This past weekend, disaster struck. Sort of. But not really.
As my wife and I were preparing for a camping trip, I was washing off my scuba gear in the laundry tub. Everything was going hunky dory until I tried to turn off the hot water tap- nothing happened. The handle turned freely all the way to what should have been the “off” position, but the steaming hot water just kept flowing. Sure that this had been some sort of bad dream or momentary hallucination, I opened up the tap to the on position and tried turning it off once again. No luck. I tried turning it really, really tight. Again, no effect. I looked for the shut-off valve and found it a couple of feet past the sink, just before where the hoses for the washer were connected. The only way to stop the water was to turn off the main water supply.
“Hey honey, remember how you wanted to rough it for a few days in a tent in the woods with no running water? I’ve got one of three right here!”
With hot water flowing freely and my laundry room beginning to feel like a small, poorly designed steam room, I had to make a choice- would I tackle the problem myself, or call a plumber to do it for me?
Being fairly stubborn and more than a little cheap frugal, I decided that this was a problem that I could handle. I turned off the water supply, grabbed my wrench, and started using terms like “o-ring” and “stop cock” (insert girlish giggle here). The hot water tap came off with a bit of grunting and a few good turns of the monkey wrench, and the problem became as clear as mud- it looked like the valve mechanism was worn and the rubber washer had disintegrated. Leaving on my dirty jeans and being sure to get a little grease on my hands for good measure (to give me some “street cred” at the hardware store), I headed off to the find a replacement before the local Home Hardware closed for the day.
Amid the sea of valves, washers, taps, and pipe, I found just what I needed- last one, too. Faster than you can say “Help me, Mike Holmes!” I was back home installing my shiny new tap and basking in the glory of a job well done. The repair worked perfectly, and running water was restored to my humble home.
Is there a point to this story, beyond self-aggrandizement? Of course, young grasshopper. The point is that by fixing the problem myself, the repair cost me under $10. If I had called in a plumber, I almost certainly would have been looking at $70 for the visit, plus parts, a bit of labour, and tax. Time wise, it probably would have taken longer to wait for a plumber as well.
Having a basic knowledge of home repair is essential for any homeowner (or renter, for that matter). Knowing how things work and how to fix basic problems gives you confidence, saves you money, and also helps you deal with the pros when it comes time to call in additional help. Here are a few tips on being an effective DIYer:
1. Get Educated. The first step in maintaining your home is knowing how the basic systems work- plumbing, electrical, the basics of construction, and so forth. Pick up a decent illustrated home improvement book- Home Depot has a big orange book entitled “Home Improvement 1-2-3″ that gives a great overview of how everything is put together and how to fix most problems. It also covers doing your own upgrades, but that’s a post for another day.
2. Have the Right Tools. You can’t fix the problem if you don’t have the right tools. Grow yourself a well stocked toolbox- at a minimum, you should have a hammer, adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, flashlight, and pliers. As you take on more projects, your tool collection will grow to rival that of a NASA crew.
3. Think Safety First. Before you begin to fix and problems, it is imperative that you take proper safety precautions. Gloves should be used for just about any task, and you may also need eye protection, ear protection, and a dust mask, depending on the job. If you’re doing electrical work, shut off power to the area you’re working and double check with a volt meter to ensure that power is actually off.
4. Don’t be Afraid to Try. Once you have taken the necessary safety precautions, you shouldn’t be afraid to at least try to diagnose and fix the problem yourself. Examine the problem area, try to figure out how it should work and why it isn’t. If something’s broken, you generally won’t make matters much worse by giving it the old college try.
5. Know When to Call the Pros. If you find yourself in over your head or outside your comfort zone, there’s no shame in calling in a professional to fix the problem. Well, maybe a little shame, but not a lot. J
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WOW MGL - I can’t believe no one has commented on this. Great post. I have to say you really hit a nerve for me. I had an episode that tested my DIY mettle a month or so ago.
We were selling our house, and our prospective buyers had a bank representative coming to appraise the value of the house. 24 hours before they were scheduled to arrive, we had a MASSIVE swarm of ants in the downstairs family room. I’m talking about sci-fi/horror level swarm here. I vacuumed them up and chalked it up to one of the kids spilling something sticky… only I couldn’t find anything sticky.
A few hours later, they came back. There must have been 1000 of them, with wings this time.
I did some googling and discovered that my infestation was definitely ants and not termites, but I had no idea where they were coming from.
I finally decided I didn’t want to spend the money on an exterminator and especially didn’t want to deal with poisons with two young children in the house. So, I rolled up my sleeves, busted out the trusty vacuum cleaner and went-a-hunting.
Our house at the time was on a concrete slab, and I discovered they were coming in from a crack in the slab under the carpet. I peeled back the carpet, sucked a couple dozen more up in the vacuum and filled in the crack with 2 cans of $4.00 silicone calk.
No poison. No $100+ exterminator bill.
I have to say the best part of the whole adventure was the boost in DIY self-confidence I got from the experience.
Thanks for the kind words, Joe.
Congrats on the successful ant elimination. Dealing with insects tests my DIY mettle, but my stubbornness usually wins. I’m just glad there are no snakes where I live- much like Indiana Jones, I HATE snakes…
Here’s a thought; based on building much of the two houses we have lived in ourselves with help of two carpenters. Also doing almost all the repairs etc. one self during the 40+ years we have lived in those homes (the first for 11 years and the current one since 1971). No mortgage by the way.
And it’s this. Doing something, within one’s abilities of course, yourself can cost about one half to one third of your earned income, compared to what it would cost to hire a contractor! plus the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
Suppose for example you have a job that involves $1000 worth of materials (That’s around $1600 earned income before taxes). Buying the material yourself (even at full retail price) and bringing it home yourself (we drive a pickup anyway, so we get co-opted by friends to move snowblowers and other materials etc.) plus sales tax of 13%. Total $1130 so far. Then your own labour kicks in until job is finished, squirrel away any leftover bits for possible future repairs.
Hire contractor who may or may not get a discount on materials which they will not pass on to you. Contractor labour charge probaly equal to the material cost another $1000 (40 hours at $25 per hour. And lucky if you get good work at that price!) Plus sales tax on the whole job of $1000 + $1000 = $2000 = $260. Also plus any extras or eventualities that sneak in; say around 5% or say $100.
Total, contractor price $2360. Therefore self work 1130/2360 = or about 50%. That $2360 requires an earned income before taxes of around $4000. So compare 1600/4000 and the ratio becomes 40%!
Also if one has materials around; for example the three doors in our basement didn’t cost anything at all (except some work), costs can be a third or even less. Got a couple of other doors as well, both are soild core. One will become a solid bench/table the other to become three uprights for a sturdy book case.
Some skills/ability just don’t have; carpet laying for example. And am a poor plasterer at best, so one hires a local part timer to provide their particular skills.
Good points, Terry. When you look at the savings in terms of after-tax dollars, they can be quite significant. And even beyond cost savings, I actually enjoy most projects like this- doing it myself is quite satisfying, and I know for sure that the job has been done right.