We’re all fans of doing your own home improvement work, but sometimes you really need to call a professional to get things done. Whether it’s because you’ll wind up doing more damage than good or because you just don’t have the tools to do the job, this guide will help you make sure you’re not wasting your time.
Even those of us who love doing our own work have to admit that sometimes a pro is necessary to solve a problem we’ve never faced, or get access to tools we don’t have. The graphic starts off with some tips on how not to do a DIY project, as in getting started before you make sure you have a full plan or the right tools, and some of the common pitfalls DIYers run into when they get stuck.
This graphic comes from Woodatt Curtains, a curtain and blind reseller in the UK. Granted, they have a vested interest in you calling a pro, but the guide itself isn’t too controversial. Scroll down to see the full graphic or hit the link below.
Home DIY, If Unsure, Don’t Do It Yourself [Woodatt Curtains via Lifehack]
Comments
7 responses to “This Infographic Warns Of Common DIY Pitfalls”
Best ad I’ve seen was for a plumber – “We repair what your husband’fixed’ “
So far I’ve had four professional tradespeople work on my house: plumber, electrician, ceiling storage installer, and plasterer.
I’ve had to fix the work of both the plasterer and plumber, and am still waiting for the plumber to fix a shower he installed which has such low pressure it can’t be used.
That isn’t to say DIY can’t go horribly wrong – it can, particularly when people don’t have experienced tradespeople they can discuss their project with. However, just because someone is a professional tradesperson doesn’t mean they are a competent tradesperson.
Some tradies are either too lazy to care or don’t pride themselves in their work.
Absolutely. The question in my mind is how to make that information available about that tradie to everyone else so others don’t get burned the same way.
The biggest problem I face in my current house is the shocking workmanship with which it was erected in the first place.
Most times I start a project, I discover some other serious issue that was hidden behind it.
Two projects have gone exactly as expected, the rest have had 20%-50% extra cost and time from discovering unsound work behind wall panels etc.
Wiring is the one that freaks me out the most. I’m an electrical engineer (not an electrician), and I don’t like what I see whenever I see the wiring in the house. Lights run from power circuits etc. Last time I changed a light fitting I found 3 more wires than should have been used patched into the fitting- wiring the new one exactly as before and a light in another room was shorting out! Both are now disconnected waiting for an electrician to reverse engineer it and re-wire it safely. Seriously, that can start a fire!
My previous house luckily was very well built, and DIY projects were almost painless.
I’ve similarly had this problem. The door-frames are made of floorboards (which is ok) but none of them have headers so I’ve had to add them everywhere. Elsewhere, there was a window which had been added and the cripple studs over the window did not actually reach the header, and thus pushing on the wall above the window would make it move.
Tradesmen are like doctors- only use those that come personally recommended.