Whether you are a DIY novice or you pride yourself on fixing things in your home, there are certain repair projects that you may think needs a professional. But you might just be surprised to learn that some commonly thought professional repairs are ones you can do yourself.
From fixing your garbage bins to repairing your roof, or installing new flooring, keep reading to discover 5 home repairs to carry out yourself using one of our plastic welding kits, plus tips about how to do the repairs.
1. Repair Plastic Garbage Bins
Although plastic bins are built to go the distance, that doesn’t mean that they are immune to general wear and tear and accidental damage, such as holes from sharp objects. If your plastic bin needs repair, you may be tempted to just purchase a new one, but doing the repair yourself is always an option.
All you need is a basic plastic bin repair kit and a few other tools that you may already have in your garage or tool kit, such as a brush, a sander, and a scraping tool.
Our top tips for repairing plastic bins:
- Use a sander or grinder to rough up the affected area for enhanced adherence during the repair.
- Invest in the right PPE.
- Before commencing welding, ensure the bin is adequately braced.
- Use a smooth and continuous motion when welding.
- When complete, leave the bin to cool completely before using the grinder to smooth the edges.
2. Repair or Install Flooring
New flooring is expensive enough without having to pay a fitter to install it for you as well. Fortunately, if your home improvement budget is already stretched, you’ll be happy to hear that you can both repair and install certain types of flooring yourself.
Using one of our best-selling flooring kits, you can repair or install resilient-antistatic flooring, linoleum floors, and vinyl floors, all of which are popular in homes across the country due to their appearance and easy maintenance.
Our top tips for welding vinyl/linoleum flooring:
- Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your chosen flooring kit.
- Practice welding on scraps of flooring material before starting the job.
- Avoid contamination and only groove seams when you are ready to weld.
- Use welding guns that deliver your flooring manufacturer’s required temperature for fusing the rod to the flooring.
3. Repair Roofing
Repairing your roof can definitely be done by you! As long as you have the right tools and are willing to learn on the job, you’ll be able to carry out minor roof repairs yourself.
Our roof welding kits are specifically designed to help professional roofers and amateurs fix flat or pitched roofs, including the parapet and under vaults.
Whether your roof has been affected by a storm, debris, or any man-made objects that have resulted in a puncture or a tear, fixing your home as soon as possible is a necessity to prevent additional damages or costs.
Our top tips for repairing your roofing:
- Invest in a hand-held hot air welding gun that can be easily moved around.
- Clean the affected area of any debris, dust, oil, and other contaminants before commencing welding.
- Take your time welding, especially around the edges of the roof sheet.
- Once cool, test the patch seam for any gaps or voids and reweld if needed.
4. Repair Awnings, Pool Liners, and Tents
If you have any large fabrics in your home that have been ripped or torn, such as awnings, pool liners, vehicle covers, tarps, tents, or yurts, instead of tossing them, use one of our plastic welding kits to make the repairs. Our kits include the latest fabric repair tools to quickly and effectively repair any rips or tears in a wide variety of fabrics by sealing patches onto them.
Welding fabric works by applying heat and pressure to fuse two fabrics, resulting in a seamless connection and one solid surface area.
Our top tips for patching fabrics include:
- Clean the area well with soap and water, rinse off any residue, and then leave to dry thoroughly.
- Ensure the patch is the same material type as the item being repaired as only like materials can be welded together.
- Carry out a test weld with a piece of excess patching material to ensure your weld is sufficiently strong.
- Do not place your fabric on any surface that may act as a heat sink, such as steel or another metal.
- Use a small piece of tape to secure the patch in place while you begin to weld.
- Allow the weld to cool entirely before testing for gaps or voids.
- Repeat the procedure on the opposite side of the fabric to improve the finished look.
5. Repair plastic on your vehicle
Whether you have a broken grill, bumper, fender, or dashboard, nearly every plastic element of your car can be fixed using one of our plastic welding kits. In fact, with the right tools, you can repair cracks, warping splits, and even entirely lost plastic car parts without losing any of your vehicle’s structural integrity.
When welding any plastic element of your vehicle, first identify the type of plastic that requires work, as this will affect the level of heat needed to bond the materials together. The best way to ensure that you’re using the right high-level temperature for welding plastics is to test weld using your chosen heatgun.
Our top tips for repairing plastic on your car include:
- Clean the surface thoroughly and allow it to completely dry before you start welding.
- Work outside or wear a mask as melting plastic releases toxic gasses.
- Start the weld before the crack or split and continue past both ends to stop it from spreading beyond repair.
- Once you have finished welding, grind the plastic down to create a smooth, finished surface.
Thankfully, with the right tools, there are many DIY home repairs that you can do yourself. We here at Heatgun have you covered. So, if you find yourself in need of doing a smaller project like fixing your plastic bins, or you’re taking on a larger project like repairing your roof, or you just have any other plastic repair project, our plastic repair kits are sure to make your project successful!