The Five Deadly Sins Of DIY

A little DIY never hurt anyone….right? Oh the tales we’ve heard from people all over our industry. While it does pay to be a bit handy and know the basic systems of your home and how to maintain them, sometimes the TV makes DIY projects look so easy and that can lead to major headaches for homeowners.

If you’re on a budget, you’ll be tempted to undertake some improvements yourself. That’s cool, but we’d caution you to stay in your own skills lane. Some owners can get themselves into trouble, and a contractor has to be called.

It’s no coincidence two of the most challenging areas to upgrade, the kitchen and bathroom, deliver the highest returns on investment and are the places that most owners focus on. 

If you’re a skilled DIYer, you might want to make some cosmetic improvements. But be cautious, especially when working on a bathroom. Its complexity shouldn’t be underestimated. 

Pipes And Waste

Don’t disconnect water pipes and waste lines. This is a role for a qualified plumber. You risk damage to your home if water gushes everywhere, and almost certainly, your insurance company won’t be paying out. 

Shock Treatment

Unless you’re an electrician, please don’t start playing with the wiring. Call in a qualified professional.

Waterproofing

A tiler will usually undertake the waterproofing of a bathroom once tiles have been knocked off the walls and floor. The act of waterproofing is no more complicated than painting a wall. The question is, what do you know about the material you’re using. A substance that isn’t up to the task will cause no end of structural damage later on.

Status Quo

If you’re doing this work because you’re on a tight budget, don’t move the pipes. This is an expensive exercise that should be undertaken by a professional plumber only. By all means, install a new vanity or mirror, but leave those pipes alone.

Tap Connections

Redirecting the water lines in a bathroom is not the province of a willing amateur. More than one DIY enthusiast has thought they’d connected the pipes to the outlets, sealed and tiled the wall, and turned the faucet to find…nothing. Once again, call in a qualified plumber to make sure the job is done correctly.

Of course, if you build a new home with us, you can design it exactly like you want so that you won’t have to remodel or start tearing out walls and moving plumbing. A little planning goes a long way in these cases, so don’t be afraid to think about today and tomorrow when planning the major components of your home. Leave the DIY to the family that buys your home when you’re building your second house with McNair Custom Homes!