Do it yourself – it’s a phrase we have all used at one time or another. Come any Bank Holiday in the UK we find ourselves up the local DIY store, buying things to finish off the bathroom we started decorating last year. Perhaps we do one or two jobs in the garden too – laying a patio or erecting a shed.
But while do it yourself projects can save you money, they aren’t always that well advised. Every year thousands of us end up making our local casualty department the second trip out for the day after the DIY store. This is because we end up hurting ourselves in our quest to get all those DIY jobs done before the Bank Holiday – or spare weekend – comes to an end.
So are we saying that you shouldn’t get involved with DIY at all?
Far from it – in fact there is a lot to be said for learning how to do something and then making improvements to your home as a result. But the key word there is learning. There is a right way to do things – and plenty of wrong ways that we all seem keener to take on.
For example, when we finally decide to carry on decorating the bathroom, or tiling the kitchen, or putting up shelves, we always want results as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to get the job done fast, even if it means cutting corners that really should not be cut. A lot of people call these kinds of jobs ‘bodge jobs’ – and you need to be careful. Not only can they result in injuries, they can also result in an expensive repair bill to make good the work that you got wrong.
The main problem is that most people do not realise their limitations. It is always best to start with the simplest of jobs and learn your way towards more advanced ones. Bricklayers don’t start by constructing a whole house, after all; they start by building a low brick wall and getting their skills honed to perfection before trying anything else.
Another point to remember is that you should always research the job you are going to do before you start. Make sure you have everything you need, regardless of whether it is tiles and grout, mitres and saws, or anything in between. Not having the proper tools is another reason for many of the injuries that find their way into casualty departments each year.
Many DIY stores now stock free leaflets and brochures which tell you how to do a variety of common tasks and jobs around the home. Make sure you pick these up; some stores even do demonstrations.
You can also go online to find out how to do the job you have in mind. And if you can practise before you do the real thing – such as tiling on a piece of board first to get the hang of it before tackling the wall – so much the better.