One of the greatest rewards of home ownership is the satisfaction that comes with rolling up your sleeves and tackling a few DIY projects around the house. But no matter how many YouTube videos you watch, there are some jobs that the average homeowner isn’t ready to tackle. Here are a few home repairs best left to the professionals.
#1. Electrical Work
Electricity is our friend, and we’re all very grateful to have it in our homes, but let’s be honest; how much does the average person really know about electrical wiring and how it works. If not handled correctly, working with electricity can be very dangerous. The electrical outlets in homes carry enough electrical current to cause serious injuries and even death. In fact, electrocution is a leading cause of workplace fatalities.
In addition to the risk of electrocution, faulty electrical work can also lead to house fires. For electricity to work safely in a home, the current must be very carefully controlled. When wires are not installed properly, it can lead to exposed or melted wires. These wires can lead to a short circuit and an increase in the risk of a costly, and dangerous, fire. Yikes!
#2. Roofing Repairs
Roof repairs are tricky and there’s no way of knowing that you did it wrong until it’s too late. Although it may look like laying shingles is easy, a roofing system is actually fairly intricate. A roof is made up of several layers and unless you are familiar with how those layers work together, its very easy to end up doing more damage. Improperly laid shingles can cause bigger leaks and, in some cases, void your warranty!
Also roof repairs, as with electrical work, can be dangerous. Consider this, one third of all construction fatalities are caused by someone falling off a roof. And those are the professionals who know what they’re doing. If you’re on a roof and don’t feel a little nervous, you shouldn’t be on the roof.
#3. Replacing Gas Appliances
Gas leaks are no joke. Besides the obvious risk of explosion, exposure to natural gas can cause serious respiratory problems. Improperly installed gas appliances are a major cause of home gas leaks. The biggest problem with this project is that there is no margin for error. Everything has to be done right, from fitting the hoses to how carefully the appliance is moved back into place.
So when it comes to home repairs put up your own fence, lay your paver stones, and change our the draw pulls; but leave the dangerous jobs to the professionals.