Propensity to DIY

[finnime]

When you notice a problem with your sink plumbing, car rattling, paint peeling, grass growing, or cell phone reception, do you attempt to figure it out and fix it yourself? Or do you call someone else to deal with it?

I ask because I've noticed my DH and many (most?) other people do not jump in and try to diagnose an issue, much less fix it, unless they have real expertise. I do DIY. If I cannot diagnose, I'll ask one of my siblings for help - we were brought up this way, and find it much more satisfying to know what's wrong than to depend on someone else.

Over the years with my DH, I've installed a garbage disposal unit, unblocked a washing machine pump, replaced the cartridge on the bathtub tap, installed a ceiling fan, replaced phone batteries, painted several rooms including woodwork, aerated the lawn, and a hundred other things. I'm sure it's saved $$, but mostly it's saved aggravation and time for me.

What do you do?

[tractor]

I will jump into just about any repair, unless it's time sensitive like needing a car fixed to get to work or something. Unfortunately, I have several non critical projects started and finishing them seems to be the problem. I often like to figure out ASAP if it's fixable, or if I should just replace it so I know what option to choose.

[moon/Laura]

It depends. I have replaced the igniter on my gas oven, the disposal, a power window regulator on my car, and replaced my car stereo (with help from one of my brothers). I will also replace parts on my laptop.

That same brother is a GM certified mechanic, though he no longer does that work due to neck and back injuries - most likely caused by repetitive motion. So, if I have a car issue, I'll discuss with him and if it's not too complicated and doesn't require a lift, then either he'll do it, or he'll show me/ I help. Hasn't happened yet, but will. We plan to replace the hose for the radiator soon, and maybe the thermostat.

That brother does handyman work now, so when Mom was in rehab and we worked on her house, I learned how to install new outlets/switches, screw down subfloor, and that type of thing. Painting was a pain, but we did an awful lot of it - after we washed every inch of her walls (lifetime smoker).

I guess, bottom line, I'm not afraid to go for it myself if I can.

[teen persuasion]

I am a die-hard DIYer.  I hate relying on someone else to fix things for me.  I want to know how things work.  But I definitely have weak areas, like cars.  DH tries here, but I think there's some holes in his knowledge there, too, so small stuff he can do (or attempt), big stuff goes to the mechanic.

DS2 definitely has the DIY gene - a friend asked him for a referral to someone to re-cane a family heirloom (sentimental value, not historical).  He did a little research online and decided he could do it, no question.  YouTube videos to show technique, and ordered supplies online, delivered to our house. He did it in one evening while visiting over the holidays.  The internet has helped  DIYers immensely.

My mom always involved us in her baking experiments, so I learned that lots of things could be made from scratch: pizza, soft pretzels, candy, danish, ice cream, croissants, wedding cakes.  I liked other crafts like knitting and crocheting, and often got drafted to help mom fix issues in her preferred crafts like cross stitch or smocking (better eyes and the patience to locate missing stitches).  


I've gradually started doing more things as a way to get around frustration when commercial items aren't quite right for me - necklaces are always too long for me, so I began jewelry making.  So I have the tools to fix DS5's shark tooth necklace wirewrap that broke.  

I've found there are skills/tools that cross over into unexpected areas.  Mudding drywall isn't that different from base icing a wedding cake.  A pastry bag looks suspiciously similar to a mason's bag for mortar.  A pastry scraper is a bench scraper.

[giramomma]

Paint, we do ourselves. Some minor things like installing switches, wiring, etc. DH can do.

He tried to replace our garbage disposal and ended up breaking a pipe. So we still had to get a plumber out for that. He's done some minor washer/dryer repairs. But, our are/were over 25 years old (we still have the old dryer) and not electronic.

See, for me outsourcing things like fixing an oil sensor switch, oil changes, etc is not an issue. Our mechanic is a 5 minute drive from our house, on the way to work. They have wifi, so I can still get work done. They also will drive me into work gratis if I have to wait too long for the bus.

I cannot physically work my job and work on my car at the same time.

I don't have any family to ask. We do have handy neighbors, but we don't know them well enough to impose.

I also need to be prudent about taking time off of work. Using PTO during the summer saves us about 5-6K on summer care costs. I use roughly 2 weeks of vacation time to save that 5-6K in care costs. For us, that is more cost effective than taking a half day off to save $150 trying to repair a car ourselves.

Most of the repairs we need done now, are big ones. Like replacing windows, replacing concrete...that sort of thing. I just would rather let people who do that for a living do it.

[mroped]

I try to do it all/take care of it as the problems arise but sometimes if the issue is bigger then I just call somebody. Mostly because I don't have the time or I'm too tired to look into it.

[Deleted]

Most things around the house I will at least attempt to tackle myself first, unless it's something big, like right now I'm having a siding rotting issue that is awesome.  I'm not sure what I'll do about that since they don't even make that kind anymore (no surprise considering it sucks).  I used to have a crap roof that didn't seal when it was put down and when we'd get strong winds it would start coming off.  I spent a lot of freaking time up on that roof patching and replacing, sometimes IN the storm.  Then we had a blessing of a bad hail storm in 2009 and the roof was completely replaced under insurance.  Never been up there since and am happy about that.

The car I don't bother with since I don't have the tools, although I did replace all the dash lights a few months ago and added a trailer wiring harness.  My dad and neighbor are both mechanics and have lifts and all the specialized equipment, so I defer there or take it in.  Oil changes are easy, but I am done dealing with the waste oil.  I just found another huge container of it in the shed that my ex had left there.  He used to change the oil in my diesel truck which took FIFTEEN quarts a change. 

[teen persuasion]

We've done a good bit ourselves on the house.  Replaced a single story roof (asphalt shingles) and a garage roof (metal roof).  When we needed the two story parts done, we wanted to continue with metal roofing, but it's slippery (DH learned the hard way on the garage), so we hired that out.  DH has done plumbing, electrical, replaced inside phone lines and jacks, removed walls and plaster.  We put up drywall together, I do the taping and mudding.  Lots of minor stuff like doorknobs, hinges, toilet repairs, caulking, painting.  

Old house, it's never done.

[janee]

My husband is a DYIer.  He will figure something out and has the patience for it. He has kept his Dad's snow blower going.  It's probably at least 40 years old and works great.  It is sometimes hard to even find the parts, but he does.  A few times over the 30+ years we've been together, it's failed us during a storm, but overall, it's been great.

He does the same thing with small boat motors, electrical, plumbing, wood working, etc.  It has saved us so much money over the years.

Now, if it's technology--that's my area.  Not that I'm so great at it, but I never can figure out why he-who-can-do-anything mechanical calls me for the least little computer glitch.

I guess we each have our strengths

[Deleted]

Tiling, painting, removing wallpaper and popcorn ceilings- yes, and I saved a bundle. I leave cars to the pros- so much is computerized anyway.

Other repairs- I'll try if there are no ultra-high ladders involved and I'm unlikely to cause an expensive mess if I fail. I did once replace the innards of a toilet which required me to drain it and pull the tank off. It all went back together again but I wouldn't do it again. When I tiled 2 bathrooms I paid a guy to pull the toilets and then put them back.

[alabamagal]

Well I am an engineer, so I have plenty of experience diagnosing problems and telling someone else how to fix it. .  My husband (and me too) are fairly handy about fixing stuff, although DH has a bad temper so most repairs usually involve at least one yelling, cussing moment from him and then me telling him to stop.  Also, things that involve a lot of physical labor, we will usually farm out to someone.

The repair that I am most proud of is that we fixed our washing machine ourselves.  The valve to opens for the cold water was broken.  It was a cheapo washing machine, but we were able to go online and find the replacement valve inlet manifold for $30.  Took apart the machine and replaced the manifold, put everything back together and it worked!

We have done painting, wallpaper removal, other minor cosmetic repairs.  I am always cautious about flooring because I worry about thing like tiling not looking right, so we usually contract that out to those who do it all the time.

[finnime]

Mar 31, 2017 8:36:33 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

We've done a good bit ourselves on the house.  Replaced a single story roof (asphalt shingles) and a garage roof (metal roof).  When we needed the two story parts done, we wanted to continue with metal roofing, but it's slippery (DH learned the hard way on the garage), so we hired that out.  DH has done plumbing, electrical, replaced inside phone lines and jacks, removed walls and plaster.  We put up drywall together, I do the taping and mudding.  Lots of minor stuff like doorknobs, hinges, toilet repairs, caulking, painting.  

Old house, it's never done.

I like your comment about skills transferring across areas, too. I bake and mud walls, and never thought about the relationship between the two.

Part of the inclination to DIY is the willingness to problem-solve in areas you are not familiar with; another is the feel for materials - I've seen my XH strip screws, crack dry wall and break wires as he waded in to 'fix' something.

[Deleted]

If its electronics I know enough to usually be able to fix the settings in a few mins.

Anything else I pay someone else to do, I spend years growing up working on a farm fixing things, now that I can afford it my leisure time is more valuable.

[bean29]

My husband does a lot, plumbing, electrical,painting, he tiled our floors, most fix it jobs around the house, landscaping, masonry...he mostly has someone else work on the cars.  He generally does not repair the lawn mower/sonw blower either.  I think he should hire more stuff out.  We will see what the next several years bring.  We have about 11 years until we  out of mortgage debt (we have 2 loans, one on our house, and one on DH's office and another property we own), and 2.5 years until we pay off our HOE.  When we pay that stuff off, we will have more $$ to pay others to do the maintenance work.  Because we own 3 buildings, it seems as though DH is always working on something.

[teen persuasion]

Mar 31, 2017 9:42:26 GMT -5 finnime said:

Mar 31, 2017 8:36:33 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

We've done a good bit ourselves on the house.  Replaced a single story roof (asphalt shingles) and a garage roof (metal roof).  When we needed the two story parts done, we wanted to continue with metal roofing, but it's slippery (DH learned the hard way on the garage), so we hired that out.  DH has done plumbing, electrical, replaced inside phone lines and jacks, removed walls and plaster.  We put up drywall together, I do the taping and mudding.  Lots of minor stuff like doorknobs, hinges, toilet repairs, caulking, painting.  

Old house, it's never done.

I like your comment about skills transferring across areas, too. I bake and mud walls, and never thought about the relationship between the two.

Part of the inclination to DIY is the willingness to problem-solve in areas you are not familiar with; another is the feel for materials - I've seen my XH strip screws, crack dry wall and break wires as he waded in to 'fix' something.

Oh, yeah, we've had fun there.  DH is rebuilding an exterior pantry wall.  I really didn't want him to even touch it, but he's bound and determined it needs to be done.  Nothing was/is square or plumb or level, it's incredibly frustrating figuring out how to put it back together.  He does little bits until he hits a block he can't get around, stops and starts.  One day he was bolting the new stud section to the original part of the house.  I was taking a bath, and suddenly the lights go out (and no window).  He had put the bolt thru the electric wire for the lights on either side of the medicine cabinet.  It also poked a nice hole in the back of the medicine cabinet.  He had to remove the medicine cabinet, take out the light fixtures, try to cut off the projecting tip of the bolt, rewire the lights and put it back together.  He threw the hot tip of the bolt in the plastic bathroom garbage, melting a hole in the side.  He also  managed to drop an anchor strap screw for one light fixture inside the wall cavity.  The wire behind the medicine cabinet is rather too short.  So one light fixture doesn't have its glass shade on it currently - it tips precariously.  

All sorts of work he hadn't planned doing, it looks funky, and the bathroom isn't slated for a remake until after the kitchen gets done.  Then the temp kitchen gets turned into 2 bathrooms, THEN the downstairs bath gets remade (when we have replacement bathrooms to use).

[tskeeter]

Confirmed DIYer.  Probably save $2K a year on auto repairs. Another $1K on minor home repairs and maintenance.  

In addition to saving some money, DIY significantly reduces the hassle if I do stuff myself.  I figure every trip to the auto repair shop takes about three hours of running back and forth  to drop off and pick up the car.  I can do most repairs in less than three hours.  Then there is the time that the car is out of service because it's at the shop.  Usually, the shop wants a full day.  If I do something such as replace brake pads, the car is out of service for about an hour, not all day.  If you're talking home repairs, how many times are you waiting all morning or all afternoon for the repairman to arrive?

[sesfw]

DH#1 and I were confirmed DIY in the 60s - 90s ........ but DH#2 is strictly a 'if it's my idea, I'll call someone to fix it'.  The longer I'm married to him, the more fragile his ego becomes.  He prefers to tell someone else how to do things ...... brains vs brawn ....... <sigh>

The sink faucet in the small bathroom needs to be replaced so I'll go to HD today and buy one.  Then wait for DH to call plumber to replace it along with a couple of other things that need to be done.

I'm good with electrical ........ lousy at plumbing

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Some yes....some no.

DH just replaced the water heater, but we are paying to have the house professionally painted.  He replaced the garbage disposal, but when we had the counters and sink done, we hired a plumber to hook up the hot water taps, install the new faucet and set the sink.

He replaced the ceiling fan, hard wired the generator and replaced all the outdoor lighting.

Will not do car repairs, other than put in fluids or rotate/put on snow tires.

[resolution]

That is what money is for.  

[Cookies Galore]

We've only been in our house since June so I've been having fun figuring stuff out. YouTube has been very helpful!

[Tiny]

It depends. I like to "know how things work" and I don't mind fixing something on my own.   The "depends" part comes in to play with how many other things I have on my plate (is it worth the time and effort to attempt to fix myself or should I delegate it to someone else?)

I like looking up how to fix things on the internet.  But, I  also take into account the age of what I'm thinking of fixing... sometimes in the Big Picture it's better to replace than to repair.

[emma1420]

It depends.   I've done some stuff myself, but generally I prefer to hire a pro to do it.  Especially if it comes to things like plumbing and electrical issues where if you screw it up it can cost more to repair it.


Well that and the pro's always seem to do a better job than I do!

[finnime]

Mar 31, 2017 11:23:23 GMT -5 sesfw said:

DH#1 and I were confirmed DIY in the 60s - 90s ........ but DH#2 is strictly a 'if it's my idea, I'll call someone to fix it'.  The longer I'm married to him, the more fragile his ego becomes.  He prefers to tell someone else how to do things ...... brains vs brawn ....... <sigh>

The sink faucet in the small bathroom needs to be replaced so I'll go to HD today and buy one.  Then wait for DH to call plumber to replace it along with a couple of other things that need to be done.

I'm good with electrical ........ lousy at plumbing

My DH#2 sounds like yours. He isn't unhappy when I DIY, but is not willing to jump in himself.

I'll trade you electricity for plumbing! Somehow I've become very good with anything involving water. Electricity does seem trickier to me - mostly because it seems like an implausible form of magic. I will replace fuses in appliances, though. Or plugs on cords, or outlets.

[Peace Of Mind]

We prefer fixing and doing most of our stuff.  It's hard finding decent contractors or handymen where we live and they tend to do more damage or "rig" things that aren't to our standards.  Thankfully DH can figure out anything. It just takes him forever to do it but he can do it. I can fix off the wall things using woman's enginuity but I know my limits and won't risk breaking stuff.

We have a landscaper here at the house so DH and I can put in fencing, build/paint/tile a shed, built our dock and ramp, etc. out at our lake property.  DH moves slowly so the landscaping here would take him the entire weekend and he finds it tedious so we hire that out.

[Anne_in_VA]

Most things DH and I will tackle (well, mostly DH), but there are a few things he won't even try, like cutting down tall trees.  He and DSIL remodeled our hall bath by themselves including tearing out drywall and replacing part of the wood structure which had rotted away due to a cracked drain.  We replaced the dishwasher, installed a washer and dryer, painted, helped replace our roof, just to name a few.

I don't do anything electrical, but DH used to run cable on ships and he's put in new outlets, installed in-floor heating and a thermostat in one bath.  He seems to be able to do most things, but we left it to the professionals when we replaced the water heater with a tankless and replaced our HVAC system.  

[hoops902]

I'd LIKE to DIY about everything, but the more I do the better I get at determining how long something will take me and whether it's worth it or not.  Fresh out of college EVERYTHING was worth it because I was broke and cheap. I also had LOTS of free time. The older I get, the more that time becomes the most important factor. Money isn't an issue anymore, so it's more about the tradeoff of time with people, time to participate in hobbies, or the time to fix something. I tend to DIY stuff now that I know I can do in a relatively short amount of time, so that the time spent to call someone, be home when they arrive, explain the issue, etc, is just more than the time to do it myself. It's almost that DIY has moved from a way to save money, to a kind of hobby (because as others have shown, it's mentally interesting to figure things out).

[crazycat]

I like to DIY . I have knocked down walls , tiled , laid flooring , built decks , lighting , minor plumbing , etc . I love power tools . My hubby does not . He says he has the harder job - writing the checks to pay for my "projects" 

[motherto2]

I love to DIY but I know when to call in the professionals. I've retiled my bath and put in a new sink and table in there. Tore out carpet but hired someone to replace it. Replaced light fixtures and outlets and switches. Painted tons of inside and outside stuff.  Did all of the landscaping and building trellises and pergola and sidewalks and sheds.  Replaced appliances and installed flooring in the kitchen.  Helped both kids do DIY on their homes in the last two years.  But, DD's house was built in the 30's, so while I replaced one of the sinks and vanity in one bathroom, I knew not to try to get the other bathroom sink disconnected because the plumbing was fused.  Rather pay a plumber that has all of the proper tools than have a leak and not know how to turn the water off.  Same with some of the light fixtures.  I'd rather the house not burn down!   But the two bedrooms had a door connecting them and we took the door frame out, filled in and then put up bead board to close the rooms off.  Put in an outside patio for her.  DS just bought a 1970's condo that had two huge art deco mirror structures in the living room.  We busted them up and put up brick paneling pieces, and then installed pipe shelving.  Very industrial looking.  We tried to replace the light fixture in the bathroom but the sheet rock kept crumbling, so he had the resident handyman come and replace that as well as put up a ceiling fan in the living room.  They do that all day long and it was peace of mind knowing it was done properly.  As far as cars, I don't have the set up or tools to do much on vehicles, so other than replacing lights and such, I take it to the mechanic.

[empress of self-improvement]

In my house, DIY means "Destroy It Yourself" and I do it very well. I have no problems doing demo. It's the putting back together part I suck at. I have the attention span of a gnat and I am mathematically challenged. Measure twice, cut once, my ass. That is why we will be hiring someone to replace the kitchen stairs and fix the sill under the door and replace the shingles I ripped off.


I will be doing all the yardwork myself, including taking apart my shed and relocating it out of the sunniest spot in the yard and creating a gigantic garden bed. At some point I want to put in a concrete pathway from the driveway to the pad we have so I can push DH out in his wheelchair. That may be me, that may be the stair people. Haven't decided.

[finnime]

Wow, motherto2, I'm awed. My home was built in 1945, so we don't even have drywall - walls and ceilings are real plaster, and hard as concrete. Hanging a picture is a project in itself.


empress of self-improvement, your plans for the yard sound wonderful. Nothing like growing a garden for peace and satisfaction.