It is possible to perform some renovations on one’s home alone, like repainting for example. Others, however, should never be performed unsupervised. There are some tasks around the home that can be very dangerous if another person isn’t there to watch after you, like cleaning your roof or gutters out.
If you try to undertake a task that’s dangerous alone, then you could injure yourself. If nobody is around to look after you, then you may not be able to receive the medical help that’s necessary to treat you in time to prevent serious injuries or complications from becoming manifest.
Here are a few projects around the house that you should never do alone:
Structural Changes
For anything that involves making structural changes to your house, call professionals in. Trying to make structural changes to your house alone can result in you seriously injuring yourself and damaging your house. Any structural changes should be undertaken by trained professionals who know what they are doing and who have lots of experience. Trying to make structural changes to your house yourself can be a very bad idea. According to the construction specialists from this site, the installation of beams (which is a structural change) is not a DIY project and must not be performed alone. Even if you don’t injure yourself, making structural changes can impact your home’s value and make it unsafe.
Cleaning Guttering
Most people clean their guttering alone, but it’s actually a very bad idea. Cleaning one’s guttering is not technically an unsafe act, but it isn’t something that should be undertaken unsupervised, because more often than not it involves people climbing onto the roof of their house with no harness. As long as you have people there to hold your ladder steady and look after you in case you fall, then you can go ahead and clean your guttering. You can also call a professional in to do it for you. Gutter cleaners don’t charge a lot of money.
Installing Windows
The installation of windows is another task that should never be carried out alone. Trying to install your own windows at home can be a big mistake. Windows are very heavy, which makes it very challenging for people to hold them up themselves. In addition to being very heavy, because they are made from glass, if they are dropped or shattered, they can become very dangerous. If you want to install a window at home, then enlist somebody else’s help, or alternatively, contact a specialist and have them do it for you. The same is true for glass doors.
Electrical Appliances
Electrical repairs and work should always be carried out by a professional electrician. Under no circumstances should you ever make electrical changes to your own home, even if you are an electrician because you likely won’t be covered by insurance if you injure yourself doing home repairs. Repairing electrical appliances can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are going to persist and won’t contact an electrician, then you need to make sure that your home’s fuse box is turned off before you make any changes. You should use an electrical charge detector to determine whether or not your home’s electrics are still active before making repairs, even if the fuse box is off.
Pipework Repairs
Just like your home’s electrical system, you should never make changes to your home’s plumbing or pipework yourself. You need a trained plumber to do that for you. It is especially important not to tamper with or try to make repairs to gas pipes. Water pipes can be hazardous and can result in your home flooding, but unless they are hot water pipes, they won’t hurt you. Gas pipes on the other hand can kill you if you are not careful with them.
Refitting Bathroom
Lastly, do not try to refit any of the fixtures in your bathroom yourself. This goes back to the previous point because many bathroom fixtures are connected to a house’s plumbing system and pipework. If you remove any of these fixtures, you could end up bursting a pipe, and causing water to spray everywhere. Many people have flooded their homes doing this in the past. You should always hire a professional plumber or bathroom repair company to refit your bathroom’s fixtures. While they can be expensive, they are worth it and will ensure the job is done right.
There are certain home repairs that you can’t do alone. Trying to do any of the repairs or projects outlined in this post alone can result in either injury to yourself or damage to your home. Hire a professional or at least ensure that you are supervised by one. Good luck with your projects!
