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6 Do-it-Yourself Home Projects You Should Avoid and Never
Do-it-yourself projects have become a thing the last couple of years, especially with the growing popularity of YouTube, but there are some DIY's you should never do and these are it
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
Homeowner remodeling shows make home-remodeling and renovations look easy, but before you pick up that drill and sledgehammer, please take note that “those T.V. shows don’t show the majority of what happens to complete a project,” says Arthur Sadura, owner of T&A Carpentry and Home Renovations. Mostly, those shows are about dramatizing the people and not the actual makeover situations.
Certain jobs are either too dangerous or too expensive. Consider the little to no experience you may or may not have, plus expense of the tools or equipment you will need to purchase and working on a project that ends up creating more damage or ‘digging you into a bigger hole’ than you initially started with. Make that final decision and hire a Pro when it comes down to these 6 DIY projects, or it may end up costing you.
Crown Molding
A nice and classy look of crown molding around the room may appear to be an easy quick task. Though, “no walls in a house are perfectly straight, not even in new house,” says Sadura. There is no amount of caulk to smooth over these imperfections. Sadura said that pros who do molding use various techniques like scribing, which is shaping your material with tools so it fits flush, and ensures that your molding are aligned and stay that way. It is overall, not for the amateur DIYer.
Refinishing your hardwood floors
Renting equipment to refinish your hardwood floors, even the popular machine, called the drum, is still not the appropriate machine /sander that flooring companies use. The appropriate machines that you really should use cost thousands of dollars. And “no matter how many times you watch the video, you won’t get the feel for the machine unless you do it a bunch.” Sanding only one spot a few seconds longer than necessary can leave marks on the floor that will extremely hard to cover up. These sanding machines require “the right touch” by someone who does this day in and day out. Definitely do not take on this task on no matter how easy it looks, and how much money you think you can be saving.
6 DIY Projects You Should Avoid and Never Do at Home - Local Records Office
Electrical work
Youtube is a great source for DIY videos, but these electrical projects can turn out to be a lot more complicated than it looks, and there is a reason electrician has to take specialty classes. And even they still have complications. “You shouldn’t fool around with electric,” says Sadura.
And “with more than 500 fatalities per year emerging from faulty electricity”, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation, “this isn’t worth the risk.”
Tiling
Even with the appropriate planning and measuring of cutting tiles, there is always the need to cut edged and round things such as faucets—so assemble to scale a lofty learning curve by cutting floor tile. Glass mosaics are among the toughest to cut. And you may be thinking, to get bigger tiles to have fewer to install. But larger format tiles are even harder to cut than those small glass mosaic tiles, according to Sadura, and “there’s a lot of waste.” It always pays to save yourself from all of that trouble when you hire a professional.
Roofing
Steer clear of your roof. “It’s not that working on the roof is too hard,” explains Clement. “Often it’s just a matter of scale.”
And it’s extremely dangerous. According to the National Safety Council or NSC, more than 7,000 Americans pass away each year from falls, mostly from high roofs or slipping ladders when cleaning the gutters or while fixing roofing.
‘Permit Required’ Work
When you need a permit and do not really understand how to get one or question whether you need one in the first place, it is best you stray away from doing that project. Some may consider DIYing the project anyhow without the required permits risks getting shut down on from an inspector or a neighbor looking for revenge narcs on them.
“But you also jeopardize something far worse than inconvenience,” says Clement. “Namely, problems selling the house.”
When selling, you must acknowledge un-permitted work. And in result, causes a chain reaction because buyers are unwilling to take on a home with potentially dangerous work. Also, they can have trouble when financing due to the unlawful alterations to the home.
As a general rule of thumb, painting, built-ins or simple DIY projects such as adding a chandelier does not require permits. When you start diversifying the footprint of the house, updating wiring, and adding fences (usually the municipalities because of height restrictions), requires a permit and means you should be hiring a Contractor.