Wiring

Unless you are a professional NICEIC certified tradesman trained to deal with wiring, stay far away. If you go meddling with wiring you risk losing power to the whole house and more importantly electrocuting yourself. The risks of messing with wiring when you are not professionally trained are far too high.

Plumbing

Plumbing is another area you should leave to the specialists. We are not talking about clearing out a clogged sink, that is easy enough. More serious plumbing work like pipe alterations and shower or toilet installations should be left in the hands of a professional plumber. The risk of flooding your home and causing damage which requires far more expensive repairs should be enough to sway you away from putting your DIY skills to the test where plumbing is concerned.

Gas Appliances

Gas appliances are out of DIYers jurisdiction. Whether you need oven repairs, or your gas laundry dryer is experiencing problems you should call properly qualified professionals. Gas boiler repairs should only ever be carried out by GAS Safe engineers with gas safety certificates.

If you are having immediate problems with any of the above which need fixing quickly call an emergency electrician, emergency plumber or emergency boiler repair provider.

Do It Yourself

We understand that you are compelled to fix things, and the first half of this guide may have taken the wind out of your sails, but safety has to come first. With that said, there are a few things you can give a go yourself without risking catastrophe.

Painting

Get out your overalls and paint roller because painting is definitely on the can-do list. Whether you want to add a splash of colour to a feature wall or repaint every wall in the house you have free reign with this

one. Of course, put some sheets so you don’t get paint all over the floor and use some masking tape to protect your skirting boards – or don’t. After all, we can handle a little paint far more than a flood or being electrocuted.

Be aware though, that once dry, you’ll have a very hard time indeed getting some paints out of anything. If it’s windy, any excess paint will fly off your brush if it’s thin enough – giving anything in the vicinity that classic “splattered” look.  These factors combined mean you could spend twice as long clearing as you do painting, so be careful and plan what you’re going to do first.

Cleaning Gutters

Provided you are physically fit, comfortable on a ladder and take care, you may choose to take on clearing out your guttering yourself. Guttering can sustain damage if not cleared. Somebody needs to do it and if you are DIY-orientated it could be a great task. It’s a routine piece of maintenance which doesn’t require a certification, just knowledge of the task and a healthy degree of caution. Do not get going without fully assessing the risks first and seek advice if unsure.

Small Scale Landscaping

Some small-scale landscaping is also a great option if you want to take your DIY attitude and soak up some sun at the same time. Again, leave bigger tasks like felling trees to tree surgeons and the appropriate professionals. However, mowing the lawn, levelling, laying turf and adding basic water features are on the cards. Furthermore, whilst laying paving slabs should be left to landscapers you could help with moving the slabs, digging and other such tasks (if you are physically able to).

When it comes to DIY you may have a lot of skill but there are some things which should be left to the professionals. That’s both for the quality of the work, and for your safety. However, there are plenty of ways to put your DIY skills to use too!