Think Twice About Tackling These Potentially Dangerous Projects
As inflation continues to climb, homeowners everywhere are rolling up their sleeves to take on DIY projects around the house to save money. What can’t you accomplish with power tools and YouTube videos?
There are some DIY projects around the house you should avoid and leave to the professionals. Tackling these dangerous or delicate elements in your home by yourself could lead to the endangerment of you, your family, or your home.
Electrical
Electrocution is still a leading cause of death on construction sites. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that 350 deaths occur each year because of exposure to live wires and equipment, circuit panels, and junction boxes. If it’s a danger even to professional contractors and electricians, electrical repairs are at the top of the DIY projects to avoid.
Beyond the danger to your health, improper wiring or damage to electrical equipment can cause electrical fires. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) reports that 51,000 homes are affected by electrical fires each year, resulting in 500 deaths. Keep your family safe, and hire a licensed electrician when needed.
Professional electricians are licensed and trained to know how to spot potential dangers and bring the electrical system in your home up to code. If you tackle it yourself, you may not spot these code issues that could incur fees or become pricier to fix down the line. A DIY fix on electric systems sure isn’t going to pass a home inspection.
Structural Improvements
If cracks begin to appear in your walls or your floors start sloping, it may be signs of structural issues. Likewise, the doors and windows in your home may stick. While there are endless DIY solutions to cover or fix these issues, they don’t address the underlying cause of the structural problems.
Water damage to the roof or load-bearing walls causes many structural issues. The problem may continue to worsen as time goes on. If you take on the challenge yourself, you could potentially void pre-existing warranties or cause the damage to get worse.
Roofing
Sure, the roofers sure make it look easy. But creating water-and-weather-proof protection for your home goes beyond throwing down some replacement shingles when your roof springs a leak. DIYing your roof will cost you more money. Most roofing manufactures require licensed professionals to install their products. If not, you could void the warranty. You could also risk losing your home insurance if the insurance company finds you have potentially compromised your home.
We haven’t even mentioned that DIYing your roof is dangerous.
HVAC Repair
Your home’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is another item to take off your DIY to-do list. HVAC heats and cools your home and plays a part in ensuring your home has air quality. These systems run off gas and electricity to fuel the system–sometimes high voltages of electricity. Repairing HVAC systems or units require a high degree of technical know-how, chemicals, and special tools you won’t find in the average toolbox. If you take on repairs, you could cause more damage to your home’s equipment or your health.
DIY for you and your home
Ask yourself these ten questions before taking on your next do-it-yourself project to improve your home:
- Will this detract value from my home?
- Is this project safe?
- Do I know and feel confident that I have the knowledge and expertise for this task?
- Do I have the tools and resources to complete the project?
- Am I limited by time?
- Can I afford to replace it?
- Would this DIY pass a home inspection?
- Will this void my warranties or compromise my home insurance?
The team at Cookeville Home Inspection can offer suggestions on licensed professionals in the Middle Tennessee area who can help you get your home in tip-top shape.
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