In the past 20 years or so in the UK there has been a huge rise in the popularity of DIY. Doing work around your home may save you money, but without the right tools and skills, DIY can end up being a false economy.
In this article we’ll look at how DIY property repairs can go wrong, and why some jobs are best left to the experts.
Our company Prorefub has been carrying out property maintenance in London for over a decade and we’ve been called on many times to put right people’s DIY disasters at home and in commercial premises.
Below is a list of the typical things that can go wrong if you try to do it yourself but don’t have the knowledge, time, or correct tools.
Not so perfect plumbing
Instances of waste pipes on toilets not being fitted correctly can be very messy. Having to lift newly laid bathroom floors is another common consequence of DIY where water has got under the tiles or floorboards because they haven’t been fitted properly by the homeowner.
Terrible tiling
People often underestimate the skill involved in tiling a new bathroom or kitchen. The problems can start when buying the tiles and adhesive and extend into cutting the tiles accurately and grouting them for a smooth, neat finish.
You will definitely save money by tiling a room yourself, but at what cost? It’s common for DIY enthusiasts to start tiling and then call in a professional to put right what they’ve done because the tiles are either squint or have started falling off the wall.
Wonky joinery
Things such as gaps in skirting boards, cupboards and cabinets not being level, and poorly fitting doors can be a problem in households that have tried to do the work themselves.
While there are of course plenty of skilled DIY enthusiasts around, there are just as many who would be well advised to leave joinery to someone with a bit more experience. For example, buying a new door and not being able to get it to fit could take you a lot of time, and then you may have to call out a joiner to do it for you anyway.
Dangerous DIY
Unless you’re a trained and accredited professional, you should never get involved with the electrics or gas supply in your property. There is so much potential for things to go wrong with devastating consequences.
You should always call on the services of a Gas Safe Registered Engineer for plumbing and heating work and an Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) member for anything electrical.
Before you start a DIY project it’s a good idea to get quotes for the work from local companies so you have a benchmark to set the cost of materials and your own time against.
