Home Improvement

Home Maintenance Jobs You Can Do Yourself and Those That Require a Pro

There’s always so much to be done around the house. You resolve one thing and the very next day, something else needs to be fixed. You used to pick up the phone and call an available contractor to handle things but quickly realized that sometimes it’s just too much for such little work. Like many other homeowners, you’ve taken a liking to do things on your own. You feel a great sense of accomplishment, can explore your creative abilities, and get to save on labor costs.

This is all great, but, not always the outcome. Sometimes, homeowners meddle with repairs and maintenance on their own and end up finding out the hard way, they should have just left it to the experts. Below, are a few jobs that you can tackle on your own and a few that you probably should continue relying on experts for:

You Can Unclog a Toilet

Toilets get clogged all the time by the tiniest things. If you have a plunger handy, you can try your hand at unclogging the toilet yourself. With the right plumbing solution, the item could quickly come loose or dissolve allowing water to properly flow again.

You Probably Shouldn’t Fix a Broken Pipe

Forgot to run the water when the temperatures dropped? If the water froze, it likely expanded and caused the pipe to crack. It may seem like you can just throw some duct tape up there and call it a day, but you’ll need more than that. You’ll need an expert plumber to replace the damaged pipe.

You Can Do Basic Pest Control

No one likes the sight of bugs or mice in their home, but they frequently visit for various reasons. You’re more than capable of doing things like cleaning the house, getting rid of piles of paper and still water, sealing up holes, and spraying the interior and exterior of your place to keep them away.

You Probably Shouldn’t Exterminate Infestations

If you’ve noticed that your efforts to ward off pests aren’t working, you probably shouldn’t double up on your store-bought sprays and traps. Instead, you should look for a company that does pest control in Tucson, or wherever you live, to come and save the day. They have more advanced ways of getting rid of pests that won’t harm you, your children, or your pets.

You Can Patch Holes in the Wall

It doesn’t take much for a perfectly sturdy wall to end up with a hole in it. Kids slamming doors up against it, appliances and furniture being banged and bumped on the wall as it moves, and the need to access pipes and wires in the wall are all common reasons to end up needing to patch holes.With a putty knife, spackle, and a few basic instructions, you can easily repair a hole in the wall.

You Probably Shouldn’t Knock Down Walls

Thinking of expanding your closet or looking to gain access to pipes in the wall in your bathroom, if the job requires you to knock down a wall or two, this isn’t something you want to do yourself. There are a lot of wires and pipes located in the walls along with support beams that help to keep the house standing. If you knock down the wrong wall, the rest of your home could come tumbling with it.

You Can Clean Your Own Floors

Whether you have laminate tiles or travertine surface flooring you can maintain them on your own. Mopping, waxing, and buffering are just a few ways you can keep them looking flawless without needing to contact the pros.

You Probably Shouldn’t Install Your Own Floors

Though there are some brave souls that opt to install their own flooring it can be difficult and time-consuming. While stick on tiles is fairly easy it still requires the proper measuring and cutting to ensure you don’t mess up the design. Other types of flooring will require pretreating old floors including sanding wood floors which aren’t the easiest to do if you’re not experienced. When you’re ready to install flooring it’s probably best left to the pros.

You take great pride in your home and value the concept of saving a dollar. There’s nothing wrong with completing jobs that are simple to do on your own, but you’ve got to know when to step back and contact an expert. If the project is too complex, requires a lot of equipment, or hasn’t been completed by you successfully in the past despite your best efforts, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Instead, look for the most affordable service provider to get the job done for you.