Take it from a pro: If you're not sure how to fix something yourself, you're probably better off calling them first. Most of the time.
That's the advice of 20-year plumber Tom Sanderson, who ran his business South Hill Plumbing for 12 of those years until recently deciding to change careers due to the physical tolls of the trade.
"People who try to fix their homes themselves screw it up, and that's probably why you're calling someone like me," Sanderson says. "I think people are suckered into the Lowe's/Home Depot 'we can do it' mentality, where in reality there is so much skill behind simplistic things."
Experienced DIYers and self-taught handy folks may scoff at these claims, but Sanderson says, more specifically, it's not a good idea to mess with your home's plumbing unless you're totally confident in what you're doing.
Depending on that confidence and a person's skill set, that might include a seemingly low-risk task like switching out faucets. On the other hand, maybe you're savvy enough to lay ceramic tile or install a new toilet or sink.
While this might make a guy like Sanderson grimace, the latter three are all projects myself or members of my family have taken on with great success. Even more, these efforts were actually done to replace past residents' screwups, and I'm happy to report the walls haven't caved in (yet).
The issue began when I noticed loose caulking around the bottom edge of the shower insert in our late-1940s, one-bathroom home. After cleaning it up to lay a fresh strip of silicone sealant, however, my partner and I noticed crumbly, damp bits of drywall falling down behind the shower insert. Uh-oh.
After a week of baths to keep the area dry and from getting worse, we started demo the following weekend, only to uncover even more issues hidden in the walls. The water damage was extensive enough to begin rotting a 2-by-4 board in the outside wall behind the cast-iron tub. What we'd initially (and laughably) hoped would be a one-weekend project turned into a full month of nonstop repairs on weekends and after work every night to completely tile around the tub, an upgrade we chose in lieu of a cheap-looking fiberglass shower insert. And yes, living in a house with only one bathroom meant daily trips to a nearby family member's home to bathe that entire time. This is also the reason I'm not ready to try redoing the bathroom floors (yet).
While I don't advise just anyone to take on correctly installing (and sealing) cement board, then laying and grouting subway tiles, I was able to research and learn by doing. And sure, a pro could probably point out two dozen things I did wrong or poorly, but the finished product looks a heck of a lot better than tons of tiling I've since seen elsewhere.
Last year, I took on my second-ever tile job, putting up an elegant kitchen backsplash for my mom as a Mother's Day gift. Even with that job well done, I don't plan on becoming a journeyman tile layer anytime soon.
At the same time, there are dozens of home maintenance jobs I'd never attempt on my own, including (after doing the detached garage solo) painting a home's exterior, even though it's probably much less complicated than putting up tile. I won't mess with plumbing or electrical, either, or even installing an outside-access door.
Sanderson the plumber refers to the old adage "cheap labor is not good, and good labor is not cheap," but when it comes to your own labor — at least based on my experience — that doesn't always track.
I do, however, think it's worth considering this piece of wisdom from Sanderson, who spent two decades fixing lots of well-intentioned homeowners' mistakes: "If you're going to spend money, spend it on [fixing] the things that can make a mess." ♦
We asked Inlander readers on social media to share their recent home improvements
Al Gilson: Built a new deck by the pool. Re-landscaped backyard with 2 cubic yards of river rock where old, larger pool deck used to be.Judith Van Dongen: I repainted my home office, making the walls a subtle light green rather than beige. I had to work from my dining room table until the project was finished, which made me empathize with people who don't have a good workspace at home and have had to use their dining table or couch for an extended amount of time while stuck working from home.
Janean Jorgensen: Our family gutted the living/dining room, rebuilt the porch, added a bay window and built cabinets around the refinished fireplace. Then my husband finally quit his day job and became a full-time remodeling contractor.
Kerrie Fernlund: Ripped up 1940s hardwood floors, repurposed into shelving unit. Took out a bedroom to open up our living room.
Charity Luthy: Built a recording studio out of a garden shed.
Kasey Knox Wilberding: Painting our kitchen cabinets!
Jessica Hopf: Built my son a new bookshelf.
Eric Reis: I put new insulation in my crawl space. It sucked. But it seems to have made a big difference in lowering my heating bill.
Alison Koch: Painted the kitchen cupboards, painted master bathroom and cupboards, new carpet, added onto the patio, added a pergola and hot tub. Lots of DIY projects including new light fixtures, door knobs and hinges, always looking to get the '80s kicked out of our home. Putting our gas and travel funds toward house updates. ♦