Are you a DIY'er

[mobiledynamics]

Some things are totally out of my scope and I'll let a pro handle it.

It all boils down to time and between a flooded basement and a bathroom remodel, I wish I had the time to do it all. I've got both a Target and Dewalt wetsaw in the garage, all the tools to do the job right.

Just had a plumber do some work that was beyond me...adding a checkvalve to the sewer, routing some cast iron pipes, removing some stubborn old ones that were filled with lead . All in all, it was 8 hrs of work, 2 guys and a 3rd guy taking the place of the 2nd guy in the afternoon. Work looks nice and neat but had it been me (post inspection) I would have used Made in USA Fernco no hub shielded fittings, USA cast iron pipe, etc. All of the stuff they used was offshore -- not sure of the checkvalve.

It took me 2 weekends but I ended up replumbing the laundry room on both water and waste feeds---- all with domestic made copper / cast iron/pvc, usa apollo ball valves, quality Canadian made angle stops, etc. Sure, it did take me some extra trips as to the supply store as the last time I took on a plumbing project of this nature was 10 years ago, and I had to scratch my head a couple times figure out where the WYE goes, and where the T on the vent would best be placed, etc....

Just curious how many of ya'll prefer a DIY and why.

 

[pro machine Engineering]

I work for myself out of the shop behind the house. I try to do what I can to fix things on my own as needed, However, If I got work in the shop that needs done and it pays better than what I can hire someone to come fix the problem at home I pay to have them come in. No since in a dollar waiting on a dime.especially if they can do in a couple hours what would take me most of the day

 

[Zeke]

Echo ProEng. For a long time I did everything and everything took a long time.

 

[machine_punk]

There is almost nothing I won't try to do at least once. I just got finished painting the outside of the house (never done that before). I hated it, but the price of paying someone to paint your house is unbelievable (and I ended up with new ladders and tools as part of the deal

There are a couple of things I just really don't know anything about, and I will hire a pro in a minute...HVAC comes to mind. I just don't get it...really.

I'll do the basics on cars, like brake pads, new plugs, replacing u-joints, the occasional fuel pump, etc...but I am not a mechanic by any stretch. The problem is that I don't know what the problem is...I cannot easily diagnose the problems with cars. Once I know what the problem is, I am very mechanically inclined and can do the repair. I had an electrical problem with a van I bought...I spent quite a few dollars in new batteries, etc., until I finally took it to the shop and found out it was the voltage regulator. I would have never found that problem, but I could have probably fixed it, once I knew what the problem was.

I use YouTube a LOT for figuring out new things...like rebuilding the carb on a mower or replacing U-joints, or changing brake pads. Didn't know how to any of those, until I saw it on a video...then I went out and completed the jobs flawlessly...and saved A TON of money in the process.

 

[zmotorsports]

Yep. I am a DIY'er here. My wife and I bought our home as a new/existing home in 1991 but all of the upkeep/repairs and upgrades have been done by us. We did a complete remodel in 2009, including new paint, fixed a few dings in the walls from when our son was younger, new carpet/padding, restained the bathroom and kitchen cupboards and installed hardwood floors in the kitchen. We started on it the weekend prior to Thanksgiving in 2009 and it took me until mid-January to complete. That was working on it every waking moment that I was not at work each day and all weekend every weekend. I also did absolutely no work in the shop for this time period.

In the spring of 1995 I started getting quotes to build our 34'x34' shop and was absolutely amazed at what kind of money we were looking at, especially when I requested that the insulation be upgraded and extra concrete in the flooring plus having the interior completely finished including mud/paint and all of the electrical that I wanted it to have. In the end I built the entire shop by myself with the help of my brother-in-law except for the concrete work. We started the weekend after July 4th, 1995 and I was moving equipment in on Halloween weekend.

This past December I had a water leak from a faucet in the master bathroom shower and removed the sub-floor, removed the sheetrock, repaired the leak and repaired and repainted the bathroom as well as upgraded the flooring in the master bathroom and the main bathroom.

I can spin a wrench all day long and be perfectly happy but I HATE carpentry work. I would much rather hire it out, however, I just don't trust anyone to do it the way I want it done.

On one occassion this past spring, I hired a project out. I needed to install a new roof on my house as it was getting up there in age. I was gathering samples and prices for the materials when a guy we do quite a bit of work with at work informed me that he and his son's do residential roofing work on the side. I really like this gentleman and he has done a great job for us at work. I asked him to give me a quote to do our roof. When it was all said and done he did our complete roof on our house for about $1300.00 more than it would have cost me for just the materials. I also figured it would take me about two weeks to do my roof in the evenings and he and his kids could have it done in two days.

I had them install the new roof and it turned out great. Probably better than I could have done it and a hell of a lot faster. In the 20+ years of being in our home that is the only job I have hired out.

Mike.

On edit, I should note that being a mechanic I perform ALL auto related repairs on our vehicles/toys.

 

[bobemmerich]

I AM . This includes auto repairs. The problem being it takes me 2-3 times as long to do it. I work 50 hrs/wk and have a 2 hour commute everyday, so when I get home, I pretty much don't wanna do much. I will admit my own competencies. I will do pretty much everything except my roof, siding and replacing a furnace. My house was built in 1920, and we have gut the entire house, new sheetrock, wiring, plumbing, windows, doors, flooring, trim, etc. The only things I hired out so far was the boiler and the siding. The boiler I didn't know much about at the time (7 years ago), and I don't have the ladders/scaffold/trim brake to do siding. I have not as of yet tried any masonry projects, so who knows how I would do at that. I would learn by doing it-If my retaining wall comes down after a couple years, I just learned how NOT to do it. I just can't stand to hire someone to do something I could do myself, unless it's specialized.

 

[action fab]

I can't say I really ever hire out much of anything... I try to keep everything in house. I have a very good background though. I'm 23. I'm ASE certified, I've been fabricating and have been building race cars, rock crawlers, and doing gerneral automotive work for 10 years now. I can do just about anything auto related. I tried my hand at upholstery and kinda **** in that department. Not a great painter but I can do it, and have pained a few vehicles. I'm also pretty good at body work. I worked for my dads investment company when house flipping was big back around 1998-2003. Learned a ton about wiring and carpentry there. My step dad does wood working and makes fine furniture/cabinets now that he is retired. So that aids in my knowlege even further. I helped him and my mom build their house and shop so once again... sheet rock, framing, electrical, plumbing, flooring, dirt work, cement work, roofing, ext. I've dont it all.

So Yes I do most everything myself.

The only things I can remember paying to have done lately are some machine work, and some powder coating. But my bumpers I produce need CNC cut so I bought the CNC plasma table to do it in house. I have some new products that will require CNC mill work so once I can afford an autimated mill I will be adding that to my tool arsenal and be doing that myself too.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I do everything myslef, but I know my limits and understand the saying "you can't beat a pro at his own profession". I know there is some factor I'm willing to forego to DIY something. I can technicaly do most all of the same tasks, just not as fast and effeciently as a pro. Usually, I'm loosing the speed in effort to save money - I can afford tons more of my time than I can afford money to pay someone else to do it.
I was raised on a farm - DIY'in everything was just the way it was done.

The only paid tradesmen that have ever worked for me where only there 'cuase the mortgage company required a licensed pro do work before they'd approve the loan on the house we where buying - had to have paper work to show them in a hurry.

I will gladly pay for sensative stuff which I know I don't have the tools for (too expensive to buy for one use) or stuff which I can't afford to take any chance on my "learning curve" -- stuff like service the oil burner for heat,
charge A/C, in depth automotive diagnostics that's over my head.

I've found over the years, I like electrical work the most. Running wires can kinda **** in a snake infested crawl space or a nasty roof truss area, but I really enjoy the work overall -- deciding where to place things and figuring out circuits and all tha ....The end result is great when you flip the switch....

I hate heights the most - anything more thand 10 feet up gets me nervous unless I'm secured to something.....Good thing my brother has a bucket truck I can borrow since my roof is nearly 3 stories up to the gutters....Next house will be a rancher

I have found, though, I'm getting choosier in my old age - My old truck needs a steering box and I keep thinking "the shop down the street will probably do it for me for a couple hundred bucks - might be worth the hassle saved to not have to f*&^ with it on my weekend....." 15 years ago, I would have layed outside in the rain to do it on the side of the road on a weeknight...I guess I'm getting lazy....

 

[Falcon67]

I dunno. In 2008, we started a remodel in the old house. As soon as we had part of the floor up in the back bedroom, our daughter announced they would be moving in with us in 30 days since they sold their house. Okeedokee.

Back of the house was sitting on sticks and rail ties, so we had some levelers come in for 2 days work.

The back bath required a complete gut, down to the studs. Made it a bit bigger too. Excuse me - past the studs as the outside wall., siding and window had to go too.

This was how somebody tied in the sewer outside - concrete, brick, aluminum foil interface between 4" cast iron and schedule 20 (really - 20) 4" plastic.

After a lot of digging

Sorry - no finished pics, but total cost for the bath gut and rework with new fixtures was $1000.

I'll say DIY.

 

[Bender78]

Yea, I'm a chronic DIY'er, and have been for a long time.

I built the house, the barn/garage and two of the cars in it. I wouldn't know where to take the car for service if I needed to. I have had cars back to the dealer for warranty work, of course, but never after that. I did use an excavation contractor and a foundation guy for the house build, but that's the last time I remember hiring something out.

I am going to hire a tree guy to cut down a couple of large pines next to the barn next year. That job will require climbing, and I draw the line at that.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I'm a DIYer, I do about everything myself including building a two story 1100 sqft addition to my house several years ago. I did farm out the reroofing of my house after hail damage this April as at 62 I'm just not physically able to do it like I did in my 40's, and Insurance was paying for it anyway. I do all other work on house, appliances, electrical, etc myself. I did farm out a transmission rebuild on my wife's car as I really don't have the knowledge to rebuild FWD transmissions as that was not in my skill set as a mechanic. So other than transmissions I have not farmed out any labor on cars either. Like today, my wife called me at 8:00 saying her car had been broken into during the night, I was at the time 200 miles from home and working on parents house, I called and found Driver's window at used parts place, she picked it up and when I got home put the window in, took a lot longer to clean up all the broken glass than it did to replace the window. (They caught the guy breaking in a day care a block from the house.) My wife, kids and friends are really spoiled on all the things I do for them.

 

[Mmfh]

I always do everything myself, my wife and I are just too picky and feel everybody charges too much for what they can do for you, and usually screw something up doing it.

I have a machine shop and do repair on just about anything. I've built two shops, remodeled 4 houses, one was a total gut job because of fire, it was built in 1898 so wiring and plumbing were all replaced.

Everytime I need to do something I've not did before, I research the best way to do it, what tools are needed to do it right. Buy the tools and get it done.

Not only do I learn how to do another trade, but I get a bunch of new tools to boot. Man do I have a lot of tools!!

I don't trust anybody, and I love doing stuff myself!

Mm

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Some have allready mentioned the best part of DIY'in - new tools!!

 

[TWX]

I like doing most of what I can do on my own or with help from friends rather than paid professionals. My wife often likes paying a professional.

We attempted to have a custom security screen door with "sidelight windows" installed at our front door. It was expensive. I won't say how much, but quite. They bungled it up. The installer broke a tile on the outside entry way approach when he dragged the frame up, the door wasn't the right door, and once we finally got the security door company to agree that they would remake the door itself and we wouldn't have to pay the other 50% until they do so, when they tried to install what they brought, it turns out that they never dry-fit the door and side lights into the frame before loading it! The bug-seals wouldn't clear each other in the frame pieces between the door and side light sections. They then had to remove the frame from the wall, requiring them to pry up the now glued down door sill. There's adhesive gunk now located on the ground that will have to wait for round 2 to try again. Tomorrow I go in to the manufacturing facility and sit down with the welder to get the door layout exactly to what we want.

My wife actually commented to remind her of this if she ever gets insistent about calling out for work to be done. Granted, I can't weld and don't have any experience with powder coating companies, but the mechanic I trade computer work for car work with does weld and has made gates and the like, so he could probably handle a security screen door. Next time I'll see if he's interested in welding something together if I bring the cut parts to him. I can then haul it to a powder coating shop capable of handling those sizes.

 

[Falcon67]

I would add that if I didn't DIY all the stuff for the drag cars, we would not be racing. No way we could pay for what I do on those and still have money for a truck, trailers, fuel, fees, etc. I can do a full C4 trans mod/build to handle 500HP for $200~250. Buy one, it's nearly $2000.

 

[Gary S]

I'm a do-it-myselfer. I built my garage myself. I surveyed the lot, did the dirtwork, formed the concrete, poured it, and built the garage on it.

But, there are things I refuse to do. I am NOT a plumber. And, I don't do Windows. (XP, 7, or anything from Microsoft)

 

[Greatbear]

I am an extreme DIYer. Very little I won't tackle, though I do know my limits as well as practicality.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I guess you could say I'm a DIY'er. I'm too cheap to pay anybody to do something that i can do myself. Doing it myself allows me to do more or buy tools to do a very similar project.

When I built the new garage on the house, I bought a framing nailer along with a roof nailer, money well spent. The way I looked at it, the roof nailer was the exchange for me to do the entire roof over having to pay somebody to do it.

 

[bobemmerich]

^^^Exactly! Well put!^^^As stated also a great way to aquire more tools

 

[onelochevy]

Always love learning how to do new stuff. Bought my house around 3 years ago and have put in all new floors, trim, interior doors, built window sills and trimmed around windows, new light fixtures, etc. Had never done any of that before. I love knowing how to do stuff myself. Having a friend of mine help with a bathroom remodel as I'm still new to plumbing and tile work and wasnt ready to tackle that on my own yet, but I will do my other bathroom myself.

 

[mypov]

Definitely - for the things that make sense. Have rebuilt 95 percent of our old mobile home (don't ever buy one if you don't have to, they are a nightmare). I spent some time working in Construction, and Electrical so I learned from experience and professionals, a definite advantage. But there's not too much a person can't learn how to do by looking on Youtube, or going to the bookstore.
I think the cost is a big motivating factor for me, as well as the quality of workmanship. Unfortunately there are a lot of poor excuses for tradespeople out there - and I do not want to pay for poor quality. If I screw up the job, at least I know who to blame.
Plus, I like it when the wife calls me handy!

 

[mobiledynamics]

I've always been a DIY-er.....until the last couple of years where work takes precedence if not alot of my time.

Here's another story.
About 5 years ago I had contractors rebuild the kitchen. I came home - don't recall why, but I decided to lift one or 2 panels of the subfloor. The minute I took a screw out of one, water was gushing everywhere. They put a ##$# screw right in a water line.
So after shutting the main off, letting the water drain a repair coupler soldering was done.

That night I was so pissed, I ripped off all the subfloor where the water lines, just to make sure there were no other punctures.

The list goes on and on. One day I was at home, and right before they put the sheetrock on a wall, I decided to take my 72" level and check for flat (not even level). There was one stud that bowed straight out that the level rocked back and forth.....

DIY does take longer as I work on it on the weekends...if I have the time on the weekdays, etc.

Arrgh....deep down, I really want to DIY the basement and bathroom.

 

[Kevin54]

I was always a DIY'er due to the fact that I couldn't afford to hire someone. Then came a time when I found that it was more cost effective for me to work a few hours overtime at work to pay someone to do a job that would have taken me twice as long.

 

[lowbucktruck]

I am definitely a DIY'er. Being raised on a ranch, you learned to fix things yourself (or it didn't get fixed or built). So I have that "I can do it" attitude (learned it from my old man). I've built up a library at home of books on home improvement, woodworking, electrical, etc. (not counting all of the auto repair/service manuals). I tend to read about how-to-do-it rather than watch a YouTube video.
When I remodeled our kitchen, I did all of of my own electrical work to bring it up to code... then hired an electrician to come out for an hour and QA my work.

If it makes sense (costs more in time for me to learn how to do it myself, compared to hiring a professional come do it for me in less time), I will hire some specialized work out... like concrete.

 

[Lippyp]

Whilst I'll have a go at most things there are a few that I know are beyond me (at least getting them looking good) plastering is one, I can patch and do rough plaster like on the walls of my house in France but smooth, forget it! I've put in three bathrooms, creating two from scratch, put up walls and ceilings, rewired, and basic woodwork (not fine cabinet making type stuff) so yeah will do most things.

 

[takethisride]

I consider myself a DIYer for sure. Im 25, and Ive been working on automobiles for quite some time, I worked for several car audio companies over that past 9, 8 years as a fabricator. I have several MECP certifications, and a welding certification from the local tech schoo. Ive done Fiberglass/carbonfiber/steel and aluminum fabrication/car audio/ home audio.. im basically an audiophile. When it comes to cars ive done suspension systems/steering systems. engine work, ect.As far as the house goes/ IVe learned a lot from my dad and my brother. My dad is a broker and he does a lot of home renovation buying selling ect/ my brother is a contractor and knows all kinds about home renovation from electrical, plumbing, concrete, you name it hes done it. and hes younger than I am. Ive remodeled almost 60 percent of my house and im not done.. Id rather do it for free than to pay for it

 

[djd99]

I hate paying somebody anything that I'm fully capable doing myself. Even If I need a 3rd hand I always have a friend or neighbor around the corner to assist. The only job I don't feel comfortable with was my furnace install and changing my load center. The furnace I didn't have the skill but I was fully comfortable replacing my load center but my neighbor made this go real fast with my help(He's a electrician).

Current project is I'm wiring my 30x40 and almost finished, did 100% by my self. I can't wait to flick the switch I've been running off extension cords for 10 years.

However I did pay to have my roof on my second story, Again I would of did this myself but it's kinda hard to do with a broken foot and the roof was leaking and couldn't wait.

You'll never no you can do it if you don't try.

 

[ArkTinkerer]

I always view a task that I might pay for as "How many hours do I have to work to pay someone to do this?" (Be sure to measure that in $$$ that you take home. Really highlights the reality of what all those taxes do to dampen the economy!) So do I want to work x hours to pay for this or do I want to spend y hours at this task?

ArkTinkerer

 

[Racecarl]

I am also a DIYer. I am almost done with my 24X30 two story garage, and the only part I hired done was the concrete floor. I wanted it slick finished and my wife's cousin does good work, so he was hired. I have also hired the roof reshingled on my house (8/12 pitch) which the insurance company paid for hail damage. Other than two transmissions in two different vans my wife drives, I have done everything else myself for the past 19 years.