Guest Blogger: Attempt a DIY Project or Go Professional?

Guest Blog #77, Entry #527, May 19, 2011

Stagetecture has already had 50 DIY Saturdays to date. With that said, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before attempting any DIY project. While home and garden cable programs often make you think you can add an addition on to your home in a weekend, there is a point that you should leave expertise projects up to the professionals. From your past experience and skill level, to your expertise in the chosen project.

Before you start your DIY project, know your skill level

Today, my Guest Blogger, James Harper gives tips on determining if a DIY project is best left to the professionals, or if you can take on the job yourself.

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Repairing fixtures and fittings around the home is time consuming and for many of us, somewhat intimidating. We all want our homes to look as good as possible, but DIY isn’t always easy and a badly done job will at best, look shoddy, and at worst result in serious injury and the need for further work to be completed.

So should we even attempt DIY, or should we leave it to the professionals?

The answer depends on individual circumstances. Those with plenty of time on their hands and the resources to fix mistakes, along with an ambitious nature would probably do well at DIY if they persist. Yet many of us don’t have the time or inclination to put effort into things that may very well not turn out how we wished they would.

Are you armed with the correct tools?

Because of this it is in many cases worth considering hiring professionals to complete the work for you. For example, kitchen worktop repair is in essence, a simple job. However the ability to match colors and achieve near invisible results requires a keen eye and a high level of skill and expertise.

While kitchen worktop repair is one particular job that may require professional hands (though this depends on how much the homeowner cares about the appearance of the results), there are perhaps other jobs that are more suited to rookie DIYer’s.

For example, a DIY attempt might not be such a bad idea in regards to any jobs for which the end results will not be clearly visible. However, plumbing or electrical jobs are usually best left to the hardy DIYer, or the professionals themselves. Badly done plumbing jobs could result in a lot of mess, and a very expensive clean-up job, while electrical components can be hazardous, particularly if dealt with by those who are new to the craft.

In fact, over 200,000 people in the UK alone are injured each year as a result of attempting DIY. In 2005 87,000 people incurred injuries when attempting the use of power tools. In addition, 30,000 fell of ladders, 20,000 were hurt by knives and scalpels while 3,500 ended up in accident and emergency because of a screwdriver. Even the seemingly simple venture of hanging wallpaper led to 1,500 hospital admissions. This doesn’t include the potential serious harm which may occur as a result of messing with electrical devices.

Take these measures before you get started

In order to make an attempt at DIY as safe as possible, there are a few measures that should be taken. First of all, whether it’s kitchen worktop repair, a paint job or work with a chainsaw it’s very important not to rush. Not only does rushing compromise the DIYer’s safety, it will also lower the standard of results that are likely to be achieved.

Plan out your time, tools, materials in advance

It’s also important to prepare properly, particularly if the job that is being attempted is something the DIYer has not attempted previously. This may mean becoming familiar with the tools, as well as closely following proper instructions. If at all possible, it’s worth employing the help of a more experienced friend or family member, simply to ensure that the job is completed safely and properly.

Whether or not a person should choose to attempt DIY themselves is essentially, an unanswerable question. If invisible results are desired, then professional help may be necessary. For instance, kitchen worktop repair requires a special ability to match colors, patterns and textures and invisible results are not likely to be achieved by those inexperienced in the practice.

It’s also important to evaluate the hazards associated with each particular job. While the prospect of a bruised body or small broken bone may be worth taking a chance on, the dangers associated with electrical devices are much more serious and are simply not worth the risk.

The primary point to remember is that it isn’t realistic for an inexperienced DIYer to expect invisible results. This requires practice, so while over time such results may be achievable it’s not something which is likely to be plausible from the outset.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of Hometech-UK-Ltd. James writes on a number of subjects including home improvements and DIY.

If you’re interested in being a Guest Blogger on Stagetecture, click here.