Which DIY Do You Do?

Which DIY Do You Do?

By Billy Aldridge

When it comes to saving money on home repair and maintenance, Do-It-Yourself is all the rage, if the sheer volume of HGTV shows is any indicator.  That being said, what the DIY divas of the airwaves don’t tell you is the fact that not all projects are homeowner friendly. Many involve the use of dangerous power tools, such as table saws, nail guns and the like that are best left in the hands of professionals.  The other thing that the hosts of DIY shows won’t tell you is that a botched do-it-yourself job can wind up costing you BIG bucks all in the pursuit of saving a little money.

Besides, most people don’t factor in the sweat equity involved in tackling a home repair or upgrade.  Let’s say you were considering upgrading your bathroom.  While you could go to the local big box store to purchase the tub, toilet, cabinets and lighting needed, you also need to factor in the cost of hauling these materials home.  Next comes the demolition of the existing bathroom, as well as hauling this material away.  Last but not least you need to install the plumbing, the cabinetry, paint or wallpaper the bathroom and lay tile.  And you need to do all of the above in your “spare time,” which could mean that instead of having the job done in a few days, your bathroom could be out of commission for weeks or even months.  If the job requires knocking down a wall, do you know if it covers plumbing or wiring?  To guess wrong could result in disaster.

High Risk Venture?

While most people would not think of engaging in such hazardous activities as base jumping or underwater cave diving, a fair number would not blink at tinkering around with their home’s electrical system, plumbing or gas lines.  HowStuffWorks.com lists the 5 Home RepairsYou Should Never Do Yourself:

One thing can be said about water -- if there's a way out, water will find it. The very smallest leak can lead to thousands of dollars worth of damage if it's not caught in time. If you're a capable do-it-yourselfer and there's existing plumbing in place, you can probably manage some minor repairs like changing a shower head or replacing a faucet. Even installing a new toilet is within the realm of a capable DIY-er (just make sure you have a tight seal). Where you can get into trouble is if you try to modify your plumbing system -- extending hot water lines or re-routing your sewer pipes. Working with hot water means copper pipes, and that requires a blow torch. Unless you have some serious welding experience, it's best to leave the torch jobs to the professionals. While this isn't as dangerous as electric work, plumbing problems can get out of hand fast and lead to an expensive and wet future.

The article also goes onto caution DIYers about the inherent hazards of electrical systems, asbestos, roofing repairs and gas appliances.  One of the other warning signs it points out is the fact that if a project requires a permit, then it is probably over your head.  Since the birth of the do-it-yourself craze there have also been a shocking increase in the number of people injured and property damaged or destroyed all in the attempt to save a buck, including those listed below:

Man slices arms with saws at California Home Depotin graphic DIY gone wrong.  

Builder’s leg was almost ripped off in a horrific DIY accident.

In the past year there have also been stories concerning a house fire caused when a father and son replaced a gas fired water heater and leading to a gas explosion.  There have also been several stories involving either fire or electrocution caused by homeowners who tried to do their own electrical repairs. Another hidden threat to your property and your person is the real possibility that whoever owned your home prior to you considered him or herself a DIY expert.  I can’t tell you the number of times in the course of doing my job that I have come upon bizarre and dangerous jury rigged plumbing and/or electrical fixtures that left me shaking my head and wondering what the person who concocted the monstrosity was thinking about. 

What you need to consider before you attempt to repair, replace or augment any part of your home are your skills and your limitations.  All I can say is that no amount of money saved is worth a trip to the ER or the potential that someday your house could wind up in the headlines due to a DIY disaster.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonvilld-fl.com