The Fix-It Professionals ‘Official’ Top 10 DIY Mistakes

At the Fix-It Professionals, we’ve pretty much seen it all – twice. Some of the blunders and bumbles stand out more than others. Here is our “official” Top 10 List to make you laugh. Enjoy!
 
10. Toilet Seat Extras.
 
We were called in to re-repair a toilet. The homeowner had tried to fix it and yet it was still leaky. Upon arrival we were presented with the problem. Apparently those ‘extra’ parts in the repair kit are important! Bottom line: Read the directions. Use all the parts they suggest. If you don’t understand the directions, call in a professional, because you’ll probably end up doing that anyway!
 
9. Motion Commotion
 
A homeowner called to say they had replaced an exterior light and now they were unable to make the lights come on. Unfortunately, they had replaced it with a normal fixture in an area that was meant for a motion detection light. Motion detection lights don’t need a switch (they turn on and off by themselves) but regular lights sure do! The problem was that they didn’t add the switch to the equation. Chalk one up for planning to fail by failing to plan.
 
8. Really Expensive Light Bulbs
 
On this assignment we were called in to replace a faulty light switch. They had tried everything to get the light to turn on… except replacing the bulb. Not every brand new bulb works! Fortunately I was able to assist the homeowner with other tasks around the house. Good thing. Most people don’t want to pay $100 (electrical rate) to change a light bulb!! Client note: If I complete a task and there is still time left on my minimum charge, we can work on other fix it projects until time is up!
 
7. Shower Dyslexia
 
A client called in because they had replaced the spigots in the shower. What a surprise the wife got when she tried to adjust the temperature and discovered that hot was cold and cold was hot! Yowch!!
 
6. Patio Punchy
 
Most times when one is installing an outdoor patio area, one likes to have lighting for night time. One client poured the cement and then later realized that he forgot to put the wiring down first. Oops. More of that failing to plan thing. Part of doing a great job as your handyman is being able to come up with a plan for your project that eliminates extra work. Efficiency saves you money.
 
5. Kitchen Conundrum
 
Then there was the Do it yourself kitchen remodel. They really did a beautiful job. The reason they called me out however was that after installing this beautiful central island they realized that electricity might be important. Note to selves… It is much easier (and less expensive) to plan for the electricity before you remodel than it is to add it later on!
 
4. Speaking of do it yourself kitchens…
 
“Bob and Stacy” (names changed to protect their privacy) decided to replace their all in one microwave/oven/stove unit with two separate units. The trouble was they neglected to consider the power supply (funny how often that happens). When they realized that they were short one plug – they ran an extension cord to power the microwave. Yikes! Important note: NEVER use an extension cord as a permanent power source for anything!
 
3. Would you like some cheese with that wine (closet)
 
Ah the wine closet. Standard of luxury and convenience for the wine connoisseur. “Jerry” however knew much more about wine than he did about making repairs. When the wine cooler control unit broke down, he was unable to properly troubleshoot the problem. He purchased the wrong part (which was non refundable) and then had to call us in to troubleshoot and determine the right part AND repair the temperature control. Urgh!
 
2. How Do You Like That New Dining Room Table Centerpiece?
 
There are reasons that ceiling fans should be installed with a fan bracket. One client decided to just figure out the fan installation on his own. Wallboard screws , however are not meant to support that much weight or fan movement. I can only imagine the noise that fan made when it crashed down onto the dining room table. Thank goodness no one was hurt!
 
1. Drum Roll Please!
 
We were called in to check out a faulty circuit breaker. The darned thing just kept on tripping. How did the homeowner deal with it in the mean time? Well they just HAD to have power…and that pesky switch just kept on tripping… so they taped the breaker open with cellophane tape. OK, never, never never do this! There is a reason that circuit breakers trip… they are supposed to do that for SAFETY reasons! Forcing a breaker open is an excellent way to start a house fire!   
 
So there you have it, just a few of the crazy, funny and sometimes dangerous mistakes we’ve seen over the years. If you want to avoid the trouble (and the danger) and you have some do it yourself projects on your to do list, please take advantage of our April Handyman Special. Buy 3 handyman hours get the fourth one free! (Despite the fact that many of the examples involved electrical work, this special is for handyman work only.)    

 
Until next month, stay safe and we hope to see you soon!

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When Do It Yourself Goes Horribly, Hilariously Wrong

“We’re only human, born to make mistakes”
 
Great song lyrics – and a DIY truth. When inexperienced humans try to fix it themselves, stuff happens.
 
That darned “home fix it channel” makes everything look SOOOO easy. “Save money! Improve the value of your home!” The unfortunate reality is that most of these projects are more complicated than they appear and it’s hard to know when you’re in over your head until it’s too late.
 
Some of the following anecdotes are funny and some are dangerous. All of them should have called for professional help.
 
“Insulation Insult”
 
Insulation is supposed to save money in energy costs, right? One gentleman in Minnesota missed the point entirely. He purchased insulation and put it in his attic. When he noticed that he wasn’t saving any more in energy costs, he called the hardware store to complain. It seems that insulation works better when you remove it from the plastic bags it is wrapped in and actually unroll it and lay it out in the attic. Oops.
 
“But it was so visually appealing!”
 
Why pay big money for a roofer when you can lay the shingles yourself? How hard can it be? When the job was done, this industrious owner called the Realtor to say that he was now ready to sell and look at all the money he saved. When the Realtor arrived, the response he got was, “Well, now no one will buy your house.” Why? Rather than overlapping the roofing shingles, he laid them out one next to the other, just like a beautiful tiled FLOOR! Oops.
 
As silly as those examples sound, one does have to be careful though. Doing it your self incorrectly can make an improvement illegal or worse, dangerous.
 
Case in point: the gentleman who, when building his home addition, used a telescopic post for support. A telescopic post is a temporary structure meant to support a beam when doing a remodel. It is not supposed to be a permanent support of a load bearing wall. Yikes!
 
Then there was the “quick and easy” toilet replacement. In this DIY gone wrong, the homeowner removed the toilet and noticed that the pipe in the floor was “awfully wiggly,” so she inverted a garbage can over the top of it and called a plumber. Turns out she removed the seal and few other things that she shouldn’t have. Her quick and cheap repair cost her an extra $500 for the plumber to unfix her fix. Ugh!
 
Finally the danger award goes to the gentleman who decided he needed an extra outlet in the garage. And hey, while he was in there he thought he’d add a room divider….made of corrugated cardboard. Picture if you will, a post with an outlet on it and a wall made out of a sheet of corrugated cardboard. Running from the outlet was a live electrical wire taped to the cardboard, with the ground wire running down a near by plumbing outlet. You can’t make this stuff up!
 
Bottom line, doing it yourself is probably going to be more work than you think, won’t turn out like you envisioned and it probably will cost more than hiring a professional. Plus, unless you know what you are doing you could be breaking the law, damaging / decreasing the value of your home or even doing something dangerous.
 
Avoid the DIY hassle. Dream Big and call in a pro! Read on for my April Special.

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A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

You’ve cleared the clutter and voila! There is indeed more space. After taking advantage of the unusual storage places from our last issue, are you still wondering, “but what am I going to do with all this leftover stuff?”
 
Well, short of moving to a larger home, there are some clever things you can do to make your home seem larger, improve the amount of storage and usable space – if you’re handy.  Here are just a few of these ideas:
 
Short of space in your kitchen cabinets? Turn a hall closet into a pantry!
 
When was the last time you used that coat closet for anything other than storing coats that no one ever wears?  Remove the coat hanger dowel and install shelving to store food items and seldom used appliances.  Consider housing some of your cookbook collection here.  It’s important to remember that food and appliances are heavier than they appear, so your shelving needs to be strong enough to support their weight and installed properly.
 
Choose sturdy shelving and if you must affix it to the wall, be sure the shelving supports are securely attached to the studs.  Consider too, shelving for the inside of the door to hold spices or smaller items that you use frequently.
 
No closet anywhere near your kitchen?  There are many attractive stand alone shelving units available (some assembly usually required). Look for something both attractive and practical.  Be sure to measure your available space before you make your purchase.
 
Does your home office take up an entire room?  Maybe it doesn’t have to!
 
If you’ve cleared out that spare room closet, maybe you can turn the spare room into a guest room by putting your office in the closet!!  Install desk and shelving units in the closet walls. Be sure that you also install bright lights so you can see what you’re doing. Desk and shelving units inside of closets have their advantages. When you’re done working you can just close the closet door and out of site is out of mind.
 
If you have stairs indoors, you might be able to have a “hiding” office underneath! Or at the very least this area can be made into a storage area – an attractive one of course! Consider this area for storing things that you don’t really want in the garage because of temperature or moisture control problems. Excess framed pictures or art, old record albums, etc
 
Under stair areas outdoors or in the garage can be used for a potting shed, gardening supply storage or even a quiet hidden sitting area. The only limit is your imagination.

So, now that your imagination is working overtime, you may be dreading that trip to the hardware store to figure out all of the stuff you need to build your fabulous idea. Never fear!!  You know a handyman who is just waiting to help you turn your ideas into reality. After all, why should you do it yourself when you can call in an expert and an exceptional price!   Click here  to find out more about our imagination to reality special.

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