DIY Don’ts Are More Entertaining Than DIY Do’s
Share News:
We would never want to imply that there aren’t a plethora of DIY masters out there doing amazing projects at home. But a column full of, “Check out the great job Jane did fixing her kitchen sink,” wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as seeing other people’s epic fails. It’s called schadenfreude.
That’s why this week’s Upon Closer Inspection is devoted to some DIY Don’ts. If you have any of these projects on your list, take note of what not to do.
Don’t Replace Your Chimney Cap With A Grill Grate
We’ve also seen it done with half of a fan and various kitchenware. As with most things, it’s important to use the right tool for the right job. A chimney cap will run you anywhere from $30 to $300 depending on how fancy you want it, so it’s not really a huge deal, and the installation is pretty simple. This DIY-er probably went to more effort rigging this up than they would have just getting an actual chimney cap and installing it.
Don’t Install a Ceiling Fan Without Measuring the Distance to Obstacles First
Whoa. Guess they just … never opened the door while they were planning or installing that fan? For reference, ceiling fans should be installed at least 18 inches away from doors, and 7 to 9 feet from the floor, as close to the center of the room as possible.
Don’t Do … Any of This
First of all, DIY plumbing should be undertaken only with some serious know-how under your belt. With that being said, it’s hard to imagine how anyone would want shelves this badly. Nevertheless, the dreaded accordion drain is used here, which is a no-no in plumbing, and you can see quite clearly that it’s leaking.
Don’t Be Sneaky
You don’t think they were hoping potential buyers wouldn’t see that, do you? It’s like when people put putty or paint over foundation cracks. Or that time the people painted their old roof shingles black to make them look new. People with cast iron pipes that are rotting away will have everything above ground replaced with PVC and leave the underground cast iron, only fixing what can be seen. Diabolical.
Here’s hoping your DIY projects turn out better than the above examples, and you take these DIY Don’ts to heart. As always, if you need a home inspector for your next home purchase, or anytime for a home check-up, you know who to call!
