The ten biggest DIY mistakes
If you're thinking of doing some DIY over the coming months, don't make these mistakes!
It’s just under a month now until Easter, and that means bank holidays galore are heading our way.
As a result, you might be thinking about using this time to do a spot of DIY at home. Perhaps you’re looking to put your property on the market, or maybe there are just a few odd jobs that need doing around the house.
According to research from myhammer.co.uk, despite a slump in house sales, 60% of UK homeowners plan to make home improvements this year.
What’s more, 63% of Brits are planning an interior facelift with a lick of paint, 33% are hoping to carry out a garden overhaul, and a third of Brits are intending to fit a new kitchen or bathroom. Meanwhile, a fifth of people are hoping to carry out larger projects such as a loft conversion or extension.
However, with more than 24% of people having experienced a DIY disaster in the past year, costing an average of £145 to put right, you may find you’re better off getting the professionals in! In fact, over half of the women surveyed by myhammer said they didn’t trust their partner with anything other than the simplest DIY jobs!
So here, I’m going to reveal ten of the biggest DIY blunders you can make!
Related how-to guide
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See the guide1. Starting a job you can’t finish
Starting a job around the home can be easy. Finishing it is far more difficult.
As a result, it’s important to sit down and plan the job from start to finish to work out whether or not you can complete the job. If you don’t think you can realistically manage it, don’t start it!
2. Not planning ahead
Leading on from this, make sure you have the correct tools and materials ready to go. Make a list of everything you need in advance and make a trip to your local DIY store if necessary – you don’t want to be doing this half way through a job.
If you need to get something delivered, make sure it will arrive in time. I know it’s common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many of us forget the basics when it comes to DIY!
You should also ensure you prepare the work surface sufficiently. For example, if you’re painting, clean the walls, sand them, and patch up any holes or dented areas before you start. You may also want to apply primer to the walls.
3. Underestimating the cost
DIY might sound like it should be cheaper than hiring a professional. But it can be easy to underestimate how much tools and materials cost. And if you make a big mistake, it’ll end up costing you even more.
So when you’re working out exactly what you’ll need for the job, make sure you draw up a budget and don’t miss anything out.
4. Skimping on tools and materials
Similarly, don’t be too frugal when it comes to your tools and materials. Do your research to ensure you’re getting the right equipment for the job. Cheap tools won’t be as hardwearing and therefore won’t last as long.
And as to whether or not you should buy second hand tools, there’s an interesting discussion about this by a number of lovemoney.com readers on this article.
You should also remember to check your tools carefully each time you use them for signs of wear and tear. If they are in poor condition, replace them.
Home improvements don’t usually come cheap, but find out the best ways to pay for them.
5. Underestimating the time
It’s also easy to think that a certain job will take considerably less time than it actually will. So make sure you sit down and realistically work out how long each step is likely to take. It’s far better to overestimate than underestimate, so be generous with your timings, particularly if it’s a job you’ve never done before.
6. Using the wrong paint
Know the difference between using matt and gloss paint indoors, and make sure you switch to special exterior paint if you’re planning to paint the outside of your home.
If you’re planning to coat wooden decking in the garden, choose a wood stain that is resistant to rain and sun. A linseed oil based stain works best – such as Ronseal Eco Decking Stain.
7. Working in dangerous conditions
Always ensure your work space is safe. Make sure it’s clutter-free, there are no spillages on the floor and that tools are put away when you’ve finished with them. You should also wear safety glasses when you’re using power tools and work gloves can come in handy too. It’s also a good idea to open windows when you’re painting.
8. Inaccurate measuring
If you’re measuring something, measure it twice! It’s always worth double checking to ensure your measurements are right – otherwise you could find yourself cutting up material incorrectly and having to buy more. It might sound obvious, but again, always overestimate rather than underestimate – you can correct something that’s too big, but not something that’s too small.
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9. Not calling in the professionals
No one likes to admit when they are wrong. But if things aren’t going quite to plan, it might be time to give up and call in the professionals before things get worse.
There are, of course, certain jobs you probably shouldn’t be carrying out anyway. For example, are you really any good at electrical or plumbing work? And is it really worth taking the risk in case things go seriously wrong?
A really easy way to get quotes from professional tradesmen is by using sites such as myhammer.co.uk, mybuilder.com or yourworkman.co.uk. By using these websites, you can post the job you need doing and wait for the quotes to come in! You’ll also be able to read reviews from previous customers.
10. Not booking a marriage counselling session in advance!
Finally, if arguments with your partner are likely to ensue, it might be worth booking an appointment with a marriage counsellor before you start your DIY session just in case!
More: Five ways to cut the cost of moving home | 10 ways to devalue your home
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Well, difficult to say, I wasn't there. Was he an electrician, or was he the electrician's monkey? Worse, was he one of the "3 week wonders" who "specialise" in kitchens (because they have no knowledge or experience of any other electrical work)? Where were the switches on the drawings? Perhaps he was just doing what he'd been told? Many times I have been specifically asked to put switches in odd locations, despite pointing out the logical alternative. OK sir, if you insist... By your own admission, you are also making assumptions about what he actually does know. Perhaps he doesn't like working when some Smart Alec (no offence!) is quizzing him about Ohm's Law? It's difficult to tell a client to, erm, "go away" when you are trying to get on with practical issues and someone is wittering on about electrical theory. Personally, I can't stand being second-guessed, or even watched when working by someone who may well be a rocket scientist but isn't an electrician by trade, or up to date with the Regs. Some sparks are good at talking the talk, others are better at the hands-on. Having said all that, I think that you should have pulled him up there and then if you had serious doubts about his competence, I certainly would have done. Even though it is a pain to be quizzed about the way one is working, long after drawings have been made, it's always a lot easier to change an install when it's in progress than when the paint is dry. The answer to your question is that I SHOULD be happy with wiring done by a certificated electrician, in fact the Law says I have little other choice. That's not to say that all Part P registered sparks are good at their job. As in any profession, there's always bodgers and chancers, that's why it's important to do your homework, get references, not just pick AAA Electrics from Yellow Pages. Remember that those people working on a re-wire are probably not all electricians. As I said before, it's the thinking behind the job, the calculations, the knowledge of the Regs and what's safe which is the electrician's skill. Any monkey can run cables from A to B, that's why we employ them to do it while we do the important stuff! That said, I'm not the only one who considers that "electricians" used by kitchen firms are nothing of the sort, and that they are a menace. A 3 week course might qualify someone in the eyes of the Law, but not in mine, I'm afraid. I bet they are way cheaper to use than a PROPER electrical contractor, which is obviously why kitchen fitters use them. Of course your mate will be "horrified", I've never met a sparks yet who couldn't have done a job better, cheaper, or in a different way. Heaven forbid one would ever pay another sparky a compliment on the job done! Now, if he'd said that the job was dangerous, that's another story. If so, get him to put his concerns on paper, then contact the trade body the installing sparks belongs to (that's after making the installation safe, of course!), and contact the council's Building Inspector. They'll bring the installer to book, and make sure your kitchen wiring is safe and sound.
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So, Extremist, you would be happy with kitchen wiring done by a certificated electrician. Even when he didn't know the relationship between volts, amps and watts and probably thought that (I didn't quiz him on this) I2R loses were some form of texting jargon? Oh and put light switches in the opposite corners of the kitchen to where both the lights were and where you would logically want to switch them on/off? One of my electrician freinds was horrified, what about you?
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This article forgets the most important point of all: Make sure it is legal for you to attempt the DIY job. It doesn't matter how clever you think you are, how straightforward the job is, there are some things you are simply breaking the law by trying, aside from the safety issues. Like, for example, gas work or the vast majority of domestic electrical work. Yes, it is ridiculous, PRACTICAL electrical work is pretty straightforward, especially to, ahem, "more mature" folk who may have had PROPER jobs in the past where they encountered electricians, but that's the way it is, the law is the law. Incidentally, whilst laying a few cables is donkey work, the electrician's skill is the theoretical side, the bit few people get to see, if indeed they know it exists. Any of you DIYers consider Volt drop differences between cable fixed by Reference Method 3 against Reference Method 1? Diversity and correction factors? Are you able to measure Earth Fault Loop Impedances, Insulation Resistances etc etc? These are the REAL things you pay the sparky for, the differences between having a nice safe house and having one which looks OK, but is actually a deadly fire hazard waiting to ignite. The mouth-breather who lumbers around your house installing cables generally isn't the electrician, it's his boss who is the skilled tradesman. (Yes, and I'm aware many "electricians" never seem to do these calculations or take into account the theory side, but you get what you pay for. Better to pay a little extra for someone who knows his trade, takes pride in his work and is happy to put his name to it, happy that he won't be standing at an Inquest somewhere down the line because he didn't bother to do a thorough job.)
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05 April 2011