With the pound having to stretch a little further in the last few years, more and more UK households are looking for ways to save – and shirking expensive contractors in favour of DIY for home renovations and repair has been one big way in which homeowners have looked for extra savings. Not only that, but additional free time afforded by the coronavirus lockdowns saw more people able to pick up home repairs as a hobby, resulting in a sympathetic rise in spending on DIY equipment. But where should DIY end and professional working begin?
Minor Tasks and Repairs
Any beginners to DIY will have started on the small stuff, and the vast majority of small home repairs, decoration jobs and renovation tasks are perfectly safe to carry out without professional help – provided you have the right tools for the job. High-quality power tools such as Milwaukee drills can make certain jobs easier, and reduce the failure rate as a result.
Putting up shelves is the quintessential small-time DIY task to cut your teeth on, though there are a few things you should be aware of before going ahead and drilling holes in the wall. If your shelf is destined for an internal stud wall, you will need to locate the studs with a stud-finder in order to safely and securely place your screws. The stud finder can also alert you to high-voltage cables or metal pipes running through the wall, so you can avoid any nasty accidents! Putting shelving on an external-facing wall is more physically difficult, owing to the masonry you’re drilling into, but much simpler – just try to avoid drilling into mortar, and make sure you have something out to cover surfaces, as brick dust can stain.
Larger Renovation Work
If you’re a little more capable, or a quick learner, you might be willing to cut your teeth on something a little more involved. This is the point at which complete beginners might want to enlist professional help, as a number of techniques can come into play which, if carried out incorrectly, can result in a shoddy finish. Larger jobs might include the safe removal of an internal wall, or the building of a stud-wall from scratch. Especially large renovation works like extensions or window replacements should be exclusively done by professionals, though – the sheer cost of making a mistake with an external wall would vastly outweigh the cost of paying contractor to work on your behalf.
Electrical Work
One area of work which should categorically not be undertaken by anyone who isn’t a paid and licensed professional relates to your home’s electricity. Whether replacing breakers, laying new cable or installing new plug sockets, the risks posed by mains electricity are too great to try out DIY. In order to safely work with mains electricity, you would need a comprehensive understanding of the science behind electricity, as well as practical methods for keeping yourself safe and national standards for safe installs.