Home Improvement Disasters

Avoid DIY Disasters

Some people try DIY because they enjoy it; others do it because they hope to save money. However, one thing that many people don?t consider is that a badly done DIY job can end up costing more than it would have to call in the professionals. It?s one thing to fit oak doors and replace your skirting boards; it?s another to build an extension or re-wire your entire house if you aren?t qualified to do so.

Spectacular Failure

One recent case of spectacular home improvement failure is the plight of a family in Wolverhampton, UK. Their next door neighbours recruited some contractors to build an extension. The work they did made the ground around their home unstable and undermined the foundations, quite literally causing the house next door to them to start to collapse. Exterior doors buckled, and the garage door came completely off its hinges.

The fire brigade had to come out to evacuate the house and that of their next door neighbour, and the gas supply had to be isolated to prevent an explosion.

Now, thanks to the work of their neighbours, this unfortunate family face the possibility of having to demolish their home. One can only hope that the neighbours have a good insurance policy.

Call in the Experts

The above case is a clear example of what can go wrong if building work is not carried out correctly. In this case, the people who got the work done chose poorly qualified contractors ? if contractors can be lazy, sloppy, or misguided, and get things so catastrophically wrong, then imagine what would happen if someone with no training attempted the work.

Trying to carry out major home improvements ? especially ones which involve load bearing walls, gas, electricity, or water, is a recipe for disaster if you?re not experienced in that sort of work. Instead of trying to cut costs in areas where a mistake could be expensive, life-threatening, or both, spend some time researching reputable experts in your area, and pay one of them to do the job for you.

Safe and Simple DIY

That doesn?t mean that all DIY is out of the question. There are a lot of things that you can do for yourself, and potentially save a lot of money doing so. Decorating, carpentry, and minor overhauls such as replacing your exterior doors, or fitting loft insulation, are all things that any DIY enthusiast should be able to do.

If you have some experience working with electrical appliances, there are some minor renovations that can be safely done DIY-style, but you should check with your local authority before you start work. Many wiring modifications must be checked by a certified engineer.

If you?re a DIY amateur, then you may want to start with laying carpets and lino, fitting oak doors and skirting boards, and changing your taps or your sink. There?s no shame in starting with small jobs ? as you gain confidence you can tackle bigger projects, but in the early days, it?s better to play it safe. If you run out of time changing the bathroom sink, at least you?ll still have other working faucets to get water to wash with. If you try and fail to overhaul all your plumbing, you?ll be out of luck until you find someone with the time and skill to finish the job.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of UK Oak Doors who supply great interior and exterior doors. Photo by Herkie

Source: http://www.declutter-home.net/home-improvement-disasters?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=home-improvement-disasters

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