With most of us looking to save money wherever possible, it’s no wonder that homeowners often try to tackle some home maintenance issues on their own. After all, people can save quite a lot of cash by fixing the problems themselves.
However, some property issues are best left to professionals. Taking care of them on your own can lead to even more damage, not to mention the possibility of harming yourself.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at property problems you should never try fixing by yourself.
The Appeal of the DIY Approach
A lot of homeowners, particularly those with DIY experience, are keen to maintain their properties themselves. There are a couple of benefits to this:
Saving Money
Choosing to tackle the issue on your own means you don’t have to pay a repairman or contractor. Depending on the nature of the problem, this translates to saving hundreds of dollars.
More Control
Inspecting the issue on your own and fixing it by yourself provides greater control over the situation. As a homeowner who knows a thing or two about repairs, you’ll know that the job was conducted and completed properly.
No Need to Wait
Sometimes, you have to wait for days or even weeks for a contractor to come to your home. Solving the issue on your own can be much quicker – it’s as simple as that.
Property Issues You Should Leave to Professionals
However, there are still some repairs you shouldn’t conduct. Some of these require a level of expertise and special equipment and are best left to licensed technicians. These include:
1. Plumbing Renovations
There are a lot of plumbing issues that homeowners can handle. Everybody should be able to handle a clogged bathroom fixture or change a leaky showerhead.
However, if your issue requires any kind of system modification, you’d better leave it to experts.
Even the smallest of undetected leaks can cause damage that costs thousands of dollars to repair. In the worst-case scenario, you can end up with a flood and serious damage. Handling such problems on your own can even compromise your home’s structural integrity.
Another thing to keep in mind is that copper pipes are present in most pipework systems. Repairing these requires serious welding experience.
2. Structural Work
Homeowners are often tempted to take out walls to change the property’s layout, put up better drywall, or add new insulation. Tearing down some walls and putting up a couple of new ones may seem like an easy job.
However, doing this without adequate precautions can result in a major catastrophe. When you don’t have the necessary equipment and expertise, it’s easy to harm the building’s structural integrity. Or, you could hit a water or gas line.
If you don’t have years of experience with structural works, you’re better off leaving these tasks to licensed professionals.
3. Electrical Repairs
Once again, simple electrical repairs can and should be conducted by homeowners. Tasks like replacing a ceiling fan or a light switch are completely safe as long as there’s no electricity in the area you’re working in.
Bigger jobs, on the other hand, will require you to contact a professional. A rewiring job done incorrectly can cause severe fire damage. And while property damage caused by fire can be restored, lives can’t.
In addition, even small amounts of electrical current can cause serious injuries. If that’s not enough, keep in mind that most cities have regulations concerning the installation of electrical wiring and can hold you liable if you don’t leave the job to a licensed technician.
4. Roof Repairs
A leaky roof is a nightmare for every homeowner. However, many believe that they can handle this issue with their own hands.
Short-term fixes, such as caulking the leaks, aren’t that effective. Moreover, leaving this problem unaddressed for a long time causes even more damage to the roof and upper rooms of your house.
Replacing a single shingle is one thing, but any larger tasks are better left to professionals. Don’t go up to the roof if you don’t know what you’re doing.
5. Gas Repairs
Quite a lot of home appliances run on gas. These can include a water heater, oven, stove, etc.
Sometimes, we encounter problems with these appliances. Or, we need to move them to another place for a particular reason. For example, re-tiling a kitchen floor may require you to move the oven.
However, an important thing to keep in mind here is that gas is like water, and errors in handling it usually lead to leaks. These leaks can cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning, which kills hundreds of people every year.
Whether you like it or not, some home repairs should be handled only by experts. Leave the jobs mentioned above to professionals, and you’ll end up saving hassle and money in the long run.
Kevin has gone through an extensive home renovation with his son, which he has both thoroughly enjoyed, and dreaded every morning. He is now the proud owner of half his dream house (the other half has been waiting for spring). You can read more of Kevin’s work on PlainHelp.