I am not a fan of self done home repairs.
This seems to stem from a couple of places. The first is simply that I am not very skilled with my hands. I never have been, really. As a result, my repairs seem to take longer and are not nearly as good looking as they always seem to be in pictures or by experts. The other is, frankly, they always seem to "almost" work, but not quite truly work.
I was never much of a mechanically oriented person growing up. Part of it was that I tended to read more than I did other things, part of it was the fact that working with my hands was not something I really enjoyed. I did a little bit of "building" things when I was young - I suppose most boys did, once upon a time - but it never really stuck with me the way it should.
But now, enter the wonderful world of homeownership, inflation, and a labor shortage. In some very real ways, there is no longer a choice in the matter.
This weekend, I changed a toilet fill valve that was leaking. I had never done it before but found a video or two on The Tube of You (for this sort of thing, videos are without peer), watched it a couple of times, and then went ahead with it. That I can tell, the toilet still fills and there are no leaks as of this morning.
As I went out into the back yard, I noticed the some of the facing on the concrete steps to the patio had peeled away (finalized due to the heat, I think). I have a little other concrete work around that needs to be done. I look on-line - again, looks like something that (with a little care and careful watching) I can do.
There are lots of things I will still refuse to do - plumbing, for example, is just a good way to have water damage later and I will happily pay my very good plumber to come do the work for me. But in point of fact I actually have to not just start learning to do this sorts of things, but feel confident in doing them.
Which is really the thing, of course: I can do them, but I lack the confidence to believe I can do them. Which is in turn fixed by only one thing: doing them.
I have many of the same misgivings. I wish my Dad had been more repair oriented as well, but like many (including myself), I would rather pay a person who knows what they are doing rather than do it myself.
ReplyDeleteEspecially when it comes to 'Mr. Electricity'. I've been bitten several times, replacing an electrical outlet. Even after turning off the breaker at the panel (or at least I thought I did :^). Replacing a water heater or broken ceiling fan - I've assisted but never done it by myself.
Car repair - I used to do oil changes, spark plug replacement and rotate the tires. But vehicles have become much more specialized and a person now has to remove other parts to access the broken one. So I grit my teeth and have it repaired.
That is exactly the problem I have as well. In my case my father was always willing to try something. It just seems (too often) that my repairs lack a certain visual appeal (let alone if they will work!).
DeleteElectricity, like plumbing, is something I tend to leave to the professionals as I know my capacity for creating a situation and electricity sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Painting, minor repairs inside - I can do them, but even then question the quality of my work.
Cars are much more difficult now - that, and I would just as soon have a place to go back to in case something was done wrong (instead of only having myself to blame).
Sometimes continued fixing of problems reveals that fixing THAT particular problem will never be your forte. Don't ask me how I know this............(sigh). " A man has got to know his limitations" springs to mind, good luck TB.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, agreed. I suppose my rule of thumb is try it once or twice and if it continually goes poorly, find an expert.
DeleteWhen you start, move slowly, especially at first. The mark of a craftsman is the result. I have fairly skilled hands, but I have found when I slow down, the work looks better and fits better. I tend to overthink things so my project has been worked out in my head five ways from Sunday. But it still is important to go slow. Less rework. And I HATE rework...
ReplyDeleteThat is very good advice, STxAR - and something I struggle with greatly. I just very much want to be done (!). But you are precisely correct - slowing down in almost anything produces a better result.
DeleteI work with my hands in the trades. When young, I would happily dive into a new , unfamiliar project. Tear down that engine? Sure!
ReplyDeleteNow I think it through over and over. I am a way more skilled person now. The difference is I have learned how many ways something can go wrong, and the fact I don't know, what I don't know.
Rule # 1. If it gets messed up, how bad are the consequences.
Sloppy paint work or poorly fit molding is a world away from a leaky pipe or leaving out a lock washer.
That is actually a really useful rule of thumb (and frankly, perhaps something I have been doing unconsciously all this time). The things I do can - on the whole - be remediated relatively painlessly (if not cost free). Thank you!
DeleteI've been fairly poor at jobs that need genuine skill with your hands. My Dad is a mechanic, and when I was growing up he'd shoo me away whenever he was working on our family cars. "You're going to work with your brain son, and pay someone to do this filthy job," he'd grouch.
ReplyDeleteBut necessity is a great teacher and when I moved out of home I quickly learned to do many basic tasks on my cars, such as oil changes, replacing fan belts, spark plugs, hoses, brake pads, batteries etc. But now that cars are basically mobile computers, even my Dad cannot work on his own car anymore.
I have found that I really love working with my hands, and have started my own vegetable gardens, basic DIY around my house, and simple carpentry tasks. My goodness it's fun ! But electrical work & plumbing are lethal black magic and I am VERY happy to leave that to the expert tradesmen.
In some ways similar to my own upbringing - my father did most of the similar work at our home, and the assumption was that I was going to school to get "educated". To be fair, he probably would have been more than willing to teach me, but I was too foolish to want to learn.
DeleteI do enjoy working with my hands more than I had anticipated - there is a certain rhythm and flow to manual labor that "brain working" does not provide. When I get it right, it is amazing.
Necessity usually leads to repair skills, and home ownership - especially in rural areas - demands learning some, or finding labor charges are near to what a doctor charges.
ReplyDeleteJess, you are not wrong. That is actually what started me down this path. Urban areas are no different in that sense - the best folks are already too busy, and there is no sense in paying for work that one will have to redo anyway.
DeleteI'm mostly your opposite on this matter. I have always been mechanically inclined and love working with my hands. I also have always read more than others though so I'm not a complete opposite of you.
ReplyDeleteFor me, DIY has been almost a religion. I think part of that can be traced back to my home ownership years coinciding with a thing called YouTube. Almost anytime I start something new to me, I almost always first watch a few YouTube videos on the matter. Without YouTube, I'm not sure I would be nearly as handy as I am today.
Coincidentally, I used to be terrified of plumbing but my cheapness of hiring a plumber overweighed that fear. With some YouTube videos watched, I went out and bought a torch, roll of solder and a selection of fittings and have been doing my plumbing ever since. I find it quite satisfying to apply the solder at just the right time and watch it suck into the joint and leave a beautiful ring around the fitting.
Ed, I admire the heck out of people that are mechanically inclined. I would say "That gene escaped me", but I wonder if it is so much a matter of escape as lack of interest.
DeleteThat said, I agree that videos make things infinitely more doable. Even in my limited world, I have replaced headlights, a inner trunk panel, the aforementioned toilet fill valve, and other minor projects after watching.
As for the plumbing - I have done limited plumbing work around replacing a drain. But watching our plumber have to completely redo all our piping under our kitchen sink as part of a new fixture upgrade, I am glad that am reluctant sometimes.
Good for you for taking on some repairs! Not everyone enjoys that kind of thing. Alex hates it, I'm usually the DIY-er in the house. But like you, I won't touch plumbing and also electrics...I'm happy to pay a pro for that!!!
ReplyDeleteRain, it is not my favorite thing - although I do tend to improve my attitude when I start. Something about working with one's hands seems to be an appropriate level of activity, both manually and for the brain.
DeleteHubs and I (sort of) joke that I'm the mechanic of the family. Being a fairly handy person, made bolder by YouTube, I have to say I also seriously dislike fixing stuff around the house when it breaks or wears out, or needs replacing. Of course, there's a lot of satisfaction when I'm successful, but I just hate (and I mean with a passion) HAVING to fix something. Now... if I get the idea to fix something, or replace something that's another story. But the older we get, the more readily I suggest paying someone to do it for us. But you're right... having recently replaced our furnace and AC, we were blown away by how expensive it was (I forgot, that was something ELSE that happened in May! May was a crazy month!)
ReplyDeleteFix-it videos are about my speed: they are generally short and to the point. It is when they get long winded that I tend to dune out.
DeleteWow. We had our furnace and AC redone 3 years ago or so and you are right, it it not inexpensive (on the bright side of course, with care they can last quite a while).
BTW, I'm impressed that you're considering tackling concrete work. Good for you, TB, on the toilet valve repair, and looking forward to other fixes.
ReplyDelete