Discussion Title: Five of the most common DIY mistakes

As a homeowner your to-do list can seem never-ending. All those annoying little DIY jobs appear to pile up day by day. Once mistakes are made, it then takes time and money to rectify them, which leaves people doubly frustrated. Below are five of the most common gaffes amateur DIYers are guilty of… The quick fix: This is where people try to solve a long-term problem with a short-term solution. More often than not this is ineffective and costs you extra in the long-run. For example, wooden doors can become swollen and stick in the frame after wet weather. While planing the wood would fix the problem temporarily, the need to paint over the exposed edges with an oil based primer is often overlooked. If you don’t seal the wood in this way, it will continue to absorb moisture and swell up again – bingo, you’re back to square one. Underestimating time and cost: The thing to remember when it comes to home improvement projects is that it will usually take three times longer and be twice as expensive as you originally estimated. Whereas professionals can get discounts from suppliers and wholesalers for all their equipment, people going it alone can see their costs slowly spiral out of control as they haven’t properly budgeted for the job in hand. Also, with family and work commitments, have you really got time to be replacing the kitchen or bathroom flooring on the weekend? These jobs can sometimes take weeks or months as people do the job bit by bit, here and there when they have a spare minute. Your precious time being taken away wouldn’t be an issue if you hired in the professionals to do it for you. Bypassing health and safety: Homeowners can be guilty of cutting corners on safety precautions when they carry out DIY jobs. Failure to wear the appropriate protective gear – such as hardhats and safety goggles - is the most common mistake made. DIY electrical work, unless you really know what you’re doing, is also never a good idea, not to mention potentially very dangerous. With anything electrical, it’s best to call in the experts. Same thing applies to plumbing and carpentry. Painting it wrong: Painting might seem like one of the simplest DIY tasks, but there is still plenty of scope for getting it wrong. In particular, rushing the prep work and purchasing the wrong type of paint are two frequent blunders. Painting is not only time-consuming, it can also be expensive – it’s best not to scrimp on painting materials as this won’t do you any favours in the long-term. Again, getting a professional painter and decorator in will save you plenty of time and hassle. Biting off more than you can chew: Many people have grand ideas for major home improvements every so often. Enthusiasm for such a project soon wears thin when the size of the task becomes clear, though. Know your limitations, because there’s a world of difference between putting up a shelf and fitting out a whole new kitchen. As home improvement specialists working all over South East London, at JH Building and Maintenance our handymen have the required skills and professionalism to carry out your DIY jobs for you. Why risk the above mistakes when you can use our practical and economical service instead? We’ll take the pressure and stress away – leave the home improvements to us! For more information on the range of services we offer, please get in touch with us on: 0208 697 5622. Or, alternatively, you can email us at info@jhbm.co.uk