Typical DIY Jobs That Always Go Wrong

When something needs doing around the house many people automatically turn to DIY. “How hard can it be?” is a question you may ask yourself a lot and yes, tackling small jobs can be relatively easy but there is no denying that sometimes, things aren’t as easy as you first thought and you can end up in all sorts of trouble. 

These days you can get virtually every kind of repair or renovation explained in an online step-by-step video, so you may think DIY is easier than ever before but, it really isn’t the case. There are a handful of DIY jobs that Building Vision London strongly advise against you attempting yourself and to prevent you from getting into any sticky situations, never DIY the jobs below. 

Installing new lighting

Changing a lightbulb is very different to installing new lighting. Installing your new light fixtures yourself to save money may seem like a no-brainer, but if you do, a lot can go wrong when dealing with electrics. The possibility of getting an electric shock should be enough to make you think twice, but if not, then the potential for costly repairs down the line should. This is definitely a job that should be left to the professionals to prevent you from needing an emergency electrician. 

Plumbing repairs 

When we say plumbing, we aren’t talking about changing a shower head or replacing a faucet, the real problem comes when leaks are involved. One thing that can be said about water, if there’s a way out, water will find it. A very smallest leak can lead to huge amounts of damage if it’s not caught in time or handled correctly. Unlike electrical repairs, improper plumbing isn’t unlikely to put your life in danger, but it can easily cost you thousands of pounds.  

Fixing your roof 

Although repairing a roof shingle or two isn’t the hardest job in the world, working at height and carrying your tools with you can be incredibly dangerous. Fixing the roof of your house is very different from working on the roof of your shed and the risk of injury or even death is too high to attempt this DIY. It is strongly recommended that whenever something needs fixing at height, call in the roofing or building contractors. 

Moving gas appliances 

It goes without saying that if you’re not an experienced Gas Safe engineer then you do not have the skillset and knowledge required to move gas appliances, no matter how easy it looks. Similarly to water, gas will always find a leak. A DIY job that seemed simple enough to complete can lead to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning which, kills more people than you are probably aware of every year. 

Knocking a wall down 

You may have knocked a shed down or a wall in your garden but this doesn’t mean that you are qualified to knock down an interior wall of your house. It may seem quite straight forward but for example, accidentally taking out a load-bearing can lead to your house collapsing or the floor upstairs sagging. Faulty structural renovations can undermine the integrity of the entire home and should never be undertaken by anyone that isn’t a professional builder. 

Avoiding DIY 

Whether we like to admit it or not, there are home repairs best left to professionals, no matter how many videos we watch. Make sure you reach for your phone instead of a hammer the next time you’re faced with a large or potentially dangerous DIY job. 

If you’re searching for a handyman that you can trust or you need assistance from an experienced electrician or plumber then contact Building Vision London. Their professional team can assist you with everything from putting up shelves and blinds to kitchen and bathroom installations. They can make any home project much less stressful and help you to avoid DIY all together.