Think Safety First Before You Tackle That DIY Project!

You might think that you could save money by just doing the work yourself if you are looking to remodel your home and, yes, you could save some money on things like supplies and man-hours involved with the job but what about the inherent risks and sacrifice’s that come with most home renovation projects?

First off, you need training.  Demo and construction workers are trained well in what they do.  They know the proper safety equipment needed, the dangers for specific jobs and are covered by insurance companies for any accidents that could happen on the job.

And accidents can happen.

Another Brick in the Wall

You might think knocking down a wall is as easy as grabbing a large mallet and swinging away like you’re Babe Ruth looking to knock another ball out of the park.  And it can be that easy, as long as you’re fine with possibly hitting a live wire, damaging pipes that you didn’t know were in the wall, having the wall collapse on you and breathe in particles such as asbestos and lead dust.  Most people don’t know what materials were used in building their house and breathing in either of those things can be harmful to your health.

Asbestos is not only deadly; it can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure and affects the protective lining of your organs. It’s common knowledge that lead can have some horrible effects on your body. Breathing too much of that stuff in can cause organ failure and death.

Insulation is Fun!

What about insulation?  Surely insulating a room such as the basement is safe and easy, right?  I’ve handled plenty of insulation in my time (more than I ever wanted to…) and I’m also an asthmatic.  Insulation is one of the more frustrating jobs I had to take on.  Just handling it caused major skin irritation and itching.  And yes, I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and gloves.  The particles stick to your clothing and skin and scratching will just make the rashes appear faster.  Breathing in those particles from insulation will also severely irritate your lungs and can cause nose bleeds, coughing and in some cases, cancer.

And this is just with new insulation.  Just imagine all the fun stuff such as mildew and mold waiting for you when you have to remove the old insulation.  Speaking of mold and mildew, adding new insulation isn’t as simple as just throwing it in the wall and sealing it up. Improper installation of insulation can lead to condensation, which can cause a build-up of mildew and mold.

Your Crack is Showing

Plumbing is a common DIY task that many people attempt.  Just buy some pipes, replace the old ones and BAM!  Well… it’s not as easy as it sounds and making a mistake can lead to loud noises, bursting pipes or something even worse!

Choosing the proper pipes for the job is extremely important. You will want the best quality pipes for the money and they need to be the proper pipes for the job you are looking for. It’s not as easy as going down to Home Depot and picking a pipe that looks the same or is the right size. You not only need the right pipes for the job, you need the right tools as well. Having a plumber do the job is your best bet with this since they will have years of experience and will know what they are doing.

Another thing to consider is pipe routing. Once the walls are down and you have a look at the plumbing system, it can be quite confusing to the untrained eye. I’ve seen some plumbers take a look at some pipes at a couple job sites and say “What’s going on here…?” And finally, think of the added costs you might have to deal with if you finish the plumbing yourself, turn on the water and all of a sudden, it seems as if Moses himself unleashed the Red Sea inside of your house. Water damage is not cheap to fix. You’ll have to replace everything that was damaged and then pay for the work again.

The Joys of Electrical Work

Oh, electricity. I’ve had a few fun experiences dealing with wiring. Before I get to that though, I should mention that working with electrical wiring without a permit is illegal, so I wouldn’t consider it a DIY job. Especially since if you do decide to do it yourself, you won’t be covered by your insurance company.

Electrical wiring was probably (I swear I won’t make any lame puns) the most dangerous part of the job for me. At one site during my old job, our manager asked me to cut some wires after I got back from lunch. Being the logical, safety-minded person that I am (ahem), I asked if the power was cut from those wires, which earned me a good tongue-lashing from said manager who told me in not-so-nice terms “Of course it is. You think I’m an idiot?”

In retrospect, I should have checked the wires myself. The very first wire I cut through exploded (ok, maybe a little dramatic but it seemed that way to me), melted the blades to my wire cutters and hurt pretty badly. That experience could have ended very badly for me. Thankfully I only walked away shaken and a bit annoyed.

One last thing to remember with electrical wiring is that if the job is poorly done, it can lead to electrical fires or can get someone electrocuted.

Don’t Break Your Back with Roof Repair

Out of all the DIY jobs, I think roofing is probably the most popular. A lot of people just end up with professionals cleaning up the mess.

My piece of advice is to just leave it to the professionals. Save yourself the time and money. First off, you won’t save money buying the materials yourself. And even if you find “cheap” materials, they are probably just that: cheap. You’ll end up having to get the job done all over again sooner than you expected.

You also need to consider safety when attempting to do roofing yourself.  You’re going to have to lug your tools up on the roof and there is the danger of dropping one or having all your tools go sliding off and damage a vehicle, your house or even a person.

And roofing isn’t just some easy job you can knock out real fast. If you don’t know what you’re doing, or just have a vague idea, you could end up with an incomplete roof, with a damaged roof, or just giving up in frustration and having to spend even more money having professionals come down and redo everything.

Safety First!

At the end of the day, it all comes down to safety and saving money. You have to weigh the risks of DIY jobs and realize that you are playing the lottery here.  On one hand, you might save money, BUT you could end up with low end materials, you could cause damage to your house that will be very expensive and you could seriously hurt or even kill yourself or someone else.

It’s always best to be on the side of caution.

Author Bio

Christian Sculthorp is a contributing writer for Ottawa General Contractors, a full-service home renovation company based in Ottawa, Canada.