What Projects Should I Never DIY?

Replacing, repairing, or installing new plumbing pipe is an expert job best left to professionals. (Dreamstime/TNS)

By Angie Hicks From Ask Angi

We all love the occasional DIY project, but did you know some DIY projects can cause more harm than good?

While some DIY mistakes are harmless, others can cause injury or costly repairs. In fact, some pros have told us they often see people spending more money to fix a mistake than it would have cost to hire a professional in the first place.

Here’s a look at some home projects you should never do yourself:

Electrical

Never attempt to do electrical work yourself. You can either injure yourself or you could cause a fire. Even for the smallest electrical jobs, I would encourage you to bring in a professional. Most electrical jobs require specific training and certification and many larger ones require that permits be pulled as well. Even if you do the job correctly, the lack of a permit could come up during an inspection when it’s time to sell the house.

Plumbing

While you can DIY a clogged drain or faucet replacement, you should leave more complicated plumbing work to the pros. Home plumbing systems run on a complicated ecosystem of flow, gravity, venting and air pressure to send everything where it’s supposed to go. It takes an expert eye to add onto or try to repair that system. And if water damage gets out of control, as it can very easily, you can rack up a lot of repair bills quickly.

Gas Appliances

Natural gas is an incredibly useful tool; it can also pose one of the most hazardous home problems. Stay away from any projects that involve gas lines, like repairs on your gas appliances, and leave that work to qualified professionals.

Structural Work

If your project involves structural work, like moving a load-bearing wall, you always want to bring in a contractor. That is not something you want to do yourself because you could damage your home and put your family at risk. Quite often, even an experienced contractor will turn to a structural engineer to be sure they know they’re doing it correctly.

Roofing

Roofing projects are inherently dangerous, and professionals use a variety of tools and training to prevent slips and falls while they’re on top of your home. You’re putting yourself at risk if you try to do this yourself. Also, roofing work is important and delicate. Even a small leak can cause a lot of water damage.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

You should also leave HVAC work to the pros. These are some of the most intricate systems in your home, and even minor errors can lead to catastrophic results. For example, air conditioning refrigerant is dangerous to handle, and the work involved with ductwork is very intricate. All this is best left to a professional.

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