedule.

It might take you a little time, but you eventually can do the job, and when you do the work yourself, you will save money and gain valuable experience along the way. There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping back from a project and realizing you’ve paid for it and done the work yourself.

Squeeze bottle trick

The nickname “Super Flush” for the Super Handyman came about because of my expertise on toilet repairs. I don’t know everything there is to know about toilet repair, but I’ve done more than my fair share of it and feel like I’ve earned the name honestly. When making repairs to a toilet, many times you need to drain the tank. It’s easy to do by turning off the water supply and holding the flush handle down to allow most of the water to drain into the bowl. The rest can be removed with an empty squeeze bottle, like the type dishwashing soap or shampoo comes in. Squeeze the air out, put the top of the bottle into the leftover water in the tank and let go. It sucks the water up easily, and in no time at all, you are ready to go to work.

Danco 80816 Toilet Repair Kit | Kitchen & Bath Fixtures

Delivery was quick. Well packaged. I did not realize the difference between units until I had swapped the main unit. The new one was almost 1″ shorter than the original which made final installation a little tricky with the overflow tube. The water level had to be adjusted since it initially came up to the side of the replacement. Other than that the unit has finally settled down to working well.

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