DIY Mistakes Can Cost You

Putting together that cabinet or installing that new fence yourself is a good thing. You get a sense of achievement – of being able to do things yourself without having to rely on others. At the same time you feel good because you technically didn’t have to spend any money on hiring a professional to do it for you.

However, well-meaning as your do it yourself spirit may be, you are only human. As such you can make mistakes. Some mistakes you can get away with. Others, you can’t. When you make do it yourself mistakes some of them aren’t that easy to fix with just sandpaper and a little paint. Some mistakes can cost you, if not money, then time and effort wasted.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not having the right tools for the job. A nice set of tools is an important thing to have. It allows you to do a lot of jobs without having to go the extra mile.

The thing is, if you don’t have the tools you will probably need to go the extra mile – the extra mile to buy it. That will cost you time that you could have spent finishing up your project instead of having to go to the home hardware store in order to buy it.

Of course, having crappy quality tools is almost the same as having none at all. You also want to make sure that the tools you get won’t break down after one or two uses. You will be using these tools for some time and for many a project. You want to make sure they last a long time.

Another major mistake you can make is skimping on the materials that you will be using for your project. For example, if you are putting up drywall for your walls or plywood for your subfloors don’t go thin. While you can use a thinner version of either one don’t.

Good enough doesn’t really cut it and may cost you in the long run. Get the thicker drywall or plywood instead. This means going with 5/8 or ¾ instead of the ¼ thick drywall or plywood. This will give you added strength and durability, especially when it’s for the floor. A thinner piece may not be able to last long and you may have to replace them resulting in a lot more work.

An old carpenter’s adage goes something like this: measure twice, cut once. What this means is that you want to make sure that all your measurements are correct and precise before you do anything. This is to ensure that the pieces that you cut or the things that you will be putting in will fit nicely.

Why is this important? Well, imagine trying to fit piping for your sink. If you measure too short then what will you do? It’s not like you will be able to make the cut pipe longer. The same is true with walls or wood parts for your cabinet.

If they don’t fit because the parts are short you will have to create new pieces which will not only set you back time but also cost you in terms of materials. If you want it is better to measure a little long. This way you can just make it shorter which is easier to do than make things longer.

*Photo Credit to the Owner