With step-by-step guides on how to install available on the internet, and home building warehouses offering tips and courses, Do It Yourself (DIY) home improvement can seem like a viable option for cash strapped home owners. Make sure that it gets done right the first time by following these tips.
Take the Time Needed
Rather than simply looking ahead to the weekend and assuming that a project can be completed in a day, be sure to allow plenty of time to complete the job. Read and reread the instructions. Be sure to ask at the supplier or showroom the material is coming from for any tips or a demonstration on installing it properly, and practice, practice, practice before getting started on the real thing.
If installing a tile floor, practice cutting the tiles and using the wet saw. Do a dry layout and determine where the cut pieces will go before getting started. If painting a room, take the time to tape off windows and woodwork, and be sure the color is what is expected by painting a small piece of poster board first, and looking at in all lights and areas of the room.
Be sure to understand the entire process from beginning to end, and have a game plan in place for each step. If a guide on how to install a toilet seems unclear in places, take a look at another one. Don’t assume that everything will become clear once the project is underway.
Measure Twice and Cut Once
When finally beginning the job, go slowly and double check the work as each step is completed. It’s easier to fix a mistake caught early, than one not caught until the end. If this means that more time is going to be required for the project, than allow for it. Assuming that the 20th cut made will be easier than the first may mean that the 21st becomes a mistake. Don’t rush and find that the job needs to be removed and redone at twice the expense and amount of time.
Know When to Ask for Help
If suddenly stuck and unsure of how to continue, don’t merely keep muddling through and hoping for the best; ask for assistance. Return to the location you bought the product and explain what’s happening. Most showrooms and lumber yards would rather help deal with the problem while it's small than take a panicked phone call when nothing can be done to fix it but starting over.
Enlist the aid of a family member or neighbor. Even if they have no experience, a fresh pair of eyes and point of view may suddenly make the problem seem clear.
If still encountering problems, call a professional. It will cost less to get the job done right than it will to clean up mistakes and possible damage caused by forging ahead.
Remember to take pride in the work being done, and to sit back and enjoy the process. Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and the skills learned by taking the time will help to ensure that these types of repairs can continue to be DIY for years to come.
Sarabeth Asaff - Sarabeth Asaff is a freelance writer and artist with a passion for cooking and good food. Growing up in the kitchen of her Lebanese ...
