DIY home improvement is a great way to save money, but it can also lead to more than a few disasters if done incorrectly. Today, we wanted to walk you through some potential pitfalls with home improvements, and how you can avoid them. Here are just three disasters you can avoid with careful planning, and knowing about them can help you save money and time all while getting that plumbing upgrade or renovation you always wanted.
Redirected Your Plumbing Pipes Without Consultation
This is a big one. Many people don’t realize that changing your piping has a broad impact on your entire plumbing system. It’s not just a matter of putting water where you want it to go, but supplying enough water without sacrificing your overall water pressure. But most importantly, improperly redirected pipes can do a number on your home in any number of ways. Yes, your showers may not be as strong as before if you do it incorrectly, but your pipes could start leaking water inside the walls, creating mold and other issues that could literally destroy parts of your home from the inside out.
So if you need to do some redirecting of pipes, whether it’s to move your toilet or put in a new shower, call a professional. They can get everything working properly, and you can breathe easy knowing your water will stay strong, plentiful, and where it’s supposed to be.
Violating Plumbing Code without Even Knowing
The plumbing code is an encyclopedia-length document, one with strange technical details that can be impossible to parse out if you aren’t familiar with the jargon of plumbing. And while many people can work out the layman’s terms of their plumbing system, that doesn’t make their renovations actually up to snuff. There are many renovations you can do without calling the inspector and, if we’re being completely honest, can do without the inspector knowing, but that doesn’t make your plumbing job cheaper, safer, more effective, or even good for your wallet. In fact, there are many times when a DIY plumbing job has cost homeowners thousands because the plumbing work they did violated code.
When you violate code, a couple of things happen. First, it needs to be redone, and that will cost you a lot of money. Second, it drops your house’s worth instantaneously, leaving you with even less. So instead of pretending you know everything about the plumbing code, call in a professional who knows what they’re doing. When it comes to plumbing, it’s always better to play it safe by avoiding code violations.
Miscalculated Your Renovation Costs
On the subject of money, you can avoid a serious financial disaster by sitting down and working out your costs before you start a job. This is a great way to do a few things: assess your costs, yes, but also assess your own abilities. Take, for example, putting in a new toilet. You can sit down and add up the cost of installing a new toilet just fine, but then you can think about other things at the same time. Do you have the right tools? Are your pipes the right kind to work with the new toilet? How long do you expect the installation to take? All of these questions can help you truly discover whether or not you should get a professional for the job. And that can save you money and frustration down the line.
When doing your own plumbing work, there are many ways you can save money, but there are just as many ways that the job can turn into a disaster. So before you commit to that new plumbing project, why not take a look at what needs to happen and try to avoid setting yourself up for disaster. That way, you can get the job done right at your budget, and not have to worry about the unforeseen circumstances that can happen when you don’t think your job out properly.
