Home Renovation Horror – What To Do When Things Go Bad

Hal Major © 2009 BobVilaContractors.com


The recent credit crunch in lending practices for home mortgages has led more homeowners into the do-it-yourself minefield. In a recent survey by Minwax? of 1026 homeowners, 85% said they planned to do some home remodeling and renovation in the next few months. Only 29% of the respondents said they were going to hire a professional for the job. The American tradition of “I can do it myself.” remains alive and healthy.

However, home remodeling horrors are just one hammer swing or saw cut away. The recent rash of home renovation television programs never shows these mistakes. I believe television should be made to answer for this egregious error. Oh, things do go wrong during those projects but the footage is edited out and left on the cutting room floor. This leads to a false sense of the ease and simplicity of doing home remodeling.

An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth $10,000 Of Cure
Unless you’re an experienced remodeling and renovating contractor with all the skills, tools and sub-contractors needed there are some projects the average homeowner should not undertake. If you botch it and end up calling in a professional the fix is going to cost you more than if you had hired the contractor in the beginning. Why? Because the contractor has to remove your mistakes before the correct work can begin.

Here are projects you may want to hire a contractor to do.

Building Codes and Permits
There’s a reason why federal, state, and local building codes exist other than increasing tax revenue. They exist because if the work is done improperly it’s unsafe. I’m of the mindset that if a permit is required, a professional is required.

Plumbing
It seems so simple! You connect a few pipes here and add a valve or faucet here. What could possibly go wrong? Everything! How much do you know about fluid dynamics? Did you know that you can’t compress water? Or, that water always seeks non-confinement from pressure or that it seeks its own level across all locations.

The smallest water leak can create a lot of expensive damage if not found and corrected immediately. Every turn you create in a water supply reduces the flow in that line and since it has to go somewhere, it seeks an exit. That exit could be a weak coupling or joint in your DIY plumbing project. The same applies to waste water pipes like drains and sewage pipes. Plumbing modifications require building and inspection permits therefore, plumbing is best left to a professional.

Electrical
We all know how dangerous electricity can be. The smallest problem is a tripped breaker when wiring is incorrect. The worst is electrocution and there is always the potential of fire. As with plumbing, electrical work requires a permit and inspection. If you’re comfortable with and have done electrical work before, proceed. However, have the work inspected before closing up walls or ceilings. Incorrect wiring is the number 1 problem in DIY remodeling.

Structural – You’re thinking you want a wall moved over a foot or so to make the bathroom larger. Or, perhaps remove the wall between the kitchen and family room to open it up. Before you grab the sledgehammer and the reciprocating saw and start whacking and slicing away you better determine if the wall is load bearing. If you remove or move a load-bearing wall the entire stability of your home’s structure could be compromised. If you don’t want to come home and find your entire house resting comfortably in the basement, you should hire a contractor to help.

Foundations
Similar to structural work, foundation work improperly done can compromise the integrity of your home. The foundation includes the concrete footers and the walls of the basement or crawlspace. Any work beyond finishing off the basement walls should be left to a professional contractor and architect.

You can cover the basement walls with paint, paneling or drywall without causing a problem. Your local building inspector should approve cutting or drilling a large hole in a basement wall.

HVAC
Installing heating, ventilation and air conditioning requires special tools and skill sets. The high cost and the inevitable higher cost of utilities dictates that you get the greatest efficiency from your HVAC equipment. Moreover, the potential for deadly gases escaping into your home suggests this is work best left to the professionals. Also, if the equipment is improperly installed it may void the warranty.

What To Do If You Mess Up
Stop working immediately. Shut off the power, water, or gas. If you think you may have compromised the integrity of the foundation or structure, leave the room or the house depending how extensive the damage. Don’t be embarrassed. Call a contractor or your local building inspection department and have the situation professionally assessed.

Do it yourself or hire a contractor?
- Do you dislike physical labor?
- Do you mind getting dirty?
- Have you done this type of job previously?
- Do you mind spending several weekends working on the project?
- Do you have all the tools necessary?

If you answered yes to the first two questions you should contract the job out. If you haven’t done the type of work before do you have books, articles or web-based information to use? Or, a friend or relative that could help or give expert advice. If weekend home renovations will cut into your golfing, hire a contractor. If you need to buy tools, will they cost more than hiring a contractor? Will you ever use the tools again?

Cost Considerations
Many a DIY home remodeling has ended up costing more than if a contractor had done the job. You’ll save money if you do it correctly the first. However, fixes and do-overs cost money and empty wallets quickly. Keep in mind that contractors buy materials cheaper than the average homeowner does and the contractor already has the necessary tools. If you hire a contractor and you just can’t resist the urge to help, ask if it will save you money if you do the cleanup and removal. Some contractors will welcome the help, others prefer you stay out of the way.

Other Considerations
There is more to a DIY home remodeling project than skills and cost. Consider the time needed for research, shopping, loading and unloading of materials, cleanup and physical labor. It adds up rapidly. You should do a time assessment. Determine how many hours minimum a week you will devote to your project. Then give a fair estimate to how long you believe the project will take and then add 10%. You’re going to need it, trust me on this.

Let’s say the total project estimate is sixty hours and you are going to work on it 8 hours a week. It will take at least seven and one-half weeks to complete the project. Assuming you actually devote 8 hours every week and nothing extreme goes bad in the project.

If you lack enthusiasm for the project at the start, can you imagine how you feel at 3 or 4 weeks into it? A home renovation project completed on time and correctly can give you a great sense of accomplishment and bragging rights. The opposite holds true for a project never completed or done poorly.

More information on Why You Need A Licensed Contractor.
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