I no longer paint or hang drywall, but was quite good at it when I did. Invisible seams and patches, even though I hated mudding. And even full skim coating, which has become a bit of an art. I think I have forgotten all the little tricks I once knew. Ninety percent of good painting is good prep. And never believing in one-coat coverage.
And electrical work I enjoyed greatly. Designing and installing the circuits and all that it connected. And then watching the inspector smile and quickly issue the approval. I enjoyed studying the NEC after it became the norm. I still peruse the NEC from time to time to see what new wiring burdens they are dropping on the poor tradesmen.
Back in the day, no one ever even thought about box fill and through-hole bundling calculations, let alone knew about GFCI or AFCI, inductive coupling concerns, or tamper-proof outlets. I grew up in a home with unpolarized, ungrounded outlets. And I managed to survive through it and the HV tube electronics we plugged into it … sometimes right next to a sink.
Still, electrical is the one big DIY thing that causes expensive wall openings and “repairs” on resales, if no permits were pulled, and no inspections done. Bad electrical is what causes fires, electrocutions, and death when it goes wrong. That inexperienced homeowners do these things without due guidance or inspection I will never understand.
But very old plumbing I always avoided like the plague. It is prone to seizes and breaks, and parts are often unobtainable, requiring much more extensive repairs and downtime. Those jobs I always left to the older professionals with the van full of ancient parts. That, and I won’t allow plastic supply pipes in my home, other than the two feet coming through the basement wall from the well.
And electrical work I enjoyed greatly. Designing and installing the circuits and all that it connected. And then watching the inspector smile and quickly issue the approval. I enjoyed studying the NEC after it became the norm. I still peruse the NEC from time to time to see what new wiring burdens they are dropping on the poor tradesmen.
Back in the day, no one ever even thought about box fill and through-hole bundling calculations, let alone knew about GFCI or AFCI, inductive coupling concerns, or tamper-proof outlets. I grew up in a home with unpolarized, ungrounded outlets. And I managed to survive through it and the HV tube electronics we plugged into it … sometimes right next to a sink.
Still, electrical is the one big DIY thing that causes expensive wall openings and “repairs” on resales, if no permits were pulled, and no inspections done. Bad electrical is what causes fires, electrocutions, and death when it goes wrong. That inexperienced homeowners do these things without due guidance or inspection I will never understand.
But very old plumbing I always avoided like the plague. It is prone to seizes and breaks, and parts are often unobtainable, requiring much more extensive repairs and downtime. Those jobs I always left to the older professionals with the van full of ancient parts. That, and I won’t allow plastic supply pipes in my home, other than the two feet coming through the basement wall from the well.
