We live in an era where we are being encouraged to do everything ourselves. Tools are readily available and affordable, and all we have to do is go to YouTube to have some “expert” explain how it is done. Unfortunately, this has given us a false sense of knowledge and experience. There is a reason why people have to study to become electricians, roofers, builders, and so on. So what are some of the things that, no matter how many YouTube videos you may have watched, you should leave well alone?
- Electrical Work
Replacing that old brass ceiling fan, or putting a dimmer switch on your wall, is absolutely fine. Just make sure you switch the mains off first, and you’re good to go. However, if you want to add a new electrical circuit, or update an existing one, get the professionals to do it for you. Similarly, if you have a broken appliance and it runs on electricity (or on gas, for that matter!), call in the professionals like Service Force appliance repairs. It’s just not worth doing it yourself, considering it could actually cost you your life.
- Plumbing
Again, there are plenty of plumbing-related things, like putting in a toilet or replacing a faucet, that you can do yourself. However, if you want to change the heating system or water supply lines, or do anything that involves soldering or managing copper pipes, you need to get the professionals in. The risk? You could not just completely flood your property, you could set it on fire as well. Even missing a microscopic gap could lead to your entire property being under water.
- Tree Cutting
In some countries, petrol chainsaws can only be purchased by producing a license that demonstrates you are trained in it. Electric chainsaws, which also present quite a few dangers, can be purchased in any hardware store. If you are dealing with a tree that cannot be taken down with an electric chainsaw, leave it alone and phone an arborist. Some of the dangers you can face include kickback (where the chainsaw bounces off the tree and hits you in the forehead, resulting in death), lost limbs, trees falling in the wrong direction and destroying property or killing people, fires, and more.
- Roofing
People often think that roofing is easy, because they have seen movies like The Shawshank Redemption, where the prisoners roof in the blazing sun, enjoying a cold beer at the same time. Real roofing is very different, however. It is a precision job and if you do things wrong, you could damage the structural integrity of your property. Not just that, you’re working up a height on an angle, and the danger of falling is very real.
- Removing Walls
A lot of people want to open up their homes. They would like walls between living and dining rooms and kitchens removed, for instance. While it may seem as simple as taking a sledgehammer to the wall you want taking out, you could accidentally hit a load bearing wall and your whole house would collapse. Not just that, there’s pipes and electric wires to deal with as well. It is no surprise that you generally need a permit to take out a wall inside your house!
