No matter how long we’ve been doing DIY projects at home, some things are better left for professionals for a number of practical reasons: safety, warranty, and timely completion.
Owing to the rise of tutorial videos on YouTube and popular DIY blogs, DIY enthusiasts feel more empowered than ever to take on large and tricky projects but sometimes fail to account for the risks and total amount of work involved in these projects.
Not all DIY-ers have a complete arsenal of tools and equipment necessary for a wide range of home improvement projects. As much as we hate to admit it, not everything can be done by simply following tutorials, no matter how skilled one is. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s better to be safe than sorry in the end.
That said, here are three things that are better left under the care of professionals.
Remodeling and Renovation
The number one thing that everyone seems to want to try their hand at is home remodeling and renovation. As online tutorials abound, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and difficult to streamline your options. While tutorials are in no way unhelpful, not everything that you find online provides accurate and complete information.
Aside from that, remodeling and renovation are often interchanged, so much so that it’s easy for beginners to get confused with the terms and the difference in the actual scope of work between a remodel and a renovation.
If you’re adding a ready-made kitchen island and cabinet to make use of the idle space in your kitchen, switching up the lights and hardware, this is considered a small renovation project. This can be done on your own, as it does not require any structural changes to complete the process.
But when it comes to tearing down walls, reconfiguring an area layout that may affect plumbing and wiring, this is considered a remodeling project, and it’s best to leave it to the professionals to ensure that everything is done according to proper building codes.
Big renovation and remodeling projects require tools and equipment to do the work efficiently and properly. Adding a new room, expanding a space, changing a layout, and making updates to your home exterior are all considered remodeling work. Changing rotten wood planks or flooring material is considered renovation work. These are examples of big projects that require the facilitation and direction of an experienced crew, who have the skills, knowledge, and expertise to do the job.
Electrical Work
Another one of the things that we think we can do on our own is doing the electrical work around our home. However, we really shouldn’t attempt our own repairs, mainly for safety reasons. Unless it’s as simple as replacing a bulb, changing an outlet cover, it’s best to leave the work to professionals who are licensed to do electrical work.
Complex and complicated electrical work is best handled by a professional electrician who is trained for the job. This kind of work requires an electrician to be fully trained and licensed to work. They use shock-proof equipment and personal protective gear to ensure their personal safety and prevent damage to property.
Some risks involved in attempting your own electrical repairs are injury and damaging your electrical devices. Not to mention, unnecessary property damage can emerge from the process of finding access to roughed-in wires if you need to rewire or extend cables for any reason. When these things are done incorrectly, you risk damaging the frames that support your wall, which can affect the integrity of the entire framing structure. It can also cause your home to short-circuit and lose power for a few hours until— you guessed it— a professional electrician comes to the rescue.
Plumbing Work
Lastly, anything that involves water and appliances that deal with plumbing should be left to the professionals, just like the two other things mentioned above.
Plumbing work requires a licensed professional to do the work. In most jurisdictions, attempting your own plumbing repairs is illegal; only certified professionals are allowed to perform plumbing repairs.
While some plumbing repairs are fairly simple to do, such as fixing a leaking faucet, a malfunctioning toilet, and a clogged sink, you can likely do this on your own. However, if you are unsure and you suspect that there is a bigger underlying problem that needs to be addressed, call a professional to prevent damaging your home plumbing, especially when you live in a building.
Being able to make your own repairs in your home is a valuable skill to have. However, you’ll also need the proper tools and equipment to carry out the job effectively and safely. When it comes to large projects and huge repairs or when you’re unsure of the steps and you suspect that there is an undiscovered underlying problem, it’s best to use professional services who employ fully trained and licensed experts to complete the job properly and safely.
