ok - my husband and I are not handy - AT ALL. Both of us grew up in households where our dads were Mr. Fix-it for their own families and others yet we still reach out for help for things I realize we should just do on our own. It's embarrasing for me - at my age (33) my parents bought a house they basically tore down and rebuilt with the only help was for the electrical as my dad wasn't as familiar and wanted to ensure it was safe........
So, we bought a house 7 years ago - a townhome - assuming it was going to be our home maybe 5 years until we started a family then we'd sell and purchase a single family home.......well 2008 came and, you know the rest.......so we realize (since our home is worth 1/2 what we paid for it) we'll be in it for awhile....I came up with a list of things I'd like to do. One of them is updating our "beautiful" brassy looking (from early 90's) light fixtures. I'd rather my husband not call his dad to have him come over to do it - I would like to be independent......I've not yet looked at the directions but wondering - really is it all that difficult to change the fixture? Guess I'm mainly concerned not about the actual hanging but the changing over of wires, etc. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?? I feel rediculous for even asking!
Thanks guys! So far 3 of the 6 fixtures are up. You all were right - do one and then you're a pro!!!!
Its incredibly simple. Turn the breaker off, and all you have to do is twist the two white wires together, twist the two black, hook the ground wire to a screw, add caps to the twisted wires (save them from when you unhook the old light) and you're done. Seriously... No special tools required and no major skills. You can do this!
If you can follow a recipe for something you have never cooked before and have it turn out ok or better, you can change out a light fixture.
Its just like following a recipe. My dad could do all of this and he thought it was easy. He figured because I had his genes, I could do it too. He never showed me. I went to the library, read a couple of How-To manuals, went to the hardware store (This was before Home Depot or Lowes) asked the resident "expert", bought the electrical "how-to" book he recommended and then did the work.
Its much easier to change out a light fixture than it is to get your Thanksgiving turkey to be fully cooked and look like the picture on the front of Better Homes and Gardens.
Suggestion: Go to Home Depot or Lowes (Home depot is my favorite) and find the fixtures you want. Go to the resident "expert" in that department and he will show you how to change it and what book to buy to show you how. (Its so easy, you won't really need a book.) Show him the fixtures you want to change over and buy the parts he says you will need to do the job. Then go home and do it. After you do your first one, you'll wonder why you thought it was so difficult.
Good luck to you and yours.
Turn off the main switch and then you can change the fixture safely. Take a course in household repair at the JC you need it.
For any home improvement projects you can get assistance at Home Depot. If the job is a simple one, such as installing new light, a clerk will tell you how to do it.
You can also ask for a recommendation for a home improvement book to purchase that will give you instructions for all sorts of projects.
I live in Algonquin and have a number for a really good and very reasonably priced handyman. If you send me a personal message, I'll be happy to give it to you.
I called a siding company when a small piece of our siding came off in a storm and they recommended him, as they typically do bigger jobs. The siding company said it would cost about $75. Over the phone the handyman said $50 and when he got here he said it would be less, but I insisted on paying him what we agreed to on the phone. He is a general handyman, not specific to siding or anything.
My 12 yo and I did it ourselves when my hubby deployed. We read all the directions, did everything step by step and by light number 5 I held the flashlight, she changed the light.
We also put in dimmer switches.
Just make sure you flip the power off for that particular circuit that you are working with. You'll do fine.
I went through the same thing- switching out yuck brassy fixtures for oil rubbed bronze and my dad is Mr fix- it....I did 2 fixtures and a sconce myself- one fixture when I was 8 mos prego- you can do it. Don't forget to turn off the breaker! One I wouldn't mess with- my dad switched out the ceiling fan with remote from the cathedral ceiling for me! I was not doing that! I also replaced every doorknob in our home too myself- they were all that brassy yellow gold too- yech! My hubby and I also installed a new dimmer switch together! You can do this stuff! You learn by doing! That is how my dad originally learned and now he renovates rooms for people and re-did the entire first floor of his own home himself- made the area into a great room with an open floorplan, moved and redid kitchen, built an addition etc. Wish I had time for all that :) good luck
My dad can do anything, build anything, fix anything. My FIL could do it all also when he was alive. I grew up helping my dad and can do a lot of stuff. My husband went to college and learned how to work with numbers. He isnt too skilled in repairs. He is not Mr Fix it. But I have shown him how to change outlets, switches, doorknobs, doors, windows, toilets, faucets,,, its a nice list of what we can do ourselves. Some of it isnt real easy and takes muscles. I have always been more than willing to go to a hardware store and ask questions and draw pictures, write it down, and get advice. They will walk you thru the steps and ask the questions you might not be aware of. Be sure to turn the power off to that light, if not the whole house. Use a ladder or step stool so you can reach without standing on tip toes. It can get hard to hold the fixture. Have everything you need, tools, screws wire caps, wire cutters, screwdrivers, needle nosedplyers, electrical tape and the directions right there handy. And if you get stuck and cant figure it out, call dad! Most dads like helping out and if you just say,, "would you SHOW us how to do it?" He should be willing to come over one more time.. Get some how to books, and dont be afraid to ask. go to YouTube and search for the project you need. They show everthing on that site! Watch the house fix it shows on tv too. And if you really dont understand a job,, dont do it until you do. Its not worth blowing yourself off a ladder because you didnt quite understand what they meant because the instructions were in some other language.
