[ qimono // pixabay ]
The idea of DIY has been en vogue for decades now. Gone are the days when you needed to call in a contractor for every little job that needed doing around the house. We’re all a little more competent than that now. Aren’t we…?
Well, for the most part, we are. Unless you’re really busy with other things, we’re all capable of grabbing some paint and rollers and making our walls look better, or fixing the curtain rail where it sags in the middle. In those cases, most of us are most than able to do the work – and we should do it. It saves money and time, while honing our skills.
What we need to be sure of, though, is that we don’t get over-confident. Sure, there is a lot we can do ourselves, but it doesn’t mean we can do everything. While you should never miss a good chance to enhance your skills, it’s essential to know the difference between a “good chance” and a trap.
DIY: Can You? Should You?
There are numerous parts to every house and numerous things that can go wrong with each of them. Most of the little things we need to fix can be done in the morning of a day off work. Bigger projects will take longer, and may extend through a full day. The first thing you need to do, when repairs are needed, is assess what type of problem you’re dealing with.
Something that looks like a simple surface repair may go deeper. The more fundamental an issue is, the greater the chance that a non-specialist repair could make it worse. So, for example, if a door is hanging loose in its frame, you can probably fix that yourself. If the frame itself is hanging loose, you may need to look deeper.
When You Assume You Make A…
Assuming that a fix is simple can lead to much bigger problems – either in the moment, or later on. As with the earlier example, a door frame that is loose may be that way because of foundation issues. As this blog post shows, this is a sticky situation that only a qualified expert should be dealing with.
The damage that could be caused by anything other than a specialist fix in these big scenarios could be irreparable.
Similarly, if you suspect that there is a contaminant on site – such as asbestos – never try to get rid of it yourself. It will take an expert to first identify the material and then diagnose how best to proceed.
Without that expert intervention, you can never be sure that you have got rid of everything nor that it has been done in a safe way. It may be cheaper to do it yourself, but in this case, price really isn’t the priority. Safety is.
Budget Beware
As hinted at above, one of the major reasons people choose to DIY is for budgetary reasons. A simple rule should, therefore, apply: if you can’t afford to do it properly, then you can’t afford to do it at all. It’s tough, but being stringent on this could save your house and your health in the future.
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