During Covid there was a pretty extreme lockdown in Ireland. Not able to leave your house or flat, you had two options, take the red or blue pill (if you are a Matrix fan).
I chose the red pill which in my case was to take up a hobby, Home DIY.
We had moved into a new house at the beginning of the lockdown and it needed a lot of attention. Tradesmen were like golddust and were impossible to get. I naturally turned to the Internet on my phone and Googling how to fix a sink, build a shelf, lay some tiles I was flooded with videos from tradesmen on youtube who made it all look super easy.
...
A couple of power tools later my house is full of holes, but I have gotten some skills and am getting better with each project.
Building photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com
This is the second post in a short 4 part series where I will share my experiences over the last two years and why I think some jobs should be left to the professionals but many jobs are very rewarding to try yourself.
- This post looks at some of the projects we undertook and you can see the results.
- The next post will cover the Essential Powertools which every DIY Enthusiast should consider.
- The fourth post will cover Tips. For regular folks to deal with trades people, when to call, what to look for, what to negotiate. It will also cover my top tips on what jobs to do before you move in.
Disclaimer
I was very careful to only attempt projects which were low risk (to my health). Nothing dangerous with electrical wiring or high ladders etc. I also stayed away from doing things at the weekend and on Fridays in case I needed to call a plumber in an emergency.
DIY and Leave it to the Professionals
In this post I will cover projects we have undertaken in the last 2 years and I will highlight which jobs I think are DIY and which ones I think you should leave to the professionals.
I'll also highlight some tools as we go along which really make much of this work accessible to the DIY enthusiast, but the next post will cover these in more detail.
Home DIY is all about having the right tool and letting the tool do the work.
In Ireland there are so many Hardware stores that are easily accessible. My advice is to stay away from Woodies and other chains and go straight to a builder providers and shop online at screwfix. Rent tools where possible for one off jobs. People at Builder providers can be very helpful if you don't go at the busy trade time (7-9 in the morning)
Exterior
I had many tasks to complete and I started outside to get some practice in.
Outside work is more forgiving. If you make a mistake it wont be as noticeable and probably won't cause any damage to an expensive household appliance or floors. Outside I got through the following tasks
- Laying Roll out Grass (Real or Fake)
- Emptying Old Oil Tanks
- Building Flower Units
- Filling Holes in Walls and the Ground with Sand and Cement
- Painting
- Rendering Walls
Laying Roll out Grass (Real or Fake)
I am an outdoors person, and top of my list was to make a welcoming outside area where I could sit with family and friends. Our house has a front and back garden so I decided to give it a makeover. This would be a quick win for the summer time.
This would not have been possible for me without the essential tools from the hire shop to start with
- The first job was to break a path that was no longer needed
This rented hammer drill made light work of the existing Concrete path and was well worth the rental to break through 40 year old solid concrete.
Be careful there are no pipes or wires underneath.
The next job was stripping and flattening the soil so I could lay the new rolled up grass
- I rented for a day a Rotavator and a Sod Cutter.
- The sod cutter took a layer off the top of the soil and let me roll it. I could then use the Rotavator to loosen and turn the soil.
I got the front and back done in one day. It was hard going but definitely doable for an amateur.
Why to DIY this job
What really made this a worthwhile DIY task was, as I was rotavating and putting down the grass, I got to pick up 40 years worth of waste; broken glass, nails, bottlecaps, plastic bags and really clean the soil.
Getting someone to do it and they probably wouldn't have even taken off the topsoil.
Before rolling the grass I had to make sure it was all level.
A Professional would have done a much better job here but I was happy with the result and over time the soil will settle. If I left any holes I will be able to fill it in later.
- I did the front garden too.
Why to DIY this job
Another big bonus of doing it yourself is you can search for the best quality materials and pay more if you like. Many landscape contractors will obviously be watching the bottom line and trying to save money where possible. I found a great provider of roll out grass in Wicklow and the finished product looked like this
The Verdict
Would I do it myself again?
Definitely yes but I would give myself more time, and be more vigilant of the weather. It was a marathon to get it finished but very pleased with the results.
Emptying an old oil tank.
When we moved in we switched to gas heating and I had some left over oil in the tank which we had to get rid of. I had all sorts of crazy ideas of getting drums, siphoning it out etc.
In the end I found a company that would take it. They turned up with a pump and had it emptied in a few minutes.
- They had the right tools for the job. Easy.
Leave it to the Professionals
Definitely leave this one to the professionals. I would have made a complete mess.
Building Flower Units
I built the following flower Unit with Decking Planks and some screws and of course a Circular Saw.
- It turned out very heavy but I made sure to have it supported on a flat Concrete Base to take the weight and Anchored it to the Wall so it wouldn't fall over.
- I used Lap Joints to support the load bearing structure.
Why to DIY this job
The reason to do this DIY is that you can get good quality Wood. Build it to Size and the style you want.
There is a bit of work here to make sure you get it structurally sound, but if your worried you can download plans from the internet. Just make sure to anchor to the wall. You don't want this falling on someone.
One learning here is the type of wood to use. I used Pressure Treated Decking. This is infused with a copper based chemical and probably would not be suitable for Edible Plants unless there is a barrier with the soil. (It's now a herb wall. I keep them in pots)
Filling Holes in Walls and the Ground with Sand and Cement
I couldn't believe how easy this was.
It may not last like a professional job but if it doesn't you can just mix some more.
You can buy pre mixed bags of Sand and Cement Mixed at the hardware store for 7 euro.
- All you need to do is add water in a bucket.
It's then easy to patch up any holes in walls or on the ground. I still need to paint this but you can see how doable this is.
Why to DIY this job
In a climate like Ireland cement is always cracking. Patching it is easy and with a lick of paint its like new. You don't need a builder for this. Just be sure to clean your tools after. It seems soft when you are putting it on but when it dries its as hard as concrete 😀
Exterior Painting
No indecision here from me. Leave this to the professionals. You need long ladders, the right paint and it can be quite a bit of work. Get a professional! They are cheap, there is little disruption to you as they will be outside and they will get the job done quickly.
Rendering Walls
Mixing Render and Rubbing it on a wall is fairly easy but its difficult to get a professional finish on your first go. You can see here my attempt on the right and a professional job on the left.
- Overall I would leave this one to the professionals. Its hard work and needs skill to get a flat smooth finish but for small jobs or touchups you can easily do it yourself.
Moving to the Interior of the House ...
On the interior I got through the following Tasks
- Painting (Walls, Ceilings, Cabinets, Floors)
- DIY Shelves and Tabletops
- Insulating the Attic
- Flooring the Attic
- Replacing a Sink Unit
Interior Painting
When it comes to interior painting, you can do it yourself. My thoughts are it will take longer, you probably won't get as professional a finish, but you can do it when suits you and your family. You can give as many coats as needed and let time for stuff to dry.
The likelihood though is that you won't take the time, and you wont give enough coats so probably best left to the professionals.
Some Paint Jobs I would highly recommend
Painting Kitchen Cabinets
If your cabinets are a wreck you can get Cabinet Paint which is one coat. It obviously wont look factory finished but is a great temporary solution.
Our kitchen cabinets were a laminated MDF and really looked terrible.
- The laminate was peeling off when we moved in. As a temporary fix, I peeled off the laminate , sanded and painted.
The Cabinet Paint transformed them into this
I also changed the highes. Cabinets come with a standard hinge thats easy and cheap to change if you have an electric screwdriver.
Why to DIY this job
I really rushed this so didnt get a great finish but it brightened up the kitchen and has kept us going. Ill try to get back to it this summer and do a proper job.
Floor Paint
In our case the stairs was very bad when we moved in. Obviously Carpet is the easy solution but a bit of floor paint gave a very nice job for a days work.
Why to DIY this job
Again I rushed this one, it needed more coats and in some places probably needed some primer to hold it firm. But for about 30 Euro gave me a new stairs. Ill repaint this summer and get a few coats in.
The verdict
Interior Painting is not as clear-cut as exterior for me. There are big pros and cons to doing it yourself. Maybe one to leave to the professionals?
What do you think?
Shelves and Table Tops
I can't believe what a coat of varnish does to a plank of wood. It utterly transforms it.
These shelves turned our very well with a bit of glue, sanding with an electric sander and a few coats of varnish.
The difficult pieces are the wall mounts which take a bit of skill. You can also just buy pre made wall mounts in wood or metal.
Why to DIY this job
You can buy shleves online and in hardware stores which look great. For the money they are quite expensive. and often are just made with MDF. And you cant really cut them without wrecking the paint.
If you have built up your skills in the garden building planters its very easy to make professional looking shelves.
Getting nice edges on them is the key to making them look good. This was achieved with a router and Orbital Sander which I will cover in the next post.
Insulating the Attic
My attic space had very thin, really old Insulation. I suited up and bagged it. I then bought rolls of really think insulation and rolled it out.
Why to DIY this job
There are a couple of ways you could do this. If you are well protected with masks etc this work is fine to do yourself. You can do it properly, take your time and clean out any old materials.
The risk with getting a cowboy to do this is they will just roll the new insulation over the dirt. they wont leave space for airflow. The attic is a central point in your house for airflow and having it cleaned is worth it long term. You dont want mold problems or condensation. You wont see these for months or years if the materials are not laid properly. Not an easy job but worth it in the long run.
Flooring in the Attic
You can by OSB (Orientated Strand Board) for very cheap. This comes with tongue and groove cuts so they clip together, just like laminate flooring. It's easy to lay down and you can screw it into the joists in your attic to secure it giving you ample floor space for storage.
The added benefits here are improved insulation, and bracing of the attic joists which is a plus.
Why to DIY this job
This is very expensive to get done for the amount of work. A few square meters is a few hundred euros.
I would highly recommend tackling the attic as you gain a new floor in your house for storage. You can also add to it over time as your storage needs grow. And they will!
Replacing a Sink Unit
A Sink Has two pipes connected to the tap, and an outlet pipe. If you have the right tools you can buy a unit online and its quite doable to replace. Even just replacing the taps can transform a sink.
Why to DIY this job
You will just make a mess without the right tools but I would highly recommend trying this yourself. The tools are cheap and there are just a few key ones.
My experience is that each job is quite specific. You might need a specific part which you can order online or get in the store
but invariably when professional plumbers come they will just use whatever they have to fix the problem. If they need to get through a press they will cut it rather than moving it etc.
Plumbing is often in hard to reach places and takes time to get done. the filp side is you can do a lot of damage quite easily if you do it wrong. A leaking pipe can be costly, so start small. Start with easy safe jobs and build up your skills.
Definitely worth getting handy here and building your skills.
Oh and use Silicone even if you think a joint is sealed, water always finds a way through
Other Jobs done during Covid to definitely leave to the Professionals (Indoors and Outdoors)
These other jobs below I would leave to the professionals. After seeing a professional at work, definitely worth paying for. You need more than the right tools for these!
I got the following done
- New Doors and windows
- New Paving
- Fitted Wardrobes
Doors & Windows
As an amateur unlikely something you would try yourself but If this scares you then leave it to the professionals. I am glad I did!
Paving / Patio
This is something many people try themselves. The chain hardware stores provide materials and make it look easy in videos.
Even when the professionals turned up with this digger it looked easy.
- A few burst pipes later I was glad it was not me driving!
Leave to the Professionals
Getting the finish smooth and flat is tough work and skilled work. Dont try this at home.
Fitted Wardrobes
DIY Ikea is great but getting a professional job here is worth it. Not one wall is straight in the house I live in. Ikea furniture doesnt fit to the wall. You need a professional fitter.
Not that expensive either, considering it will last and it all gets sorted in a day, no stress.
Home DIY Series
In the month of January I am sharing some of my lockdown experiences from my projects in my home and why I think certain projects can be tried yourself (DIY) while others should be left to the professionals. Join me and please share your experiences in the comments.
What jobs would you try yourself?, be honest what have you made a mess of?
The next post will cover essential Home DIY Power Tools. Power tools make many projects accessible to someone who is willing to do some research and build their skills over time (with the help of youtube) but you only really need 2.
The last post will cover Tips. For regular folks to deal with trades people, when to call, what to look for, what to negotiate. It will also cover my top tips on what jobs to do before you move in.
This post is my daily contribution to a challenge by @dragosroua to "publish a meaningful post every day of January"
Who's Up For A January Writing Streak?