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Last Updated on October 17, 2019 by Alaina
We all like to do as much as possible with our homes – not only does it save us money, but looking at our freshly painted walls gives us an unbeatable sense of achievement. But should everything be a DIY job? Probably not (unless you helpfully happen to be an electrician or plumber!). Here are 6 home problems you shouldn’t fix yourself.
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Electrical Issues
A lot of us know how to rewire plugs, but our specialized electrical knowledge tends to stop there, which means that you should really only attempt at minor repairs in your home. Not only could you make any issues worse, but you also need to be highly trained to understand the complex workings of your home’s electrical system.
If you don’t turn the power first – and that’s an error that plenty of people could make – you could be electrocuted, which can be incredibly dangerous. Faulty wiring and electrical work can also cause fires, which obviously could pose a huge threat to the safety of you and your family – leave it to the pros.
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Plumbing Problems
Another common home problem you shouldn’t fix yourself is issues with plumbing. Simple plumbing problems might be easy to fix – a lot of us can change a washer in a faucet or let the air out of a radiator to make it warm up properly. But just like with the electrics in your house, the plumbing system is incredibly complex and requires someone with a good knowledge of plumbing to do good work on it. Any inept fixes could lead to huge leaks and floods in your home, which could cause untold damage to your possessions and a lot of expense. Anything requiring welding, changing the direction of pipes and so on, will require help from a professional, no matter how good you usually are at DIY.
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Pests In Your Home
Next on our list of home problems you shouldn’t fix yourself is pest infestations. A lot of people have experienced the skin-crawling horror of seeing pests in their home, whether it’s termites, ants, cockroaches or rodents. Pests in your home make you feel itchy and unclean and can really affect how much time you want to spend in your own house so it’s important to call in a professional company to solve the problem and get to the root of it – even if you manage to kill a mouse yourself, you still need to find out how they’re getting in and seal that up, and a professional will be able to help with that.
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Big Renovations
Have you ever tried to do a big renovation yourself? Here is some excellent advice: don’t. No matter how good you are at decorating, doing a huge renovation yourself will be exhausting, overly expensive and more complicated than you could ever imagine. Which is why it’s on our list of home problems you shouldn’t fix yourself.
A lot of people fancy themselves great at DIY – and even if you’re great at painting walls and installing toilets, don’t underestimate the sheer amount of exhausting work that goes into knocking down and rebuilding walls and doing anything that requires changes to the structure of your house. It will take longer than you think it will, and it will feel like an extra full-time job on top of the one you already have – don’t do it. Call in someone who really knows what they’re doing.
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Roofing Repairs
Roofing repairs are another home problem you shouldn’t fix yourself. Fixing an issue with your roof is a lot more dangerous than you might think, for the simple reason that you might fall off. Working on roofs requires you to have a great head for heights, and even if you think you’re totally fine with them, once you’re up on that roof it might be a different story. Roofing companies have employees who are totally trained and used to the work, and who will also have great insurance for any accidents that might occur.
Don’t do anything that could possibly damage your own health in the quest to upgrade your home – replacing tiles might seem like an easy job but you might not feel that way when you’re standing up there on your remarkably slippery roof.
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Gas Repairs
Last on our list of home problems you shouldn’t fix yourself are issues with gas. Like water, gas leaks – and although water can cause some pretty hardcore expensive damage to your home, gas can silently kill you while you’re asleep. If you need to replace your boiler or repair your gas cooker, get the professionals in to help you. Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning is something that kills hundreds of people worldwide every year, so you should make sure that you and your family keep safe by getting your boiler checked and serviced regularly, and not touching it yourself it there’s something that requires fixing. You should also fit carbon monoxide detectors in your home.