By If you’ve recently been exploring the world of do-it-yourself projects and have amassed a decent amount of handy skills while doing so, you might feel like there’s no job that you can’t handle. While having such confidence can help you expand your skill set and pursue ongoing education that will equip you with more abilities, it can also trick you into believing that you should perform tasks that you have no business doing. In short, certain jobs are just beyond the understanding and capability of the average homeowner or handy man. There’s a reason why many skilled tradesmen have to graduate from courses that take many months or years to complete, and then endure lengthy apprenticeships before they can even be taken seriously in their field. With that said, here are 9 kinds of home repairs and renovations that should almost always be delegated to qualified professionals:
1. Plumbing
Any time you have a problem with your home’s plumbing, you might feel like it’s a job that you can easily take care of, because in some cases it might be. If you’ve successfully unclogged a toilet or sink before, you probably think you can do the same in any scenario. Unfortunately, there are certain plumbing problems that will require the use of certain tools and techniques which you probably don’t have access to. Finding a professional team of plumbers in your area should be easy with a quick search. For example, if you live in Southern California, then this is one of the locations you can find the heating and plumbing experts at We Care Team. We Care Team is one of the leading providers of plumbing and heating services in Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County.
2. Heating
If you encounter any problem with your home’s central heating or underfloor heating systems, fixing the issue is a task that should probably be delegated to a qualified professional. There are certain advance components and concepts within heating systems that the average homeowner or do-it-yourselfer should not be tinkering with. Many of these systems can be costly to repair if you accidentally cause damage during your own efforts. Plus, working on the system yourself might negate any insurance policies that could cover the cost of damage if a professional were to accidentally damage something.
3. Air Conditioning
Air conditioning systems are also quite expensive to repair if you wind up botching a job. Leaving this kind of job up to the pros is particularly important during the summer time, as you don’t want to be stuck without air conditioning if you can’t restore it to working condition in a hurry. Home air conditioning systems also utilize high voltage and are therefore not suitable for DIY tinkering or experimenting. Improperly wiring or installing something could lead to risk of shock or fire, so it’s best to stay away from fixing a large air conditioning unit if you don’t know what you’re doing.
4. Electricity
Any problem related to your home’s electrical system or wiring should be handled by a certified electrician. You might think that watching a few tutorials on YouTube will be enough to help you install that new 50-amp circuit that you ordered online, but you’d be wiser to invest in a professional installation than to risk yourself or your property with the possibility of shock or fire. It’s also important to realize that electrical mishaps will not be covered on any insurance policies unless the work is performed by a licensed electrician, so you’d be stepping out on a limb financially as well.
5. Roofing
Working on your roof as a novice handy person is a horrible idea for a few very obvious reasons. First, you could wind up falling off the roof and severely injuring yourself or worse. Second, you could wind up damaging your roof or performing a poor installation that leads to leaks later on. Save yourself the hassle of having to pay someone else to clean up your shoddy job and skip straight to calling a team of roofing professionals when you need any work related to your roof done. Ultimately, being an expert roofer requires much more than simply owning a ladder and pair of work boots.
6. Tearing Down Walls
Tearing down walls might seem like a simple matter of demolition, but there are numerous considerations that need to be made in order to ensure continued structural integrity. Thus, you should always outsource the task of knocking down walls for room expansions and other home modifications to a team of construction specialists who are guided by a structural engineer. They’ll need to use advanced load-bearing equipment and precise demolition tools to tear the walls down without damaging any of the surrounding structure.
7. Building a Pool
So, you’ve decided you want a pool in your backyard but you don’t want to spend thousands to have it built. So, you’ll just dig it yourself, right? Well, that might be an option in some areas, but generally it’s an impractical approach that could wind up creating unnecessary hassle and becoming more costly in the long run. The main aspect that you would probably need professional assistance for would be the routing of drainage pipes or filling systems, unless you wanted to be stuck using a pump and hose instead of having integrated systems for heating, drainage, and filling. Plus, unless you’re about to start digging with a shovel, you’ll wind up spending a decent amount on renting the digging tractors alone.
8. Adding Another Story
Adding a second story to a building might seem easy, especially if your home has a flat roof that already is equipped with a rooftop terrace. After all, you’re just adding walls and another roof onto an existing structure and foundation. Still, this seemingly straightforward construction project can involve some relatively advanced calculations and engineering decisions. You can’t just go laying materials on top of your first floor without ensuring that the weight is optimally distributed and supported. As such, taking care of a job like this on an independent DIY basis is like asking for problems.
9. Installing Skylights
Adding skylights to your roof is a great way to let more light in and improve the overall mood and atmosphere of the home. As easy as it might seem to create a few holes in your roof and then fit them with sealed windows, this is another project that will require a complex review of the home’s architecture in order to position and install the skylight windows in away that doesn’t compromise the structural integrity of the roof.
10. Investing in Expert Assistance is Worth the Assurance
When you shoulder the burden of completing a project by yourself without any professional assistance, you also take on the responsibility of holding yourself accountable for any damage done or injury incurred. Keep in mind that by opting for the DIY approach in many of the above categories, you might be putting yourself and your property at risk, particularly when you’re dealing with projects that involve advanced electrical or engineering-related concepts. In closing, don’t make the mistake of losing thousands of dollarsin unnecessary repairs due to our own inexperience and unwillingness to invest in proper home maintenance and repair.
