Back in my youth, I was a great DIYer. I had the energy to DIY, and I didn’t have much money. That combined for a healthy incentive to do my own home improvements. My ex-husband was also very handy (still is as far as I know). He was a great one for reading books, asking questions and trying things. This was before the internet was for individuals, and HGTV was just getting started. This Old House was about the only real DIY program on the air. At my first house, everything was DIYed except the gas fireplace.
Hubby and I don’t DIY all that much around our home. It is a pretty nice house, and Hubby’s fear has always been that we wouldn’t do something absolutely correctly, messing up the house somehow, so we’ve generally hired. Heck when we first moved in, Hubby wouldn’t even paint! I wanted to paint a bathroom and the laundry room, and had to wear him down on the idea. Now of course, Hubby has rentals and paints everything and anything, and that includes our house!
For Hubby, very little is outside the DIY realm these days. He won’t roof or side, he’s not taking down or putting up a garage, and he isn’t pouring an entire concrete driveway. Most other things he will now do, time dependent, and one-person dependent. Pretty impressive for a guy who didn’t have a callus on his hand when I met him.
For myself, I am old. If Hubby needs help, I will help him, but I am no longer interested in refinishing floors (although I do have an upcoming post on how to do it 😛 ), painting (although I just did it at the condo), tiling (which I actually enjoy, so that is a never say never one) or any of the million and one other DIYs I used to do back in my youth. Well, except for paint removal. Hubby roped me into that the past few weeks (tip: easy to go with goof off!).
What WON’T You DIY?
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Tami Lemons says
We built our home about 4 years ago. We saved for 15 years, and wanted to continue savings during the build, so we did all we could possibly do! My hubby has been a licensed electrician for over 30 years did all of the wiring, one of our best friends has been in the AC/Heat business for over 30 years, so as a housewarming present, he did all of our ac work. My uncle is a sheet rock contractor 🙂 and another friend is a plumber. We hired contractors for the concrete work, brick, roof and cabinets. That is it.. Everything else was friends and us. I painted, primed, installed toilets, swept up every night….. even did some of the stone work on the fireplace. My greatest feat was staining the concrete floors! I had estimates from $4000 to 7500… and decided I would research this. I found a great class in the DFW area, and drove in for the class. It was $150 and 2 days. I stayed with a friend, so no hotel 🙂 Came back home, ready to stain! I purchased all of the acid stain, sealer, brushes and rollers for less than $100. I did splurge $120 on a ‘carpet’ shampooer with the rotating brushes for clean up. We have so many compliments on our floor, and I absolutely love it! Now, our oldest daughter is planning her new construction, and she wants me to stain her floors :))) I am sooooo excited!
Ann says
WOW Tami! That is so impressive! I love that your friends and family (licensed contractors to boot) pitched in. Congratulations on such an impressive accomplishment!
Ann
Tami Lemons says
Thank you 🙂 we are very blessed with great friends 🙂 Oh, I did forget the insulation. We did try to DIY the blow in attic insualation, and that didn’t work out so well. The machine was horrible, so we contracted that also. While they were here, we discussed the duct work being insulated and ended up having them foam the ducts. Now we have zero degree loss in temp between the unit and any vent. It saves a fortune in the summer on AC :))
Ann says
I DIYed insulating my last house. We were very fortunate, because the machine was wonderful, and it was one of the easiest, most fun DIYs I’ve ever done. The current house? We had it professionally done. I knew it wasn’t going to be fast nor easy here.
Ann
Shell says
My hubby is a contractor, so he does anything that get done. That is key though, he rarely does much on our house because he works so many hours.
Tami Lemons says
That is what all of our friends say! We have a friend who is a mechanic and his wife buys a new vehicle every 4 or 5 years because she says he is never home to fix hers! lol
Ann says
I cobbler’s kids going barefoot!
My brother works a lot at his current job. He used to be a professional painter, and can paint faster, neater and better than anyone I know. They bought a new house last year and he got the whole thing primed before they moved in, but was working so much he couldn’t get it painted too.
His SO said she was going to hire if he didn’t finish by the end of February, and I got the old stink eye from him when I backed her up! It is no fun to live in a mess, especially when the only thing stopping you from having your house put together is paint.
I haven’t spoken to them since we came down. I should call and find out what happened with that!
Ann
Marie says
I will not do anything electrical! Well, not in this house. I did a dimmer switch in an apartment once. But this house was built int he mid-thirties and the wires are the same color (fabric). I’m afraid of electrocution! I’m innocent I tell you!!
Ann says
I am the same, Marie – no electrical for me!
Ann
Skirnir Hamilton says
Things we will not Do it Yourself… understand we are not DIYers. My husband and I are not the most skilled at such things. We will do some basic plumbing. We won’t touch electric. Once as a kid, I was shocked big time by a cotton candy machine where I couldn’t make my hands let go of the machine, until suddenly they did and I will never ever touch anything electric again. My husband had a bad incident with a garage door, where someone told him it was very easy to replace the springs on a garage door, in the open position. No one warned him that even in the completely open position, you need large clamps on both side of the door to hold it up and the darn thing slammed shut on him and trapped his finger in the spring while he was on the ladder. Dummy had told me to go ahead and drive our son to a birthday party, which I wasn’t wanting to do, as I was always trained as a kid that noone did DIY projects much alone. He is a a bit claustrophobic and that led to a number of nightmares, etc. How do you calm someone having that kind of nightmare when your instinct is to hug them, but that makes it worse as you are holding them still to a degree, trapping them.
So no garage doors and no electric. I am sure there are other things on our list, but most of the time we have hired someone. Quicker job and less hassle. Who wants to live with a messed up house for a long period when you are working a full time job and trying to dIY on the side. No, I don’t work a full time job, but don’t feel capable either.
Ann says
Wow, your poor husband! We have always called someone for the garage door springs just because the labor came with the parts. After your story, Skirnir we’d now call someone even if they didn’t!
Ann