Ten common do-it-yourself mistakes

The standard rule for do-it-yourself projects is that they will take twice as long and cost three times as much as you expected. If it doesn’t, it will probably take three times as long and cost twice as much. Either way, the reason is the same. Do-it-yourselfers make mistakes. Lots of mistakes. The good news is that you can learn a lot from mistakes. The bad news is that mistakes always wind up making your home improvement project more expensive and more time-consuming than you wanted. Here is my list of the top ten do-it-yourself mistakes:

1. Not taking out the required permits. Considered a bother by many do-it-yourselfers, permits actually serve a greater purpose than just raising money for the government. For some jobs, such as installing electrical fixtures, you might need proof of the permit or your insurance carrier won’t cover the work.

There can be a variety of repercussions if the permitting process is not followed properly. For example, when you go to sell your home, if the buyers discover that there are unpermitted areas of the house, they might not be willing to buy. If the city or county discovers that home improvements have been done without the requisite permits, they can levy penalties and fines. In one worst-case scenario, the city or county can require that some work—such as drywall that is already installed, textured, and painted—be removed so that they can inspect other work, such as plumbing or electrical that is hidden behind the drywall. In another worst-case scenario, city and county inspectors have the authority to require that the work be removed and that the structure be restored to its original pre-improved condition. Obviously, doing so can result in thousands of dollars wasted on improvements.

Not sure if your job requires a permit? You usually need one for anything larger than painting or papering walls, but it never hurts to simply call the building department and ask.

2. Inadequate preparation. Nothing slows down a job more than not having all the materials you need. If you are having materials delivered, you don’t want them arriving out of order and stored outside, exposed to weather, while you’re working on something else. Even worse, they could be stolen if they’re not properly stored. If you have a septic tank, make sure you know where it is. If a heavy supply truck drives over it, you could be looking at a cracked tank costing thousands of dollars to repair or replace.

3. Skimping on materials. Do-it-yourselfers sometimes use quarter-inch drywall for walls. Five-eighths-inch is best, and three-quarters-inch provides a good sound barrier. The same rule applies to plywood for subfloors. Go with three-quarters-inch. It creates a much stronger floor, especially if you’re installing tile floors over them.

4. Using the wrong paint. One of the most popular do-it-yourself projects around, painting can make a place look great. Flat paint, however, should be used only for ceilings, and interior paints
should have at least an eggshell or satin finish so that you can easily scrub it without
scrubbing it off. On outdoor decks, sun and rain tear the heck out of the wood. Clear
sealers don’t block the UV rays, and they peel. Use a linseed oil-based stain; it drives
the pigment into the wood and preserves it.

5. Improper preparation of walls for painting. A good quality paint job is 90 percent preparation. Clean the walls, sand them, and patch any holes. A coat of primer or stain blocker should be applied if you’re trying to cover over oil-based paint, stains, or peeling paint, or if you’re painting a light color over a dark color.

6. Unsafe job conditions. Nothing diminishes your return on investment like a trip
to the hospital emergency room. Wear safety goggles when using power tools
or working with nails, screws, drywall, or wood. In fact, it’s just better to wear
safety goggles whenever you’re doing home improvement tasks; your eyes are too
important to you to do otherwise. Also wear hard hats when you’re working under other people on scaffolding, and open some windows when you’re painting, staining, or stripping old finishes off floors or walls. Do not wear loose, hanging clothing, especially when you’re using power tools since you don’t want to have the power tool bind and jerk, subsequently getting caught in loose clothing. Wear gloves when you’re carrying wood, metal, and rock, or when hammering, and wear a nail or tool pouch to prevent damage to your floors and, more importantly, the feet of people and pets.

7. Inaccuracy. Measure twice, cut once. It’s so important for things such as walls, drywall, baseboards, counter tops, and pipe. If you’re going to err, err on the side of too long; it’s always easier to make something shorter rather than longer. Spackle can cover up to an eighth of an inch seam. If the seam is a quarter of an inch or larger, the seam will pop the spackle and be visible.

8. Working beyond your limits. Everybody has them. Don’t stand on the top steps of ladders, and don’t try to work beyond your reach.

9. Failure to get a clue. You don’t want to start to learn how to do a project on your own house. Work on someone else’s house first! If you have a friend who is a contractor or an experienced do-it-yourselfer, offer your assistance on a project. No one will turn away free labor, even inexperienced free labor.

10. Failure to get a clue, part 2. If you need to remove a supporting wall, have an engineer look at it to see what kind of beam you need to replace it. If you have a saw in your hand and have a question about what you’re doing, stop. Follow that little cautionary voice in your head.

If you have any questions, simply contact the InterNACHI inspector listed below for help.

International Association of Certified Home Inspectors ¿ www.NACHI.org

Provided by your local InterNACHI inspector:

Bill Corbett, Property Consultant