Tempting home DIY projects you should leave to the experts

While some home owners are keen to get their hands dirty for the sense of accomplishment, others are just hoping to save themselves some money.

But for whatever reason you may be tempted to take a sledgehammer to that menacing brick wall of yours, it’s worth remembering that there are just some things you should leave to the experts.

If a DIY project goes awry, you may end up forking out more money to get a bungled job fixed than had you just hired someone to do the job in the first place.

As a carpenter, Gabriel Hart has just about seen it all.

Once, the Brisbane-based tradie uncovered some DIY electrical work where wires were twisted together and someone had used a Band-Aid to keep them together.

Then there was the time he was called out to fix a deck that had been secured with only one nail in the centre of each decking board.

“Every piece of decking had cupped and started to split,” Hart says.

“By either not knowing the correct method, not bothering to take the time to do it correctly, or attempting to save about $50 on nails, the DIYer wasted $3000 worth of decking, which all had to be replaced.”

Hart says it is fairly common to be asked to finish off a job that a person has started before they realise they have bitten off more than they can chew.

Another one of Hart’s clients decided to save money by installing her own plasterboard.

Because the boards were so heavy, she cut them into smaller pieces and didn’t join them properly. It all had to be removed, thrown out and redone.

“It’s difficult to explain to people that the way to achieve the best end result and most economical outcome is actually through demolishing all their hard work and starting from scratch,” Hart says.

The most common and often manageable DIY projects in the home generally involve painting, tiling a bathroom tiling and building a deck.

With the right equipment, patience and effort most people can achieve good results with painting, Hart says.

When it comes to tiling or bathroom renovations, a good home job is possible, but tiling can also be difficult.

“More often than not you can really tell the difference between a professional job and DIY.”

And while DIY decks are very common, they may be subject to council approval and could even be illegal depending on the size, height and need for handrails.

Four types of work around the house to leave for a professional:

1. Electrical work

People should never attempt any DIY electrical work, Hart says.

“Apart from being illegal, it is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and it will also most likely void your insurance.”

2. Plumbing

The same goes for plumbing. The exact rules of what you can and can’t do yourself (unlicensed) differs state to state but generally you’ll be limited to reseating taps and installing or repairing your own stormwater.

3. Structural work

If you are thinking about quickly knocking down a wall to make a room in your house bigger, stop and think about calling a professional.

If you go ahead and make structural changes without working out where the load-bearing walls are, you can really damage your house.

4. Asbestos removal

Asbestos removal is something Hart would leave to the professionals.

“Depending on local rules, you can remove small amounts of asbestos yourself – providing you dispose of it correctly – however given the health risks it’s not worth it in my opinion,” Hart says.

While most people are aware that asbestos is in cement sheet, they don’t often realise it was also used in a wide range of building materials, such as tiles, concrete, insulation and pipe lagging, he says.