Five Home Renovation Tasks That you Should Leave to The Experts
When it comes to renovating their house, many home owners try to carry out as much of the renovation work as possible themselves. This is understandable, as the costs of home remodeling can quickly run into thousands of dollars, and you are likely to want to reduce costs wherever possible, especially if you are working on a tight budget. However, although you can successfully carry out certain tasks yourself with a bit of DIY know-how, there are other tasks that are better left to the professionals to ensure that you get a clean – and safe – finish. Here are five home renovation tasks that you should leave to the experts.
1. Installing fireplaces
There is perhaps nothing more cozy on a cold winter’s night than relaxing in front of a roaring fire. However, if incorrectly installed, your aesthetic fireplace dream could soon become a hazardous nightmare, so it is essential that you consult a fireplace expert. A real fire – whether wood or coal burning, or gas powered – will require a chimney in order to safely filter the smoke from your home. Gas-powered fires in particular have safety requirements of their own, as an incorrect installation can result in gas leaking into your house and potentially causing poisoning or a gas explosion. With a fireplace expert, you can relax in the knowledge that your fireplace has been installed safely and correctly.
2. Structural alterations
Your home renovation might include changing the layout of your property, for instance, knocking through walls to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room area, or dividing a larger room into a bedroom and ensuite bathroom. However, take a minute to think before swinging the sledgehammer. Structural alterations such as removing interior and exterior walls can seriously harm the integrity of your property, so it is important that you consult a building expert beforehand who will be able to advise you if your plans are safe or not. Additionally, although it may spoil your ideas of sledgehammer fun, an expert builder will have the knowledge to remove the wall without inadvertently causing damage to adjoining walls that may affect the structural integrity of your home.
3. Plumbing
How hard can it be to install a toilet or bathtub? You managed to fix the kitchen sink when it clogged up, right? Think again – faulty plumbing can cause a huge number of problems for a property. As well as being a massive inconvenience, it can result in flooding that causes a lot of property damage and requires expensive repair work to sort out. Imagine the horror, for instance, of a leaking toilet, and the embarrassment and expense of having it fixed. Make sure that you bring in plumbers and expert bathroom renovators to give you the peace of mind that your bathroom fittings and plumbing have been installed correctly, avoiding undesirable plumbing issues.
4. Electrical installations
If your home renovation plans include rewiring work and installing new electrical points and appliances, don’t even think of attempting these tasks by yourself. Incorrectly installed electrical points, including things such as exposed wiring and plug points placed too close to water, can be hugely hazardous for a home. In addition to this, you may put yourself in danger if you attempt any electrical tasks without the proper knowledge – touching the wrong wire could literally result in you sustaining an electric shock. A qualified electrician has the expertise to safely install wiring and electrical units, ensuring that your newly renovated home is a safe haven for your whole family to relax in and enjoy.
5. Detailed work such as painting and decorating
Finally, it is worth mentioning that you should never feel obliged to carry out ‘easy’ home renovation tasks by yourself. You might be doubtful of the quality of your handiwork, or would simply prefer to sit back and leave it to the professionals for a guaranteed professional finish. This might be especially the case with detail work such as painting and decorating.
While you might be perfectly capable of painting a wall or applying wallpaper by yourself, a professional painter and decorator will ensure a neat finish without obvious brush strokes or crooked wallpaper. They will also have the technique to ensure that details, such as cornices, are neatly painted. With expert handiwork, you will be able to fully relax in and admire your newly renovated home without the annoyance of being distracted by smudged paintwork or air bubbles in your wallpaper.
