4 Tasks You Really Shouldn’t DIY: All You Need To Know
There’s something infinitely satisfying about completing DIY projects around the home. You did the research, got the necessary tools and equipment, and the results are as professional as those you’d have got anywhere else. However, there are some areas where it’s wasteful, and even downright dangerous to try DIY. Let’s check it out.
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Electrical Work
On the surface, electrical work may not seem like rocket science, but it’s worth asking yourself why electricians undergo so much training in order to get certified. The answer is simple. Apart from personal risks while actually doing the job, there’s also a danger of electrical faults causing untold damage, and even fatalities, after the fact. All, in all, it’s best to leave electrical work up to the pros.
If you don’t yet have an electrician you like working with, it’s worth shopping around. Ask friends, neighbors and electrical hardware stores who they would recommend or simply hit google. Keywords like “best electricians in San Diego” will turn up local results and you can check third-party reviews to see which local companies have the best reputation. And, since really good companies are proud of their work, they’ll often even provide tips on how to choose electricians - mainly because they’re confident they can check all the boxes.
Knocking Down Walls Without Professional Advice
Opening up the floorplan of a house is often a temptation. You have two rather awkward rooms adjacent to each other, and you think they’d be great if you united the spaces. But do be cautious. While knocking down a wall isn’t all that hard to do, you must be certain that your inconvenient wall isn’t supporting a vital part of the structure.
In this instance, you need to consult with someone who is in the know before you begin - even if the actual work will be yours. A structural engineer or professional builder will give you the information you need. If you get the go-ahead, you can tackle that wall with confidence.
Installing Skylights
Let the natural light into your home with skylights: great idea. Install them yourself: bad idea. The main problem with skylight installation is waterproofing, and since we’re talking about an installation that literally affects the roof over your head, it’s best to leave it to people who know what they’re doing.
Water damage can be very serious and costly indeed, so trying to save a few pennies through DIY can easily become an expensive mistake. Once again, do your homework when researching local companies and don’t just go for the cheapest quote because it looks like a saving.
Any Once-Off Project Requiring Expensive Materials or Unfamiliar Tools
Learning curves are part and parcel of DIY, but if your learning curve costs more to fix than it would if you hired experts in the first place, it’s just a waste of time and money. It also doesn’t make sense investing in tools you’ll only use for one project. And if you don’t know how to use them, consider the consequences of making a mistake before even thinking of taking the plunge.
If you’d like to learn a new skill and think you’ll use it fairly frequently, go ahead - but start small and work your way up. For example,it’s not a train smash if your tile mosaic table ends up being hidden in the basement, but it will be more of an issue if your mosaic tile shower floor turns into a disaster.
Stick to What’s Safe and What Works
Before tackling a DIY project, always ask yourself: “What’s the worst thing that can happen if this goes wrong?” If the answer is along the lines of “My house might fall down,” “Someone might get hurt,” or “It’ll cost a fortune to fix,” then you probably shouldn’t DIY it.
