Disaster Waiting to Happen: 5 DIY Home Projects to Avoid

Are you a fan of home DIY projects?

More and more people are interested in home DIY projects because they’re fun and budget-friendly. They make you feel like you’re on top of your game, making your house look exactly as you imagined it without paying a ton of money for it.

However, while it can be entertaining and more affordable to grab your toolbox and start your work around the house, experts say there are many situations where it’s better to let a professional do the job for you. We wanted to know more about the things that could go wrong when it comes to home DIY projects, so we’ve talked to a few home inspectors to discover more.

So before you look for your toolbox, make sure you read this article, because these projects can cause you a lot of harm, and you’ll need to get a lot of money out of your pocket to solve them. Let’s begin!

1. DIY porches and decks

If you’re lucky enough to live in a gorgeous house, you surely want to have a beautiful deck or porch where you can relax and sip your coffee. Even though this might sound like the perfect opportunity for a DIY home project, you should think again.

Experts say that many people don’t have the right tools or proper knowledge for a job like this and end up creating a porch or deck that looks lovely, but it sits on a poor foundation and can be damaged in a snap.

2. DIY plumbing

While bathroom and kitchen remodels are some of the favorite rooms in a house for a DIY project, they’re the ones that could cause one of the biggest disasters. If you don’t have the proper tools or don’t exactly know how to work a plumbing system, attempting such a complicated DIY home project can cause potential water leaks and severe disasters.

If you want to give your home a makeover, experts suggest you get in touch with a home inspector to check for any signs of current or past water leaks. This is a very important step because leaks can lead to wood rot, mold, and foundation issues, and these are going to cost a big buck if left untreated.

3. Wall demolition

If you plan on demolishing a wall, make sure you know exactly what you’re doing, because there might be electrical wiring and plumbing pipes behind the wall, and you don’t want to destroy those. Besides that, keep in mind that the wall might be load-bearing, so if you remove it, you might end up compromising your home’s foundation.

If you don’t know where your load-bearing walls are located, you should hire an experienced contractor you trust to help you identify them, check the mark studs, and remove your drywall without damaging what’s left behind them.

4. Gas line repairs

It’s completely understandable to enjoy the satisfaction you get after completing a DIY home project, but repairing a gas line is a more complicated task. If you have the right equipment and supplies, you can use the bubble test, look into leaks, and fix loose connections in the line.

However, it might be best not to do something else, such as attempt to fix a gas line on your own, unless you are a licensed plumber, of course. To make sure you don’t cause a disaster, you should give a licensed plumbing company a call.

5. Roof repairs

Unfortunately, a damaged roof is a problem a lot of new homeowners have to deal with, and some of them might be tempted to handle roof repairs themselves, especially because the costs are high.

However, you should think twice before attempting to tackle such a difficult DIY home project, because it can be dangerous. Not only is it risky to repair a roof—falls are a major concern—but amateur repairs can result in leaks that cause even more damage to the home.

If you want to make sure that you don’t put yourself in danger and that you get the results you want, it might be best to call a professional to take care of this task for you.

6. Cutting down trees

Another DIY home project that could cause a disaster is cutting down trees. If you don’t know what you’re doing, falling trees and tree branches can end up hurting people on the ground or hitting electrical wires or poles and causing electrocution.

If you don’t have the proper training for such a job, you’d better not do it. It might seem easy to drop large limbs, but reality is different. Call a professional and keep your home safe!

Do you know of any other DIY home projects that can be dangerous? Have you ever tackled a project like this? Let us know in the comments below! If you want to read something else from Devastating Disasters, here’s a good article for you: These Were America’s 6 Most Dangerous Cities in 2023