Weekend projects don’t typically take the entire weekend. Of the dozens of potential home improvement projects you could tackle over a weekend, here are five quick and easy ones that won’t take you away from enjoying your weekend.

Unclog the showerhead: If the water pressure during your morning showers has been declining steadily, you might need to clear up mineral buildup on the showerhead.

Get some distilled white vinegar, a rubber band and a plastic bag. Place the showerhead in the plastic bag that’s filled with vinegar, and tie it shut with the rubber band. After soaking overnight, your showerhead should be void of any mineral buildup, and since vinegar is a natural cleaner and disinfectant, you won’t be harming the environment. Of course the other option is to replace the showerhead you have with a more functional one from the likes of Hansgrohe, Moen or Delta.

Install energy-efficient light bulbs: A lot of us have already done this one to some extent. Both compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are gradually coming down in price, making them an even more worthy investment.

LED retrofit lighting - Modern and efficient

This doesn’t really get much easier. Unscrew the old, inefficient incandescent bulb. Replace with new, super-efficient bulb. Rejoice in the money and energy savings. There are also retrofit kits for recessed lights from Sea Gull Lighting.

Install LED under-cabinet lighting: I’ve talked about this one before, and it bears repeating. The counter area beneath your kitchen cabinets is an ideal place for lighting, and many brands like Kichler offer a wide selection. This cost-effective and energy-efficient upgrade will rejuvenate the look of your kitchen.

Under-cabinet lighting - Subtle but effective

After a bit of planning (how many LED discs and mounting brackets do you need, for example), this job shouldn’t take you more than two or three hours—even less if you have a helping hand.

Update your kitchen with a new faucet: You might be surprised at the difference a new faucet can make in your everyday life in the kitchen. And with a massive selection of next-generation kitchen faucets available (water-efficient and pull-out fixtures, for example), it’s well worth investing an hour or two to install one.

A number of plumbing manufacturers have simplified the installation process with fixtures that can be put in quickly and easily by even the most inexperienced layman. There are even new special tools to help in tight spaces like this Ridgid Faucet Installer.

Flush your water heater: When I first saw this project, I immediately put it on my must-do list. This is a twice-a-year project that’s easy and worth the effort.

This is a multi-step process so for the skinny on how to flush your water heater, visit the blog at ConsumerReports.org. Another option is to upgrade to a tankless heater.

As always, let’s hear about a weekend project you’ve recently finished that you’d like to share. Feel free to let me know at smurphy@build.com.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

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