With so many home improvement shows, tutorials and guides, most homeowners can easily be carried away by the DIY craze. While handling some tasks can save you money, others are better left to the professionals, preventing further damage, costs, and accidents. This article outlines five home repair and maintenance tasks you should never do yourself.
1. Mold removal
Handling mold removal yourself presents various dangers, including health concerns such as fatigue, headaches, bronchitis, and fungal infections. With so many different mold varieties within the same fungus family, distinguishing between them can be difficult if you’re untrained. Understanding the proper removal techniques and chemicals for each type requires professional mold removal experience.
Mold removal is a large task that may not be suitable for regular household cleaners, as they might not be able to kill all the mold spores. When removing mold yourself, you may release more spores into the air, causing them to stick on surfaces that weren’t affected and resulting in health issues if ingested. Partnering with mold remediation and removal experts such as Mold Remediation West Palm Beach would be much safer for you and your loved ones.
2. Electrical repairs
Handling electrical repairs without proper training and experience can be fatal. It may result in electrical shocks, fire, and electrocution. Doing electrical repairs yourself could result in damaging sensitive and costly parts. You could also damage your home’s structure, including floors and walls. Should anything go wrong while trying to fix electrical issues, homeowners’ insurers may not take it lightly and could even lead to penalties.
Consider hiring insured and licensed electrical contractors for your electrical works. They know the proper safety gear required to prevent injuries and fire, including cotton work clothes, rubber-soled shoes, insulated tools, and rubber gloves.
3. Structural work
Your home’s integrity is dependent on its structure. Handling structural work yourself, mainly if you don’t know what you’re doing, may lead to faulty renovations, undermining your whole home’s integrity. Home inspections usually involve structural assessment for soundness and ensure it can manage the load. A faulty structure, especially when selling your home, may be a disadvantage because homebuyers find value in sound structure and a solid basic foundation. If a home inspector finds your structure or foundation faulty, consider finding a professional structural repair expert to address the concerns.
4. Roof repairs
Your roof protects you against insects, falls, weather, rodents, and other dangers. Roof repairs require training and experience, so doing it yourself may cause further damage. Some roof problems aren’t obvious and may need an expert’s eye to identify. Roofs play a crucial role in your curb appeal, so if you don’t align your shingles properly and ensure everything is straight, your roof may not be as appealing. DIY roof repairs may also compromise your warranty. Consider hiring roofing experts for all your roofing needs.
5. Plumbing repairs
Poor plumbing fixes may result in costly repairs and may endanger your life. What began as a leak may quickly escalate to flooding, increasing costs. DIY plumbing repairs may expose you to asbestos and mold, negatively impacting your health. If you notice a leaky faucet or clogged drains, call in a plumbing expert to address it.
Endnote
While DIY projects can save you money, some require professional experience. Consider letting professionals handle these repair and maintenance tasks for your safety and protection of your home against further damage.