diy is not hard just scary

[intellectsucks]

Here are recently completed or in process diy projects that I did that were so easy I couldn't imagine paying someone to do it.

Painting my bathroom. Took two days, most of that was sanding off old paint from cabinet doors and shelves.  Without those it took about 3 hours. Seriously if your arms and legs work and you hire a painter then you need the hardest face punch in the worst way. (Sorry pro painters but I don't think your job should exist)

Replacing the ignition coil on my car. Took literally five minutes work. Saved $130 in labor costs.

Installing new click lock hardwood floors. The guy at home depot described it as the same as putting a puzzle together and he was right. I imagine if you're not too handy with saws then some practice first is a good idea but still super easy.

Pros: saved literally thousands of dollars. Impressed the ever loving shit out of my wife with my new manly skills. Increased the value of my house. Saved a lot of headache from the time my car would have been in the shop.

Cons: it did take a solid week to finish everything; I had already taken off of work to get it done. Using weekends it would have been probably 3-5. Had to deal with big increases in brain activity from doing actual human work instead of rewatching Entourage all that time. Figuring out what to do with all extra energy from robust physical activity and more sleep.  Now that I've done these it's made me confident that bigger jobs can be done too (ripping out the walls in the middle room, replacing the stairs, fixing the concrete porch); then I'll have to deal with even more brain activity and energy.

Seriously hiring someone to do all three of these would have been like hiring someone to do your walking for you. Yeah walking takes time and is sort of physical but it's not like you need to be moved around like a pharaoh.

Diy is not that hard: it's just scary. Maybe you're worried about screwing up or how long it will take or getting in over your head. DON'T WORRY. It's easier than you think.

What other projects were so easy you were shocked?

[MoneyCat]

I've been starting off with small stuff and then building myself up to larger projects.  I fixed a broken bathroom mirror hinge with epoxy, for example, and caulked the bathtub myself instead of hiring someone.  I'm starting to get into making my own toothpaste and deodorant instead of purchasing it at the store.  Small steps to bigger ones.  The biggest obstacle is getting over the fear of messing things up.  Even though everything in our society says the opposite, it really is okay to make mistakes.

[intellectsucks]

Moneycat-totally agree about mistakes.  Sometimes mistakes are better because you learn so much from them!!!

[FLBiker]

Last weekend I chisled out an old flange (cast iron / lead / concrete) that was wrecked by a root intrusion.  Saturday, my FIL and I are putting in a new own, pouring in concrete in the gap so that roots can't come back.  I was afraid of breaking something expensive, but I ended up with a clean, exposed (albeit 50 year-old) piece of cast iron pipe to work with.  I'm just glad I was able to do it w/out a jackhammer, because I don't need to retile.

Electrical stuff has also proven to be easier than I expected.  We did a laundry room renovation a couple of months ago, and I was very leery of adding junction boxes in the attic.  Wasn't a big deal.

In both of these cases, though, I definitely had to do it despite being afraid of screwing something up.  If I waited until I wasn't afraid to do it, I never would have done it.

[Syonyk]

Car maintenance.  I went from "can change the oil" to "rebuilding a Wankel rotary engine in the basement of the place I was staying for the summer" in about 2-3 years.  Having help for the first few projects is helpful, as is a car manual, then just... sort of do stuff that needs fixing.  I mostly maintain my own vehicles, though I have occasionally paid a shop to do things I don't want to do (running a new rear hard brake line, valve checks on one of my motorcycles).

I'm not looking forward to replacing the pilot seal on my rear differential, but that's mostly because used gear oil is one of the most vile smelling substances on the face of the planet.  I need to redo the wiring harness in one of the rear doors too - I should see if I can get a bunch of properly banded auto wiring so I can do it right.

[kendallf]

I have been doing everything possible myself for so many years that I don't exactly feel scared to try a new job, I just know that there will be imperfections or things to do over.  I try to estimate the manual skill required and the possible negative consequences of the inevitable mistake, then work to minimize these.

What I feel more than anything these days is often a tired sense of "yes, I've done that before so now I know what will hurt and how long I will fuss over the parts that I am not gifted at." 

[Kaspian]

Very good post!  Last year I decided to do a DIY tile backsplash in my kitchen.  I asked about it here and then watched lots of YouTube tutorials on tiling.  I rent this place (from a slumlord) so screwing it up scared the hell out of me.  I bought the supplies with confidence but when I added the first big gob of mastik to the wall the first thing I thought was, "Oh, shit--this is going to be bad!!  I don't know what I'm doing!  I'm going to get in so much trouble and the cleanup will be brutal!"  That gob of mastic was like spreading bubblegum, it terrified me.  But once I got the area covered, levelled, and added the first three tiles I though, "Woah, this is going fairly nicely after all."  It came out WAY better than I could have hoped.  Friends who come over and see it for the first time compliment me on the job.

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/diy-backsplash/

[Cwadda]

You're right! As you build confidence you get better and can apply that knowledge to other projects. Even something as simple as building a shelf or replacing an electrical socket makes for good DIY intellectual growth.

[Pigeon]

I agree with you about the floors, we've done that.  Dh will do some minor car stuff.

For painting, I mostly agree, but we have an intractable problem and I'm just about ready to hire a pro.  We have a couple of interior walls where the paint will start cracking and peeling almost immediately after painting.  They are interior, with no plumbing behind them and no moisture issues at all.   Every DIY board where I have asked about this, I get told it's a moisture problem, but it is absolutely not.

We have scraped them, sanded them, and primed them, yet still they crack.  The surfaces on the wallboard on the other side of the cracking walls are just fine.

I am at the end of my rope and am ready to pay somebody to fix them.

[Jack]

For painting, I mostly agree, but we have an intractable problem and I'm just about ready to hire a pro.  We have a couple of interior walls where the paint will start cracking and peeling almost immediately after painting.  They are interior, with no plumbing behind them and no moisture issues at all.   Every DIY board where I have asked about this, I get told it's a moisture problem, but it is absolutely not.

We have scraped them, sanded them, and primed them, yet still they crack.  The surfaces on the wallboard on the other side of the cracking walls are just fine.

I am at the end of my rope and am ready to pay somebody to fix them.

Are these walls drywall, plaster, or something else? Are the cracks crazing, spalling, or structural (e.g. horizontal / vertical cracks along a drywall sheet edge, or big jagged cracks in plaster)?

Have you tried a really good primer (e.g. Kilz) and/or using oil-based instead of latex (or vice-versa)?

If the cracks are structural, make the structure stop moving. Otherwise, try different kinds of primer / paint until you find something that works. If all else fails, install 1/4" drywall over it and paint that.

[zolotiyeruki]

Oh, how I agree!  Once you've done it once, it's no longer an unknown, so much of the fear disappears.

And truthfully, once you get down to it, most things are a lot simpler than they initially appear to be.  Changing a timing belt on a car, for example--it's one of the most expensive maintenance items people regularly encounter.  And there are a fair number of steps.  But once you've done it and understand how all the parts work together, it's no big deal.

One of my "to do once I'm retired" goals is to design and build our retirement home.  Yes, there's a lot to know about it, but none of it is super complex.

I'm reminded of an old quote--"Hard work seldom kills a man, but it sure scares a lot of 'em!"

[sleepyguy]

That's the nice thing about picking up a 'fixer-upper' home.  Our last 3 homes have been the WORST house on the block pretty much.  For me it's basically avoiding the "high professional skill jobs" or the "dangerous" jobs... within reason.  I have no issues redoing gas fittings or adding an electrical outlet.  I agree, take on the easy jobs first... you will gain confidence and tackle larger jobs later.  If you are afraid, hire a contractor friend and shadow his work and ask questions.  Hey usually have very good tips on what and what-not to do.  As always safety first.

For me it's basically (for home),

DIY
- basic framing, basic electrical, basic plumbing, basic tiling, basic drywalling, painting, trimming
- any lowvoltage wiring (I do this at work so it's a no-brainer)
- hardwood flooring
- basic roof/fixing patching

Pros/Contracted out
- replacing entire electrical panel (VERY dangerous), or major electrical replacement
- large drywall/finishing job... i don't have the skill or patience
- major framing, structural building out
- major plumbing overhaul, mainstack or entire house
- replacing HVAC
- granite cut/installs

[clarkfan1979]

I replaced the starter on my car about 6 months ago. Instead of $527, it was $127 doing it myself. I did scrape up my hands a little. It took me about 2 hours including watching the youtube video.

[Hadilly]

I am fortunate to have a father who knows a lot about construction. Last Tuesday we ripped out the bathroom. Thursday we ordered the toilet and counter, did some new lights too. Tuesday, I'll learn how to use a jig saw, we'll redo the floor and molding. Thursday, pick up and install the new toilet, counter, fan, and faucet.  I am learning so much!

Next winter we are going to redo the kitchen floor.

With my father's encouragement, Mr. Hadilly and I installed our new kitchen lights.

With this current project, I love not paying for labor, spending time with my father, and learning a bunch in the process. Complete and total win all the way around.

[zolotiyeruki]

I replaced the starter on my car about 6 months ago. Instead of $527, it was $127 doing it myself. I did scrape up my hands a little. It took me about 2 hours including watching the youtube video.

I helped my boss do the same thing, with nearly equal savings, just a few months back.  He's not super mechanically inclined, but is fairly frugal, and I got to help him during work hours. :)

[kudy]

Rebuilding my shower wasn't too bad - just watch a lot of YouTube videos!

Next two big projects will probably be building myself a fancier bed frame (woodworking), and re-roofing my house; roofing can't be that difficult?

[Syonyk]

As long as the roof isn't really steep, roofing is hard, hot, work, but not difficult.

[pagoconcheques]

Seriously if your arms and legs work and you hire a painter then you need the hardest face punch in the worst way. (Sorry pro painters but I don't think your job should exist)

Long go I had a summer gig as the junior (read gofer) member of a house painting crew.  It really is all about preparation. After that, it's basically good paint, good brush, take your time. 

However, since I spent that summer 2-3 stories above the ground scraping and painting mostly eaves and old-style gutters, I have developed a severe distaste for long ladder work.  I'll climb a long extension ladder to replace a light bulb, but not do it all day for several days to paint the outside of my two-story house (three stories in the back due the elevation) or to paint the ceiling in our two-story entry hall.  No siree, not me.  So, yeah, DIY is not hard, just scary.  But if it's scary enough, just contract it out.

[Dr. Doom]

Nice observation, it is a bit scary at first.  First time I did tile I had to hammer out 1" squares in my bathroom, after which the place looked like a mini war zone, rubble everywhere.  We also found some of the concrete around the toilet drainpipe was cracked and unstable, had to remove it all and pour leveler prior to installing the new tile.   And about that tile:  Cutting with a wet saw can be a kind of nerve-wracking at first too, because I, like most people, enjoy having fingers.

But you get used to it fast, start trusting yourself, and your confidence goes up for every future project.  Good stuff.

[paddedhat]

Painting my bathroom. Took two days, most of that was sanding off old paint from cabinet doors and shelves.  Without those it took about 3 hours. Seriously if your arms and legs work and you hire a painter then you need the hardest face punch in the worst way. (Sorry pro painters but I don't think your job should exist)

There are always two sides to every coin. As a builder, I absolutely refused to allow my customers to paint their own new homes to "save a few bucks". The reason was simple, most folks, including you, have no idea what a talented, experienced painter can bring to the table. They think it's a piece of cake, until the trim they painted has a texture like corduroy and the stuff my guy did looks like glass. They think it will take a weekend, or two to paint a four bedroom house, even if they have no experience, no professional equipment, or even any idea how to open, mix, or strain, a five gallon bucket of paint. They have no idea that there are six sides of an interior door that need to be painted, or sealed, to keep the warranty in place. They have no idea that there can be well over a thousand feet of trim in a house, and if they want to see cabinet grade wood, that 1000ft+ needs a six or seven step process to make it look great, and may take a week of hard work.  I used the same painter for over two decades because the guy was extremely talented, and knew more about his trade than most others could ever hope to. I have shown a house where the chair rail brush cut-ins were so perfect that I had a realtor tell me that I was a liar, and that it was done with masking tape, since nobody holding a brush can do something that perfect.

OTOH, there is nothing wrong with small to moderate DIY paint jobs, if they are done well. OTOH, I have tried not to smile on more than one occasion when a friend or neighbor shows me the rooms that they have done and "save a ton on, since the painter was trying to rip me off".  Rooms with zebra stripes from poor roller work, paint slopped on the edges of trim, and my favorite, cut-ins at ceiling edges, where two colors meet, with an edge that looks like a wave coming in.

I have a huge respect for anybody that jumps out of their comfort zone, tries and succeeds at a new DIY endeavor an ends up satisfied, and well rewarded. That said, I have done everything except operating heavy equipment, and installing HVAC, and the biggest takeaway was a respect for the true pros that can do it quickly, competently, and make I look easy.

[zolotiyeruki]

I have a huge respect for anybody that jumps out of their comfort zone, tries and succeeds at a new DIY endeavor an ends up satisfied, and well rewarded. That said, I have done everything except operating heavy equipment, and installing HVAC, and the biggest takeaway was a respect for the true pros that can do it quickly, competently, and make I look easy.

That's a very good point.  My sister, who with her husband, two-handedly renovated a 3500 sq ft house and added another 1500 sq ft to it, even has limits.  Things she hires out:  drywall and masonry.

The trick really is to find those skilled craftsmen like the ones you've worked with.  Not just painters, but mechanics, plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, etc.  There are way too many painters out there who will charge an arm and a leg and do no better than the homeowner would.  It's hard to find the good ones unless you have friends in the construction industry.  I've found a good HVAC guy, and I'll be handling all my own plumbing and electrical when the time comes to finish our basement.  Still gotta find the good drywall/mud/tape guys and a good painter.

[thatbrowncat]

3 years ago, someone vandalized the wall outside our house (it was color white). It was a big vandal. I told my mom that we should hire someone to repay it. She just said "Yes."

A few days later, I discovered ANOTHER vandal outside our house. I sang my mom the same song, and she replied the same tune.

I had enough, so I bought white paint and a large brush AND painted the wall over the weekend. Our neighbor's kids also helped me.

That was the first Home Improvement DIY I did. The paint I bought didn't exactly match the original paint, but it was close enough :)

[Cressida]

There are always two sides to every coin. As a builder, I absolutely refused to allow my customers to paint their own new homes to "save a few bucks". The reason was simple, most folks, including you, have no idea what a talented, experienced painter can bring to the table. They think it's a piece of cake, until the trim they painted has a texture like corduroy and the stuff my guy did looks like glass. They think it will take a weekend, or two to paint a four bedroom house, even if they have no experience, no professional equipment, or even any idea how to open, mix, or strain, a five gallon bucket of paint. They have no idea that there are six sides of an interior door that need to be painted, or sealed, to keep the warranty in place. They have no idea that there can be well over a thousand feet of trim in a house, and if they want to see cabinet grade wood, that 1000ft+ needs a six or seven step process to make it look great, and may take a week of hard work.  I used the same painter for over two decades because the guy was extremely talented, and knew more about his trade than most others could ever hope to. I have shown a house where the chair rail brush cut-ins were so perfect that I had a realtor tell me that I was a liar, and that it was done with masking tape, since nobody holding a brush can do something that perfect.

hey paddedhat, if you happen to know any good painters in the Seattle area, let me know. We're going to need to repaint the interior at some point, and I might deserve a facepunch but I want it to look better than it would if I attempted it.

[intellectsucks]

Paddlehat, you make a great point but getting such high quality work is a real crap shoot.  A few points:

1.       Painting a newly constructed (or refinished) house is a different ball game than painting an older house.  New construction should be mostly free of minor problems and imperfections that need to be given extra work and attention, so it should be easier to get the fantastic finish in a short amount of time.  I might even agree with you about getting a pro for new construction.  In a house like mine, where there were a couple of different owners who did minor renovations and repainting, there are TONS of bumps ,bruises and other things that need to be corrected before taking paint to brush.  It seems to me that this work is arguably more important than the actual painting.  My bathroom was a perfect example of this: the previous owner had awful paint so globbed onto the woodwork that there was no way to get a smooth finish without taking it off.  Almost all of the time I spent redoing the bathroom was spent sanding it back down to the (mostly) bare wood.  If any painter would do that, it would cost an absolute FORTUNE in labor costs: totally not worth it.

2.       It seems to me that the time it would take to find a pro painter of the quality you described would take almost as much time as learning to paint at that quality yourself.  The threshold of entry to becoming a “pro” painter is very low, so there’s a lot of seven layer losers out there. Being able to see evidence of a residential painters skills before hiring them seems to be a real challenge too, so it’s tough to know what your final product will look like.

I’m not trying to say you’re wrong but would love to hear some of your thoughts on how to get that great quality given the above points.

Also, are there any existing threads that are a collection of tips and tricks for painting?  Basically a “how to” for first timers?

[paddedhat]

You are totally correct on #1. Prepping a really rough job can eat up tons of time, and may be a great use of semi-skilled labor. I grew up in a house like that, and there were two choices to end up with walls and ceilings that didn't look like hell. They either needed to be 100% skim coated with a layer of drywall mud, or they needed to be covered with thin drywall to provide a new start. Neither are easy, but skim coating is cheap, and doesn't take a lot of skill.

#2 is easy. Go to several places in your area that supply professional painters, and ask. A typical store manager at a paint supplier has a few good reasons to set you up with a competent professional, including moving product, and strengthening his relationship with his customer.