Most Difficult Home Repair You'd Try?

[chainfire]

Growing up, my father would do everything from his own plumbing, to wiring a building, to jacking up a collapsing porch to put supports under it. I can't do any of that.

I'm just not that handy, I don't have the tools/experience and I haven't done much beyond replacing some lighting fixtures & outlets, a faucet and some minor drywall repair.

So, if something required fixing tomorrow in your house, what's the hardest job you could picture taking on by yourself? -New Roof?, Re-Plumb the house? Or are you like me, and are pretty much at the mercy of local handymen?

 

[Phog Allen]

I can do a lot of what you mentioned. Now getting up the gumption to do it is another story. Sometimes it is okay, other times it is just too much aggravation. I replaced our entire kitchen cabinet ensemble myself and built a stone tile counter top. A lot of work and very rewarding in its own way but man, there were times when I thought I may have bit off more than I could chew.

Plumbing is another story. Never was there a more god cursed trade than plumbing. There are only three things you need to know to be a plumber. 1; ****e floats downhill, 2; Payday is on Fridays, 3; Don't lick your fingers. I hate it. You never get a thing done without multiple trips to the hardware store or supply house. There is always a mess to clean up. EVERYTHING ever made for fixtures is proprietary and there are never parts waiting at the supply house. Did I mention I hate plumbing? Saying that, we are getting ready to remodel our master bath and there is nothing else for it. It is my job to do. There may be a few postings in the spirit of the night column before that job is over.

Regards, Todd

 

[40_Caliber]

We took our kitchen down to the studs and rebuilt it with all new cabinets and appliances.

Removing the brick fireplace to make more room in the den was a real use-every-tool-in-the-shop challenge.

.40

 

[WhosYerBob]

I don't which is a worse job to do by myself - gut the interior of a 1920's mansion and rebuild it into a lavish modern showcase like a coworker did (several year job that he did "for fun").

Or completely replace all the rotten T1-11 exterior of a house with Hardie concrete fiber siding like a neighbor did (he saw ours and figured he could save money by doing it himself over 3 to 6 weeks - it took him just over a year to complete it with a lot of help).

I *can* be handy when I want to be, but most of the time I'm fried when I come home and the jobs eventually get farmed out to contractors.

 

[Phog Allen]

Hey Mitch. That T-111 to Hardie board siding was nearly a "go" at my house. Our T-111 was not really rotten, it just hadn't been taken care of and the joint at the z bar had some troubles in a few places. Only a few of the lower pieces actually had to be replaced. It was a LOT of elbow grease to get the sheets of siding off the frame. I mean those nails had sat there so long it was almost like they were melded to the wood. So yeah, doing a whole house as I nearly did? It would be a BIG job and since my home is a split entry/two story, a scaffolding would be a must. If you don't mind my asking, once your neighbour got the old siding off, how much trouble was it to cut and install the Hardie boards? The T-111 has a ship lap edge on each side to join the boards. From what I have seen the Hardie boards abutt each other directly on their edges. How did he seal the gap between the boards? What kind of blade did he use to cut the new siding? Sorry for all the questions but if the wife and I stay in our home, this will be a real possibility. Of course our old siding is not horrid so we may overlay it directly on that. If it is a viable installation technique.

Regards, Todd

BTW, from what little siding removal I did, the mansion remodel may be easier. And no, I am not joking.

 

[jlanger]

Plumbing is another story. Never was there a more god cursed trade than plumbing. There are only three things you need to know to be a plumber. 1; ****e floats downhill, 2; Payday is on Fridays, 3; Don't lick your fingers. I hate it. You never get a thing done without multiple trips to the hardware store or supply house. There is always a mess to clean up. EVERYTHING ever made for fixtures is proprietary and there are never parts waiting at the supply house. Did I mention I hate plumbing? Saying that, we are getting ready to remodel our master bath and there is nothing else for it. It is my job to do. There may be a few postings in the spirit of the night column before that job is over.

That's me with electrical work lol. Plumbing I can handle, though I'm not the best at sautering. (That's what dad's and father n laws are for right?)
I've been able to do lots of odd jobs around the house, some with a little help, some on my own. A big job usually needs help, I don't care who you are, trying to lift 8x4 panels of sheet rock onto a ceiling is tough, even with a few people or a lift. It's always nice to have a second set of eyes to make sure you're hanging that door straight too
Though when you have a 100+ year old house you learn to be able to take care of some things on your own, otherwise you'd be nickel and dimed to death!

Not sure what the most difficult thing I'd try, Guess currently would be to strip the old fiber cement asbestos siding off. With a couple of good masks a few Tyvek suits, lots of water, and a good dumpster (properly lined with 3mil plastic of course) , I should be able to do it for quite a bit less then the 10k estimate I've gotten, (lol hopefully in a few weeks). Though putting new siding on I'll leave to pro's, after helping some siding guys do other houses, I'll be glad to pay them for it, angles and I don't mix lol.

 

[jwhite]

I've done just about everything on a house short of electrical wiring and well digging, those get contracted out. The biggest job I have completed was to strip my fathers utility room down to joists and rafters. My father, brother and I took out all the old and put in a new sub-floor, underlayment, tile, drywall, hot water heater with new plumbing, chest freezer, washer and dryer with all new plumbing and exhaust, and new paint. From demolition to final instillation we got it done in four days. That's probably as big as I'd want to go.

 

[airplanedoc]

I replaced a bit of plumbing and both circulator pumps/motors for the boiler and hot water heating system. I was pretty proud of that one.

I do hate most plumbing jobs ie sinks,toilets.

 

[chainfire]

(That's what dad's and father n laws are for right?)

I guess that's what I'm almost afraid of...my grand father almost built his own house from scratch, my dad could fix about anything in one - skip to my generation - I can do some stuff, but not much. I almost fear for how little the next generation will be able to do.

And, don't even get me started on farming/hunting/fishing for my own meal...if it's not at the store, it's not food.

 

[RBE17]

I come from a long line of DIYers. There was a time when I would attempt almost any type of repair except most electrical stuff. Electricity scares me and I don't want to die while working on it or have my house burn down because of something I did. I've also come to learn that I have some other limitations. Plumbing is one of them. I flat out suck at plumbing. I also don't like to work 20' in the air on a ladder. If there are jobs that involve being high on a ladder or plumbing, I call someone.

 

[Navig8tor]

Put a new roof on a house I once owned. It was horrible.

1. It is hotter up there then you would think.
2. It's like you are working on a stage and all the neighbors get to watch and comment.
3. Those bundles of shingles don't walk themselves up the ladder.
4. Even when you try to keep all of the old shingles in a pile they end up everywhere but in the pile.

The worst part was all of the dumb comments. If I had a dollar for everyone that asked "puttin' on a new roof?" I could have payed someone else to do it.

 

[The Knize]

I would not try to hang a door or set a window, I know that.

I used to work construction on ladders and scaffolds. Anything that needs a ladder now, i would hire out. Too many people I know that are like me have managed to fall off of them.

I am not complerely afraid of plumbing or electric, but I would not generally do it. For one thing, you do not want to be trying to sell a house with either that is not to code.

 

[Greybeard]

I draw the line at doing grading or structural work to a house. I have done just about everything else. I've always called inspectors in (having gotten the appropriate permits) to check any major plumbing or electrical work I've done to be safe.

I have to agree with a previous poster that the most uncomfortable job for me was roofing. I wouldn't have attempted it except that a neighbor who had done roofing during his college summers agreed to help if I would wire his basement.


- Peter

 

[rickw]

Hey Mitch. That T-111 to Hardie board siding was nearly a "go" at my house. Our T-111 was not really rotten, it just hadn't been taken care of and the joint at the z bar had some troubles in a few places. Only a few of the lower pieces actually had to be replaced. It was a LOT of elbow grease to get the sheets of siding off the frame. I mean those nails had sat there so long it was almost like they were melded to the wood. So yeah, doing a whole house as I nearly did? It would be a BIG job and since my home is a split entry/two story, a scaffolding would be a must. If you don't mind my asking, once your neighbour got the old siding off, how much trouble was it to cut and install the Hardie boards? The T-111 has a ship lap edge on each side to join the boards. From what I have seen the Hardie boards abutt each other directly on their edges. How did he seal the gap between the boards? What kind of blade did he use to cut the new siding? Sorry for all the questions but if the wife and I stay in our home, this will be a real possibility. Of course our old siding is not horrid so we may overlay it directly on that. If it is a viable installation technique.

Regards, Todd

BTW, from what little siding removal I did, the mansion remodel may be easier. And no, I am not joking.

I had a neighbor put up the horizontal Hardy board. After taking off the old horizontal siding, he insulated and put st-1 plywood (shearwall) over the studs. This house is located in the area of the 1988 Porter Ranch fire. He used a Dewalt 12" compound slide saw to cut the boards. There are special carbide blades with a lower tooth count to cut the Hardy. There is a vapor barrier under the hardy. In Los Angeles city, it is now a double layer. The outer ship lap points down so it sheds water.

 

[azmark]

I can't do much of anything. My father passed way when I was young but fortunately I've learned a few things on my own. I will try pretty much everything but I will not touch wiring/electrical.

 

[TwelveBravo]

On my second complete re-hab. I'm to tight and to anal to let someone else do work for me. I have learned quite a bit through trial and ERROR. I have been quite humbled many many times. But, the satisfaction of knowing that I did the job right, and the compliments from friends, mostly makes up for the adversity. I love the character and craftsmanship of older homes.

So far, complete re-wire including service change. Wrecked the knob and tube replaced with romex. I use to be an electrician. Re-plumbed. Wrecked the galvanized and black iron and replaced with PVC and copper. Replaced all windows and doors. Complete tear off of roof. New sheeting and shingles. Interior trim base and casing. Lay tile and hardwood flooring. And worst of all hang and finish drywall.

 

[The Knize]

I completely agree re roofing, too. And if you can arrange to work with hot tar, it adds several additional layers of misery, including all the more heat, cancer inducing fumes, and frequent second degree burns. This is from someone that did carpentry around people that did hot tar. The fumes alone about took me out. I could never do that job. I am not tough enough.

One job I did do that I will never do again is install sheets of fiberglass insulation. They must have better protective gear than we used. But given what we had to wear was hot and miserable and no matter what you did little pieces of fiberglass would end up stuck under your skin where they would hurt if you put any pressure on them which you had to in order to keep working, and would form little infected bumps. I developed a cough that never went away, only got worst, until got myself moved over to different work. Some people seemed immune, but most people seemed to have an allergic reaction that just kept getting worse with continued exposure until they just could not do it anymore.

Although, I guess I woudl be willing to do a small amount of it on my own house, which is really the question.

What was so bad about hanging and finishing dry wall? I always thought hanging dry wall was kind of fun, so long as you did not have to carry dry wall around a whole lot. It is heavy enough to start sort of pulling your joints apart after a while. I guess the reaching up over one's head and standing on things to reach the ceiling was pretty miserable.

If by "finishing" you mean sanding, that is some dusty miserable work. But the finishing part that is putting down that paper tape with "mud" always looked like fun to me, although I have no ability whatsoever to do it. Either I am a just plain awful or that is some highly skilled work. And the guys that were good were stunningly fast and grace in motion.

I would think that drywall would be one to hire out though. Practice makes perfect with that stuff and there are lots of people around that are quite good and do not seem to get paid much.

Of course, I would love to lay brick, too, but I also seem completely in capable of getting mortar to adhere to anything.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I can do a lot of what you mentioned. Now getting up the gumption to do it is another story. Sometimes it is okay, other times it is just too much aggravation. I replaced our entire kitchen cabinet ensemble myself and built a stone tile counter top. A lot of work and very rewarding in its own way but man, there were times when I thought I may have bit off more than I could chew.

Plumbing is another story. Never was there a more god cursed trade than plumbing. There are only three things you need to know to be a plumber. 1; ****e floats downhill, 2; Payday is on Fridays, 3; Don't lick your fingers. I hate it. You never get a thing done without multiple trips to the hardware store or supply house. There is always a mess to clean up. EVERYTHING ever made for fixtures is proprietary and there are never parts waiting at the supply house. Did I mention I hate plumbing? Saying that, we are getting ready to remodel our master bath and there is nothing else for it. It is my job to do. There may be a few postings in the spirit of the night column before that job is over.

Regards, Todd

I was going to +1 the first sentence of this, but after reading the whole thing it had me in stitches!

If this were a Baptist revival I'd be saying "Amen" brother!

 

[valmara1971]

Having spent more than half of my life working in explosive ordnance disposal it's very hard to get out of the habit. I can demolish anything literally however this is usually not the intention. So when there is something to be done I just call up my man Stacy and agree a price. The job get done and everyone wins.

 

[texbilly]

I've tackled just about every trade and was blessed to learn (and still do) from a great teacher - my Father. I will try about anything, but experience has taught me to respect my limits. My back still hurts from pouring nearly 300 sq. ft. of 6" concrete slab in one day, using only my portable mixer.....and that was three years ago!