DIY Don’t: 9 Home Improvement Jobs to Leave to the Professionals

Every year, Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars on home improvement projects. Spending is also on track to rise to $464.5 billion by the year 2022.

Are you looking at tackling some home improvement projects this year? Before you get started, it’s important to be realistic about what you can and can’t handle.

There are lots of home improvement jobs you can take care of on your own. Sometimes, though, it’s better to call a professional.

The following are 9 situations in which an expert’s help is almost always required.

1. Garage Door Repair

There’s a lot that can go wrong when you’re trying to fix a garage door on your own. Think about how much a garage door weighs. Do you want that falling down on top of you if you make a mistake during the repair process?

If the answer is “no,” as it should be, it’s best to work with a garage door repairman or woman. This will also help you save money.

Garage door repairs require special tools that you probably don’t have easy access to. As a result, if you tried to take a DIY approach, you’d have to go out and buy a bunch of equipment that you could only use for that specific project. That doesn’t sound like a good use of funds.

2. Roof Repair

When it comes to minor roofing problems, such as a couple missing shingles, you might be able to get away with fixing it yourself. However, in general, it’s best not to climb up on your roof and try to tackle problems on your own. The risk of falling and injuring yourself (or worse) is just too great.

If you suspect that your roof needs extensive repairs, or even needs replacing altogether, call an expert and see what they have to say. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially if your roof becomes damaged when it’s wet or icy outside.

3. Tree Removal

Don’t try to remove trees from the yard on your own. You can handle pruning branches or even planting the trees, but the removal process is best left to the professionals.

Remember, there’s a lot that you have to take into account when getting rid of a tree. This includes its weight, its height, and its foliage. Don’t take the removal lightly.

If you aren’t careful when removing a tree, you could also send it crashing into your house, which would cause additional damage that you’d have to pay to fix. It could also cause serious injuries if it falls in the wrong direction.

4. Molding

Most homeowners love the look of crown molding. What they don’t realize, though, is how difficult it is to put the molding in so that it looks nice.

Unless you have a lot of experience handling this type of task, you’ll save a lot of time and money letting experts handle it. They can ensure that the molding gets aligned in the proper way and is measured accurately before it’s put in place.

5. Home Additions

If you want to add to your home, whether it’s an extra room or an entire extra wing or floor, you should work with a contractor.

First, contractors know what kinds of rules and regulations you need to follow when adding to a home. They can ensure all the correct paperwork gets filed and permits get obtained before the building process begins.

They also know how to ensure the new addition matches the rest of the house and is structurally sound. A home addition is a huge undertaking, and it requires an expert’s touch to get right.

6. Electrical Work

There are some electrical projects you can likely handle without any issues. Flipping switches or changing fuses, for example, usually aren’t too difficult.

For anything beyond this, though, you’re better off calling a professional. This is especially true when you’re dealing with wiring repairs or replacements.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up electrocuting yourself or starting an electrical fire. If you don’t want to risk these kinds of accidents, you ought to contact an electrician and let them take over for you.

7. Wall Removal

In the same way that you should work with an expert when adding onto your house, you also ought to contact them when you’re planning on taking something away.

If you want to remove a wall, you should have a professional come and take a look before you start smashing with a sledgehammer. What if the wall was load-bearing? That would be a total disaster, right?

It’s always better to be safe than sorry when you’re dealing with things like wall removal.

8. Waterproofing

At first, waterproofing a basement after a flood might seem like a simple-enough task. It can be quite complicated, though.

Waterproofing involves a lot of digging, application of the waterproofing material, and backfilling, all of which are time-consuming and often hard to get right. There’s also the risk of a trench caving in if it’s not dug in the proper way.

9. Fixing Fencing Disasters

Finally, it’s best to call a fencing contractor when you’re experiencing a fencing disaster.

What constitutes a disaster? Things like building the wrong kind of fence, failing to anchor or align posts, or digging in the wrong place and causing utility damage. Putting the gate in the wrong place or fencing outside of your property are common issues as well.

All of these issues are best left to a contractor, who can help you find out more about what went wrong and provide you with the assistance you need to fix the problem once and for all.

Get Help With These Home Improvement Jobs Today

As you can see, some home improvement jobs are better left to the pros. If you were considering tackling any of these tasks by yourself or with the help of your buddies, now you know that you ought to reconsider.

There are still lots of things you can do on your own, though. Check out the Home Living section of our site today to get some inspiration for your next big DIY project.