6 DIY jobs best left to the professionals
Anyone who's botched a seemingly simple DIY job will know the humiliation of calling a professional in to fix it up.
Jeremy Wyn-Harris from Builder's Crack says two-thirds of the posts seeking professional help on his site are from people who've either mucked a job up or underestimated the time needed to finish it properly. Undertake these common tasks with caution:
1. Flat pack assembly
There's a reason why this task is said to be a relationship-tester - it requires plenty of patience and calm communication to see it through to the end. Simply reading the instructions can be a real puzzle, as can identifying the microscopic differences between screw A and screw B.
Wyn-Harris says it's one of the common things people require expert help with. "Part assembled flat-pack kitchens and wardrobes are something we often see. People think it's just a matter of a screw here and there but they are notoriously complicated."
Even if you're an experienced flat-packer, one small misstep can require a lot of time spent retracing your steps. Not to mention if there's a vital piece missing that's not discovered until the crucial moment.
2. Plastering
Common mistakes include mixing the plaster badly, taking too long so it dries and applying it too thickly, requiring hours of sanding to fix. Ceilings and tight spots around things like window frames and light switches are especially tricky.
Watch an expert do it lightening fast and you'll wonder why anyone else would ever attempt it.
3. Tiling
Troubles with tiling can start before you've even left the shop. Accurately measuring the space and estimating the quantity of tiles required is difficult unless you know exactly where cuts should be made.
Underestimating the quantity required can be disastrous as there are often differences between batches, while overestimating is a total waste of money as most tile shops don't accept returns.
Then there's the fact that many tiles by their nature have slight variations in colour and size. Only expert tilers know how to blend them seamlessly.
Wyn-Harris says tiling is 'incredibly difficult.' "We see a lot of people getting into trouble with waterproofing and tiling, and they're things that need to be done right."
4. Painting
Anyone can run a roller over a wall, but can they handle the hours of tedious prep it takes to successfully paint a room? Most surfaces require cleaning, scraping, sanding, taping and patching before you get to the fun part.
You'll also need to master the art of cutting-in, which requires a steady hand, a keen eye and an intimate knowledge of how your brush 'fans'.
Wyn-Harris says it's a classic example of a job that is "either way harder to get the right result, or takes way longer than you'd expect."
5. Floor sanding
Drum sanders are cumbersome machines that can only be moved in a constant forward motion in the direction of the grain or else they'll gouge and scratch your floor.
They also don't get into edges or corners so you need two other separate sanders for those jobs (an edging sander and a detail sander), as well as a stock of all the different sandpaper grits and shapes that are required for each one.
This, coupled with the noise and dust mean that this could be a job left to the professionals.
6. Tree removal
Felling large trees is hazardous work, that should only be attempted under expert guidance. But the root systems of even small trees can run surprisingly deep and make wrestling stumps from the ground backbreaking work.
You need to be careful about the location of pipes and services before digging, and understand that the huge pile of debris you're left with at the end will look far bigger than when it was upright.
Watch a professional chop down a tree and grind the stump away in under an hour you'll realise all your sweat and effort could be put to much better use.
Written by Katie Newton. Republished with permission of Stuff.co.nz.