[DIY] Home Projects You Would Undertake & Projects You Would Leave to Professionals

Projects I Do:
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Changing light bulbs (unless they are really high up) and air filters.

Projects for Pros:
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Everything else.

 

I don't mess with electrical.

I try to avoid messing with pipes as well...but it happens sometimes, what are you gonna do

 

I do any in house install myself.

the only thing I leave for pros is electrical wiring.

 

I did a little electrical in my house, but was so confused, I had to ask for advice from a pro.

Anything that has to look good, a professional (that is, my father) should do. If it just has to be functional, I can probably cobble something together with an electric drill and duct tape.

 

I leave toilet problems to the pro's.

I suck at installing/fixing stuff around the house, so I usually have pro's do most of the housework as well... with the exception of the lawn. I mow the lawn and rake leaves like a champion.

Does car washing count as a home project? If so, I do that myself as well. Quite good at it too.

 

Some projects I intend to do myself:
install exhaust fans for bathrooms
install recessed lighting in family room
remodel bathroom
remodel master bathroom
install ground wire to rooms in East exterior walls
resurface kitchen cabinets with laminate
convert formal dining room into study


Some projects I intend to hire someone to do:
rebuild driveway
have insulation blown into East exterior walls
install new flooring in house
install a sprinkler system
replace windows in house


Note: What I intend to do and what I do can be completely different. I frequently lose arguments with my wife on which projects we actually do ourselves and which ones we hire someone else to do.

 

This week, I have :

Installed a ceiling fan
Installed a white board
Fixed the leak in the garage fridge

Now, I am thinking of doing the back fence....the posts are good but the fence sucks......all I need is a nail gun a couple of saw horses and some beer.

DD

 

My dad nearly lost his life because of electricity so I tend to let others handle that. Odd though, I built a frequency counter during my days with Qwest. I guess you might say I have a very healthy respect for it.

Plumbing? You see, I have this good friend that.....

In all honesty though, the richer I am, the less I do. And that is a fact I'm afraid. More because the richer I am, the less time I have to play...and I DO LIKE TO PLAY!!

It's a perpetual balancing act between money and my availability.

(fyi: when I say richer I just mean making more money than yesterday)

 

How hard is it to install a ceiling fan? I have to do that this weekend.

FYI, I'm not the most experienced handyman in the world. As a point of reference, the last time I installed a new light fixture in the kitchen, I ended up accidentally swallowing a nail.....

 

Hot dang man! How the hell does someone accidentally swallow a nail. I cringe just imagining it.

 

Very easy, especially if your fixture is already blocked for one.

If not, you can do that too.....just follow the directions and turn off the circuit breaker.



DD

 

About the only thing I have not done myself is door and window replacement. I have fixed front doors, but never replaced one - and after having a french door replaced by a pro, I think I'd leave that to a pro.

Things I have done that in hindsight I should have left to a pro:

1) Sheetrock installation. That **** is heavy. Really heavy. And mudding the joints is not hard, but practice makes you much better at it.
2) Major tile jobs. Not hard, but backbreaking and time consuming.
3) Roof repairs. That is beyond exhausting, dangerous, and really a giant mess if you screw it up. Get a pro.

 

ROTFLMAO. No ill-intent ima, but that is one funny imagery in my head. :grin:

 

Cool, actually I have to take down the dead one before putting the new one in, so it's already blocked for one. I will remember the part about turning off the circuit breaker....

I was on a ladder and was holding it in my mouth until I was ready to hammer it in. Yadda yadda yadda, I swallowed it. Luckily, it was very small...more like a tack than a nail I guess. It came out a few days later, no harm no foul....

 

Projects I have done recently:

removed carpet and replaced with wood floor laminate
tiled fire place
replaced sink and water lines under bathroom sink
textured/painted walls
replaced electrical outlets and installed ceiling fans
removed carpet and installed new risers/treads on inside stairs
repainted cabinets
loads of landscaping work

Projects I will probably leave to the pros:

remove old deck cover and install new one
trim tree limbs that are beyond my comfort height
any electrical work beyond what I have already done

 

I do it all, except:

Refinishing hardwood floors. The sanding is super hardcore hard work. And experience counts with the finished results.

Anything electric that involves putting in a new circuit.

A/C work.

Roofing. Too effing hard, dangerous and hot.

Outside plumbing due to code restrictions.

 

I've installed 5 ceiling fans before. If your ceiling fan has lights, the zebra wires are usually for the lights and black wire for the fan motor. It stinks when you're done and turn the light switch on from the wall and the fan turns on. Then you have to take it apart and rewire.

My current project involves removing the carpet from my basement and tiling. I rented a scarifier to level and remove the paint off the concrete slab. Took me two days to do 900 sq ft. Just a brutal job. Between using Ditra as underlayment, tiles, and equipment, this DIY project is north of $4K. This would probably be double if pros were hired.