subject: Don't DIY, call a professional! [print this page] Don't DIY, call a professional! Don't DIY, call a professional!
Many people attempt to undertake DIY in their homes, believing it will be cheaper and easier than hiring a professional. But what qualifies us to start messing around with pipes and plaster and nails and electrics?
Watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or following instructions found on Google does not a qualified builder make.
It may seem like a cheaper option, but in many cases it ends up profusely more expensive when you factor in the services of the professional who has to undo your botched job and do the work properly. If you wanted any evidence, read on; here are some cracking examples of DIY disasters and home projects gone wrong.
"Finding myself inspired to paint the bland living room of our new-build flat, I enthusiastically went to the local DIY store. Brushes and all necessary tools at the ready, I was ready to begin. All necessary tools except for a step ladder. [Undeterred] I climbed up on the back of our sofa to reach the highest point of the wall," the person behind the disaster said.
"Missing my footing on the back of the sofa, I slipped backwards. It was a matter of seconds before the paint pot and I hit the living room floor, covering the carpet, new flat screen TV and dog with two litres of red paint."
Another disaster-prone DIY-er claimed: "Earlier this year, my father and I were trying to install ceiling fans. I went into the attic to inspect the electrical box and managed to stick my foot through the ceiling after slipping. Then my father was mildly shocked by a live wire."
"After that we called electricians to do the job."
One further horror story was told from a colleagues' perspective; who said that his fellow co-worker came to work with a broken arm one morning, however was reluctant to reveal how the accident had happened. After eventually prying it out of him, he admitted he had sawn off the tree branch he was working on, leaving him with his arm in a sling and a broken ego.
Lastly, if ever there was a reason to employ a qualified and reputable kitchen fitter, this is surely it: "We paid our contractor 50 per cent up-front for our new kitchen makeover and after showing up for the first week, we never saw him again."
Contacting a recommended tradesman to undertake the work may seem like a hassle, but learn the lesson of these few, and get talking - ultimately it'll save you time, money and the embarrassment of walking into work on a Monday morning and having to explain the injuries.
