Are you a do-it-yourself enthusiast? More and more people are getting into DIY. With the current state of the economy, fewer people are choosing to move home. Many are making do with their present circumstances and repairing and remodelling their houses.
Is DIY for you? What should you ask yourself before engaging in DIY work on your property?
Consider some of the areas where you could save money by doing it yourself: Projects in the bathroom; bedroom; dining room; games rooms; garage; home office; kitchen; landscape; living room; patio & decks.
Bear in mind that not all DIY jobs you do on your home will increase the value of your home.
Painting and decorating your home, for example, can be very worthwhile. It isn't likely to put much value on your property, but it will of course make it far more saleable.
Count The Cost
Before ever starting a job, work out its cost. You will find that a comparison of the charges of a skilled professional with the cost of materials for what you would need to do it yourself will be revealing. But do not forget the hidden extras. What are they?
Many professionals guarantee that their work will meet a certain standard at a specified time. If they fail, you can often seek some type of compensation. In the long run, to pay a little more and benefit from the services of a professional may be to your advantage.
Another factor to reckon with is the cost of your time. Being 'married' to DIY work can cause tension with family and friends.
It is possible, nevertheless, to maintain good family relationships and still work on do-it-yourself projects. How? By enlisting the help of your family. They can join you, either in planning or in actually doing the work, perhaps even taking care of some of your other duties while you concentrate on the work to be done.
You may work things out well, planning the project and enlisting the cooperation of your family, but do you have the right tools?
Man is a tool-using animal.... Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)
The Right Tools
Basic tools to consider buying-
* 12 foot tape measure
* Claw hammer
* Insulated pliers
* Set of screwdrivers
* Junior hacksaw
* Box cutter with retractable blade
* Spirit level
* Small adjustable spanner
On occasion, you may find renting some of the larger power tools a viable option if their purchase price is too great but the need vital. You can manage many a DIY project with very basic tools. However, for these to be of lasting value, care for them well.
The differences between the youthful H. G. Wells and the mature Henry James were so basic and numerous that it seems almost miraculous that they ever knew each other well enough to have started a feud. James was fastidious and was preoccupied in many of his works with matters of taste and high society. Wells could be slovenly, considered James’s taste artificial, and found any young scientist far more interesting than a room full of dukes and duchesses. James was an artist who seemed to feel the chief value of life was to give him subjects for his novels. Wells wanted to have a hand in reshaping life and constructing a new world, and considered his books merely useful tools toward these ends. James would agonize for hours over a single sentence, refining and refining it until sometimes only his most devoted readers cared to thread their way through the innumerable clauses he found necessary for communication of his exact meaning. Wells scoffed at such painstaking craftsmanship, and preferred to state his ideas so that even the slowest reader could follow him without difficulty. James was an artist, however tortured his sentences finally became. Wells was a propagandist, however skillfully he stated his sometimes complex ideas.
—Myrick Land (b. 1922)
Where will you keep your tools? When deciding on a storage area, make sure the tools are protected and treated properly so they remain in good condition. Throwing tools together in a drawer can damage them. Arrange a designated place for each tool. Fasten a board on the wall of your workshop or tool cupboard. Then clasp and hang the tools there.
Some hand tools that are used under tension, such as fretsaws, may require release before storage. Most tools will require cleaning and oiling to maintain their value. Make tool maintenance a part of whatever do-it-yourself project you undertake.
You have figured out the cost and opted to do it yourself. You have all the tools ready and in good condition. 'But there is something missing,' you say. 'I am not experienced.' Does this mean that DIY work is ruled out?
Success Without Experience?
Success on a first-time job does not come automatically. A helpful guide, though, is always follow the instructions. But whose instructions?
Before you start any DIY, consult the experts. You can draw on the accumulated wisdom of the experts by reading their suggestions in many DIY manuals. Or, if you know someone who has already successfully done a similar job, ask him how he managed it and what tips he can offer.
Safety, Safety, Safety!
Remember the need for safety. Use the tools only in the way they are intended to be used. If your children help you, teach them respect and proper care for tools, especially for those that are sharp and dangerous.
The variety of projects that you can undertake for yourself is great. But to avoid being unbalanced in such jobs, take into account other people's advice. Then adapt the suggestions to your own circumstances. Whatever the proposed project, study it carefully before you decide to do it yourself.
If doing anything with electricity, remember that safety has to come first. Don't take shortcuts, it might mean your life! If working with gas, unless you are properly qualified, and are registered as such with the appropriate authorities, then you must get in a qualified person, and not attempt to tackle the work yourself.
Geoff Cummings runs a DIY tools site at http://www.ourhometools.com where visitors will find the right products at the right prices.