|
When To Do It Yourself -- And When Not To
Gigantic home improvement
centers and hardware stores have sprung up
to service virtually every community in
the country with a vast array of tools and
building supplies available to every home
owner. You can find literally hundreds of
books and magazines dedicated to the
subject of home improvement, many in the
form of do-it-yourself (DIY) manuals. The
craze has also been popularized by TV
shows such as the long running PBS "This
Old House" series and various clones.
Saving money is perhaps the main
motivation behind most DIY projects.
Coupled with that is the fact that some
people simply enjoy working with their
hands. They derive a sense of satisfaction
out of building things and doing their own
repairs. As professional trades people, we
fully understand this feeling of pride at
seeing the fruit of one's own labor take
shape. There is nothing more satisfying
than completing a home improvement project
successfully. We would be the last to
discourage anyone from tackling a project.
However, as professional trades people, we
also get to see the flip side of that coin
on a regular basis. Hardly a week goes by
when our company isn't called to finish or
repair a botched job by someone whose
expertise didn't quite match his or her
ambition. Here is just a short list of the
many unexpected things that tend to arise
in home improvement jobs:
* Incomplete instructions. Mr. and
Mrs. Home Owner buy one of those packaged
products at the home center that comes
with installation instructions. However,
the instructions are not always written in
clear language, or sometimes leave out
critical steps. It's like a cooking recipe
that uses terms such as
"dicing...simmering...basting." People who
know their way around a kitchen know what
to do, but a beginning novice may not be
familiar with common cooking terms. Same
with do-it-yourself work.
* Coping with the unexpected. No
matter how detailed the instructions, they
cannot account for every possible
situation that may arise with a home
improvement project. The box containing
the kitchen faucet you bought at the new
home center may have instructions telling
you how to remove the old one and put in
the new, but what happens when you
discover stripped threads and a rusted
"frozen" nut that resists turning by even
the strongest hands and pipe wrench?
* Harder and more time-consuming than
expected. Most people tackle larger
projects on weekends, and maybe for an
hour or two at night after they arrive
home from their regular jobs. The first
few weeks of this is a labor of love. As
time passes, though, the project takes up
all of a person's free time and becomes
drudgery.
According to the National Association of
the Remodeling Industry (NARI), many
professional remodelers won't even take on
a DIY job gone bad. They find it too
difficult to fix the problem and too many
liabilities involved in taking on the
work. Often the rescue job may end up
costing more that a project started from
scratch by a professional, because the
professional may have to first "undo" much
of the DIY work.
Here are some guidelines for deciding
which jobs to tackle on your own:
-
Painting is usually a
good DIY job -- in fact, it's the most
popular DIY project among homeowners. The
best part about paint is that it is just
paint. If you mess up the job, you can
always paint over your mistakes. Local
paint companies can offer advice for the
best finish. However, if you have high
ceilings or tend to be clumsy, you may
want to call in reinforcements and avoid
climbing your ladder.
-
Cleaning out gutters
and checking the roof are other good
spring-cleaning tasks; however,
replacing a roof should be left to a
professional. It is essential that your
roof prevent moisture from entering the
home. A poorly placed shingle or flashing
could mean leaks and water damage.
-
If you are patient and
detail-orientated, you may be suited to
some larger home improvement tasks,
ranging from building a patio to replacing
a faucet. However, larger projects can get
unwieldy for a weekend DIY job. Be certain
that you have the skills needed for the
job. Moreover, many product installations
require special tools that are not always
found in the average household tool chest.
-
If the job involves
electricity or gas/oil connections, call a
professional. One mistake here could be
fatal. Many jurisdictions require that
only a licensed professional perform
certain types of work in order to meet
building codes.
It's also best to leave
structural work to a professional. Not
only could a mistake be dangerous, your
home may not meet the local building code.
This could make it impossible to sell
without corrective measures.
In addition, EPA regulations forbid the
venting of refrigerant gasses into the
atmosphere. Keep this in mind when
tinkering with an air conditioning unit or
refrigeration project.
*How long can you afford to be without
full use of your home?
Remodeling is messy work that often
renders one or more rooms off limits. Or,
you will be without a key piece of
equipment, such as a furnace or water
heater or toilet. Professionals can do the
job a lot faster and minimize the time
your home will be disrupted.
In the end, the decision boils down to
common sense. If you enjoy DIY projects
and are good at them, by all means save
yourself some money. But don't lose sight
of the fact that saving a few dollars now
often increases the cost of a project in
the long run.
Proprietary Information, Contractors 2000,
Inc., Copyright 1997
If you are looking for a
plumbing contractor in the San Gabriel Valley, please call us
today at 626-359-1864 or complete our
online service request form.
|
|
Our Plumbing Services
 Kitchen Plumbing
Cleanout
Drain Cleaning
Pressure Regulators
Repiping The Water System
Sewer Lines
Shutoff Valves
Water Heaters
 Join Our Discount Club
and never pay for a service call fee
again.
Learn More
 Why
Should You Have Quality Water In Your
Home?
Learn Why
|
|
Plumber