DIY is great. You can save money. You can finally sort out that room you’ve been meaning to sort out. It could even improve your mental health. Exercising, setting goals, breaking monotony, valuing yourself and broadening your horizons with new projects: all of those things can help to improve mental health and DIY involves doing each of them in one way or another.
However, there are also many unexpected DIY dangers out there and, while it’s great to do DIY from time to time, it’s sometimes better to find a tradesman instead. So, with this guide to some of the most common jobs around the home, you can decide whether to find the tools or find a tradesman.
Gas or Heating Problems: Tools or Tradesman?
Tradesman. There is a range of different potential gas and heating problems out there. Some of them are easy enough to fix and diagnose. However, as a general rule, it’s best to get a gas safe engineer in to have a look. Gas gets pretty dangerous pretty fast if you don’t know what you’re doing. So, if you’re at all unsure, just get someone in.
A Lick of Paint: Tools or Tradesman?
Tools. The most basic of DIY jobs, it’s quite amazing what a bit of paint can do to an otherwise dull and dreary room. A lot of ink has been spilt on the psychology of colour and how it can affect mood. While the jury’s still out on what exactly colour does to the human brain, we can at least all agree that changing the colour of a room is easy-peasy. Aside from getting the right paint and making sure you stick to some pretty basic techniques, the job’s a cinch and you’ll have some gorgeous new walls in no time at all.
New Flooring: Tools or Tradesman?
Tools. While it’s a more complicated task than painting, laying down new flooring can be a DIY job, too. Depending on the kind of flooring, it’s a job which can range from simple to strenuous. However, so long as you know what kind of floor you’re going for, your new floor is a DIY project waiting to happen. For example, you could try using ammonia to unblock the sink.
Plumbing Jobs: Tools or Tradesman?
Tradesman. There are many plumbing jobs out there which don’t take more than a plunger or a bucket to fix. When it comes to blockages, you should always try a bit of DIY first. However, there could come a point when your sink is still blocked and you have to accept that you haven’t a clue what you’re doing. That’s when you need to find a tradesman.
Then there are leaks. As with blockages, some leaks can be located and fixed in less than an hour. Others can take forever to find and even longer to sort out. Once again, just as with blockages, see what you can do yourself first. When you’ve run out of ideas — or if you just don’t have the time — then it’s time to find a tradesman.
Electrical or Appliance Work: Tools or Tradesman?
Tradesman. Installing a new electrical appliance or plumbing appliance where there was already one before is a job for intermediates. It’s a full day’s work (a half day if you’re particularly tool savvy) but it can be done by pretty much anyone with a basic grasp of DIY.
Installing a new electrical appliance or plumbing appliance where there wasn’t one before, though, is a lot more challenging. For a job like that, find a tradesman.
As for other electrical work, it’s often best to book a tradesman in these cases as well. Some jobs are fine to tackle if you know what to do, such as installing a socket or a bathroom fan. However, the more dangerous or complex jobs, such as installing a new fusebox, absolutely need to be performed by a qualified electrician.
Upcycling: Tools or Tradesman?
Tools. Arguably the most fun DIY job there is, upcycling is all about personality, individuality and a sense of design. It’s a great way to show off your creative flair and, to be honest, there aren’t many tradespeople who would do this job, even if you asked them to. It would be like asking an architect to build you a treehouse. The whole point of upcycling is to do it yourself. What’s more, there’s no wrong way of doing things. You can reupholster a white leather sofa with purple and orange velvet if you’re so inclined. It’s entirely up to you.
