Following what was a rather unfortunate coil roofing nails experience, the details of which I won’t go into, trust however that nobody was seriously injured, I have learned the importance of staying within your parameters when it comes to DIY. I know that there will be many of you who, during this lockdown, will have been looking around to find some little DIY projects around the home. This is of course all well and good, if we are talking about tables and chairs, shelving units or even some larger items, but it is always important that you only take on a project which is within your grasp.
Now of course if you are well skilled in many aspects of construction then I’d say go right ahead and carry out whichever project you see fit. Indeed if the project is large and doesn’t carry any danger, then also have a go no matter what skills you have. If however you are a regular civilian, then here is why you should always pick projects which you can achieve.
Safety First
Of course the main point to consider here is that you have a project which is going to be fun and which is also going to be safe for you. There is little point taking on a great looking DIY build if it is going to end up with you losing a thumb, or worse. And so we must follow tow precautions here, the first is to get the right materials for the job, something I failed to do with the roofing situation, and also to only do jobs which you have the skills for, which again, I learned through this event.
Additional Cost
I have spoken to many friends who failed to grasp the size of their own projects before undertaken them as well, and the end result, at least those which went wrong, was uncreased cost. The idea of DIY is not only for you to get a sense of pride in the work that you have done, but also to ensure that you are able to keep costs down for that work. If however you are in a situation where you have overstepped the mark, then you’ll find that you end up having to pay to have additional things fixed and a professional coming in to right your wrongs.
Further Damage
Last year a goof friend of mine took on what he considered to be a relatively small plumbing job, which she was confident could be easily solved. Some weeks following her success and the big pat on the back she gave herself, the entire house fell to darkness as the electricity failed. Looking to fix the issue she called out an electrician who revealed to her that the circuit had shorted because of a broken water pipe, which had cracked owing to the massive pressure which her DIY project had caused.
The moral of the story here folks, is to only take on a DIY task that you fully believe that you can fix.
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