When it comes to completing home repairs, it can seem easier and cheaper to carry things out yourself; after all, honing your DIY skills can only be a good thing, can’t it? Yes and no. Teaching yourself how to build your DIY skills to allow you to complete various repairs and upgrades to your home can be extremely beneficial and even fun if you enjoy this kind of thing. There are some repairs on the home that you may need to think twice about tackling and leave to the professionals. Let’s take a look.
Here Are the 4 Home Repairs You Shouldn’t DIY at Any Cost
1. Electrical Work
While changing a light bulb or light fitting is likely within most people’s capabilities, and changing a fuse or a socket cover on the wall are simple tasks, it’s crucial to remember that electricity can be dangerous when you lack the necessary expertise. Anything more complex than these easy fixes should only be handled by a qualified electrician. This caution is not to instil fear but to ensure your safety and the correct completion of the work, meeting legal requirements. The potential danger of DIY electrical work is a stark reminder of the importance of professional help and the potential risks of not doing so.
2. Gas
When it comes to gas-related tasks, these are definitely home repairs you shouldn’t DIY. It’s not a matter of general skill but of specific expertise.Only Gas Safe engineers, with their specialised training and knowledge, should be handling gas works. This includes tasks such as boiler repairs, cookery installations, heating systems repairs, or the coordination of gas appliances. Gas is highly volatile, and the incorrect use of gas appliances can render the entire home unsafe and put people’s lives at risk. So, for your safety, always call a gas engineer for any gas-related issues.
3. Roofing
The reason it’s tricky to carry out any type of roofing work is the elevation of the roof and this angle. Roofing can be dangerous for people who aren’t properly equipped or using the right equipment to ensure safety. A fall from a roof at any height can be deadly, and that’s before you address the damage you can cause if you don’t know what you are doing. Your roof is your home’s main source of protection from the elements, and as such, you need to approach any repair carefully and get people who are experts to look at rectifying any damage or assessing if you need to replace your roof to avoid experiencing any problems.
4. Major Plumbing
A leaky tap might seem manageable, and a blocked toilet often has a DIY YouTube solution. However, certain plumbing tasks fall squarely into the category of home repairs you shouldn’t DIY. Fitting showers or baths, updating pipework, or dealing with a burst pipe, ideally needs to be carried out by qualified plumbers. Your plumbing needs to meet certain legal requirements and standards, and some tasks might not be as simple as they appear to be. For this reason, if you need to do anything more complex than replacing taps or fitting a new washing machine, call a plumber who can help you out.
