Alain Guillot

Life, Leadership, and Money Matters

DIY Jobs That Could Cost You

Are you frustrated with repairs mounting up in your house? Or do you have an overwhelming urge to begin renovating your home? 

If you do, you could fall into the trap of biting off more than you can chew in terms of DIY tasks.

Picture by AnnaWaldl from Unsplash – CC0 Licence

For a few of the jobs, it pays not to touch without an expert present. Here are three jobs in your house better left to the professionals.

Asbestos Removal

A lot of homes before the 80s contained asbestos as part of the insulation. Asbestos is often found in the attic area of the house. 

In short, this material, once disturbed, can cause devastating problems to your respiratory system lungs. 

Despite the asbestos ban in many other countries like Australia and the UK. The US has still not created a restriction around its use.

If you have noticed asbestos in your house, don’t panic! Ensure no one has access to that area of the house, and call a professional asbestos remover to take care of the problem for you. 

No matter how much it might cost to remove, it’s not worth taking the risk of moving the asbestos yourself. 

Missing Roof Shingles 

The roof routinely takes a battering from the windy, hot, icy, and wet weather. This stands to reason why you may find an issue with the roof shingles at one point or another. 

Whether cracked or missing, you may have considered surveying the issue yourself and ordering a few matching roof tiles to replace the broken ones – but don’t do it! 

Firstly, the risk of falling off the roof if you slip could be fatal. Secondly, you could damage more roof tiles while trying to fix or replace the missing shingles.

This is another job that’s not worth risking your safety over. Plus, putting a foot wrong on the roof could result in more damage, which will only cost you more to fix in the long run. 

Contact professional Roofers urgently to take care of the missing or broken shingles for you.

Otherwise, water could begin seeping into the property, causing a leak. And potentially damp and mold

Wall Removal

Removing a wall isn’t an urgent DIY task like tending to the roof or asbestos. But it can be something that plays on people’s minds if they want to renovate their home and make it open-plan. 

However, before you pick up a sledgehammer and knock through a wall, consider this. The wall could have wiring or water pipes running throughout. In other instances, the target wall could be a load-bearing wall. 

Load-bearing walls play a pivotal role in supporting the structure in the house. If you break it, severe structural issues will ensue, which could cost you a fortune to fix.

In some cases, DIY is an excellent way to save money in your home while tending to smaller jobs. Such as fixing the sealant around the bathtub or filling holes in the wall to create a smooth and seamless finish. 

But other jobs, like those touched on above, should only be tackled by a professional. Because trying to remove asbestos, fix the roof, or remove a wall alone, could be detrimental to your wallet and health.