20 Home Repairs To Leave To The Pros
With the right tool kit and DIY spirit, there are all sorts of renovations, repairs and home improvement projects you can tackle. This is true for all sorts of projects, but not necessarily everything. While you might be eager to make every repair a DIY opportunity, there are some projects you should leave to the pros.
Electrical repairs, or those involving natural gas should always involve someone who is well-versed with these types of jobs. Asbestos removal and pest infestations also require professional help.
Read our complete list of 20 jobs you should leave to professionals to remind yourself that it’s okay to ask for licensed help when a project is outside your comfort zone.
20 Home Repairs You Should Leave To Professionals
Roofing Work
There is a reason roofing companies exist. Roofing work is complicated and hard work. In fact, depending on your home, it might not be a good idea for anyone but an expert to even stand on your roof. So, if you need your roof patched or completely replaced, be safe and hire a professional roofer.
Projects That Require Permits/Licenses
Some home repairs and improvements require special permits or licenses. If you don’t have the license required to perform a certain job, you will obviously need to hire someone who does.
If a job requires a permit, you might be able to perform the work yourself, but a professional can guarantee the work is done properly. This will save you headaches and potentially having to do the job over.
Electrical Work
Electrical work, especially anything complex, should always be performed by a professional. This work often involves handling many wires. One little error can cause significant damage to your home, and can even be a fire hazard. Not to mention, working with electricity is also dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.
Water Heater Installation
Water heaters are large machines that deal with electricity, water and sometimes even natural gas. You might be able to remove an old machine and lug a new one into the home. But when it comes to installing a new water heater, call up someone who has done it before and knows what he or she is doing.
Complex Plumbing Jobs
Some plumbing jobs, like clogged drains and small pipe leaks, can be fixed in a DIY fashion. But larger plumbing jobs should be left to expert plumbers. Jobs involving burst pipes, installing new pipe or underground work are all best left to the pros.
If the project involves anything outside your toolbox or comfort zone, call the plumber.
HVAC Repair
You should be able to maintain your air filters and check on your HVAC system yourself. But installing or repairing the system is a very different story. HVAC systems vary from product to product, and they are complex machines.
If you do faulty DIY work, it can end up costing you more money than if you had just hired a professional to begin with.
Floor Replacement
Adding onto an existing floor, and altering it are DIY projects. But if you want to rip out an old floor and install a new one, you should really consider enlisting some help. The project might involve some expensive tools, lots of labor and time that you might not have. It might cost you a pretty penny, but you will still have your sanity.
Gas Appliance Repair And Installation
Electricity is not the only type of repair that can be dangerous. Any time there is a project involving connecting, disconnecting or messing with natural gas, consider enlisting help.
Natural gas is no joke. You might even think you installed something perfectly, but you might have caused a tiny gas leak. Hiring a professional allows you to rest easy knowing there are no gas issues in your home.
Chimney Repair
Chimneys are awkward spaces. In order to repair or clean a chimney, you usually need specialty equipment.
Chimney repair and cleaning also usually involves prolonged periods on the roof. And, all chimneys are unique. Unless you have cleaned or fixed a chimney before, call someone who fixes chimneys for a living instead.
Ceiling Fan Installation
At face value, you might think that replacing a ceiling fan is just like changing out a light fixture. But ceiling fans involve much more complicated wiring, especially since they are multi-level devices that have several functions.
Combine this with the fact that a poorly installed ceiling fan can cause serious injury or even death down the line, you might want to reconsider this project as a DIY one. Instead, consider hiring a helper.
Flooding Issues
Sometimes flooding happens out of the blue and is easily cleaned up. But in many cases, flooding in your basement has a much larger and more complicated origin. The reason could be poor underground drainage, problems with your foundation or other structural issues.
If you can’t find the simple solution to your flooding problem, you should really call in a professional. Prolonged flooding will continue to damage your home and cause you problems.
Wall-To-Wall Carpeting
Some carpet projects are completely within the DIY wheelhouse. But major wall-to-wall carpeting is an entirely different scale. Wall-to-wall carpeting is often a job that requires several people. The product installation and prep work involved is also often more complicated than just tacking in the carpet. Consider hiring flooring professionals for this to ensure the carpet isn’t loose or sloppy.
Pest Infestation Removal
A few cockroaches or one random mouse is an issue you can probably handle on your own. An infestation is a whole different story. Insect and other pest infestations almost always require professional assistance.
Some bugs, like bed bugs and termites, require a home to be tented and treated over the course of several days. Neglecting or DIYing this issue will only cause the problem to grow.
Interior Demolition Work
Picking up a sledgehammer might seem fun and even therapeutic. There are times when you can do your own demolition work. But when it comes to knocking down walls in your home, you should leave this to the pros. You never know what lies underneath those walls, or how they will fall.
You can consider doing some initial work but leaving the complicated demolition to professionals.
Window Replacement
If you crack your window, there are ways you can fix the window in many circumstances. But replacing entire windows, especially throughout the home, is something you should hire a professional to do. There are several benefits to this.
For one, professionally installed windows are usually more secure and have better insulation. This, in the end, will save you in energy costs. Professionally installed windows also usually come with a great extended warranty. This means that while you pay a lot up front, they are guaranteed for many years.
Asbestos Removal
Asbestos is a harmful material with serious consequences. It can cause several forms of cancer and other major health issues. This alone should be reason enough to hire a professional who knows how to deal with asbestos safely. Also consider that asbestos is most dangerous when inhaled, which is significantly more likely during the removal process.
Drywall Finishing
Drywall repair and even hanging drywall are possible DIY projects. But finishing or “mudding” the drywall is a complex and messy process. Many people say that the art of drywall finishing takes years to perfect.
So, if you think you are going to do a perfect job on your first try, you are likely setting yourself up for failure. Instead, consider hanging the drywall yourself and doing most of the prep work. This way you are only paying a professional to do the work outside your comfort zone.
Exterior Painting
Painting a bedroom is one thing. Painting your entire two-story home’s exterior is a whole different experience. You can paint your home’s exterior yourself, but it is a major undertaking. It requires more tools and skill than interior painting. It is also a project that requires precise timing with weather, and can take many days, or even weeks, to complete. In most cases, hiring a painter is usually the better choice for this type of project.
Tree Removal
If a tree falls by your house, you might think this is the perfect time to reach for your chain saw and get to work. Sure, you can probably do some productive work with a chainsaw, but other tree removal projects should only be done by professionals.
If you don’t know what you are doing, you can cause a tree to fall on your home or electrical lines. You might even try and remove a tree only to have it slam down into your neighbor’s yard. Hire a professional to take down the big trees.
Foundation And Structural Repairs
The foundation of your home is what the rest of the structure relies on. Therefore, any issue with the foundation could end up rippling throughout the home. You need to address foundation issues immediately.
This is especially true for anything major that affects the home’s structural integrity. Unless you are well versed on structural engineering and home foundations, you need to call in a professional to solve the problem. Otherwise, the problem could get worse. These issues are far too major to risk messing up.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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