Give the do-it-yourselfer the day off
Stephen Roberts reports his impressions of DIY gone haywire. Steve says:
Every Dad loves to tinker around the home, after all, his home is his castle. I can attest, some tinkering can lead to more costly repairs in the long run.The handiwork of many do-it-yourself dads has created some of the most interesting discoveries for home inspectors hired to root out structural flaws and other defects in homes. Many homeowners get in over their heads with home improvement projects. Many mistakes start with well-intentioned homeowners who put too much emphasis on home improvement rather than home maintenance The current trend in home improvement often stems from the desire to add value to a home. However, a home’s value begins at its core with a healthy structure. Adding a new kitchen or bathroom to a home that has foundation or moisture issues is not necessarily the best investment. While modern amenities are attractive to potential homebuyers, cutting through a major floor joist to update a home’s plumbing may be the quick and easy way, but it can create more negatives than positives. Amateur power tool users often get into trouble by cutting before thinking. Many do-it-yourselfers have cut or nailed through old pipes in a wall during a home improvement project, leading to water damage and major repair issues. Even outdoor projects run the risk of breaking through a gas or water line. Collateral damage caused by such mishaps often show up on a home inspection report once the house is up for sale. And the next buyer seldom wants to inherit a fix-it list spawned from do-it-yourself projects gone wrong. So many houses look great on the surface, but the home inspection business has grown from the need to look past the surface and uncover less noticeable defects. Savvy homeowners are getting annual home maintenance inspections to stay up-to-date with maintenance requirements and keep ahead of major repair expenses. Smart homebuyers always get a professional home inspection before purchasing a home.
Consider giving Dad a day off this summer, (if it ever stops raining) and hiring a professional for some home improvement jobs. Here are some fairly straightforward home improvement investments that can actually boost the value of a home in the long term.
• New gutters or gutter guards – controls water movement away from the house and could prevent moisture from entering the house.
• New windows – saves energy and improves the appearance of a home.
• Tree and shrub trimming – get rid of trees, shrubs or branches that are too close to a house. Trees can damage roofs and also act as a bridge for pests to enter the home; dense shrub foliage can impede air flow and trap moisture around the house.
• Attic insulation – improves the energy efficiency of your house.
• Automatic garage door opener – provides added level of convenience.
• Wood flooring refresh – refinishing floors can add new life to a home.
It’s wonderful to take on fix-it projects, but if your father doesn’t know the difference between a truss and a stud, giving him a power saw might not be the best choice. Even if he is familiar with operating power tools properly, it’s how they’re used that could pose a challenge. As the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
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It's not just DIYers. It's also people doing things on the cheap. I bought a 100-year-old house that needed work. I quickly got used to my carpenter, electrician, plumber calling "Hey Susan, come see this, you'll never believe it." Fortunately, most of it has been more amusing than dangerous. The good news is that all of the above have said that my house is very well built ... despite the tinkering of amateurs.
DIY is fine, provided you know when you get in over your head. Example: removed family room rug to put down wood floors. Floor joist had warped, and pushed up a section of flooring. Solution--plane down the floor joist and replace the section of subfloor removed. As I started to get into the process of cutting the sub-floor to get into the area, I realized I was over my head. I called a professional for that part. Once fixed, we laid the new floor ourselves, perfectly. However, we hired a professional finisher to sand and finish. I wasn't about to waste all that effort for a few hundred bucks.
Know your limitations.
I think the key thing is to know yourself and what your actual skills really are. Just because you saw it on TV doesn't mean you really know how to do it. Also, one has to consider the potential consequences of one's actions. Screwing up a paint treatment is very different than screwing up an electrical project. Nobody ever died having to sand off a paint treatment that looks ugly, but electricity can go wrong in so many ways!
I agree with the idea of maintaining the home as well. Perhaps we need less DIY shows with power tools and demo and more shows that focus on what you should do when to maintain a sound and secure house!
I agree with merilisa, shows about proper home maintenance (while admittedly less sexy) would be great! My husband and I are avid DIYers, but never touch plumbing or electrical work. We redid our kitchen a couple of years ago, but made sure we had a structural engineer come in first and give us the ok on our plan to raise the ceiling. We took our time with this gut reno - almost 7 months! - so we could be sure of every step. People kept asking us when it would be finished, we just kept saying "it will be done when it's done" so we didn't rush ourselves and make mistakes. Maybe that's a key too - love it when on the home improvement shows the homeowners want to build a deck in 2 days, in time for a party that's already planned...:-)
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