# Why Do You Prefer To Do It Yourself?



## Admin (Dec 8, 2003)

> With the growth of the service economy and the ease of finding professional craftspeople using the internet, is there any reason to repair or build things around the house anymore? Why should you spend so much of your free time doing DIY projects around the house when you can replace broken objects or just call a repair person? *5 Reasons to Do-It-Yourself!*


Why do you prefer to do things yourself? What’s the biggest benefit you’ve found from fixing things around the house yourself instead of hiring someone? Is it really just about saving money or is there more to it?


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

Saving money is a great by-product. Mostly enjoyment of mechanical things, pride, satisfaction, and OCD issues. Sometimes better know-how than some professionals, stupidity and ego.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

DIY helps to prevent the heart attack when I see what people are charging.
But being able to fix the often unanticipated problems that pop up instead of having a contractor just bury them is a big plus. I don't always blame them as their quote didn't include the extra and stopping to add in the 'whatever' work slows them down. It is a byproduct of dealing with people who have to make a living.

Being retired now makes DIY a fun part of my remaining time, keeps me busy.

Bud


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## Rough Rooster (Feb 7, 2015)

Number one is the monetary saving. Number two -- I built it so I know how to fix it or improve it.
I have the tools, the knowledge, but old age (74) has made me rethink a few things as I will no longer climb on roof, can't lift heavy things, and only have two hands. That is where grandson comes in as I train him to DIY.


RR :smile::smile:


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## Admin (Dec 8, 2003)

Rough Rooster said:


> Number one is the monetary saving. Number two -- I built it so I know how to fix it or improve it.
> I have the tools, the knowledge, but old age (74) has made me rethink a few things as I will no longer climb on roof, can't lift heavy things, and only have two hands. That is where grandson comes in as I train him to DIY.
> 
> 
> RR :smile::smile:


If we don't teach our children and grandchildren we will have a generation that doesn't have a clue how to do it themselves. I absolutely love when I hear stories of folks including youth in their projects.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Well, saving money is a definite plus, but there is also the satisfaction of completing a repair or project yourself, of not being totally dependent on somebody else for the day-to-day events in life. There are certain things I don't do anymore including most auto repairs. I don't have that facilities and haven't kept up with the technology. Back in the day I completely took a motorcycle down to the frame, and rebuilt the engine in my first car in the driveway (much to Dad's chagrin) but no more. I have a very good mechanic who I trust, which is a huge plus. Every time I have moved, I would rather find a new dentist than a new mechanic. I used to be two minutes from him but am now about half an hour but I ain't changing.



The growth of Internet-sourced contractors may be more of an urban thing arising from younger people who either have grown up with no interest or lack the space to do anything in their small condos and apartments. Where I am, getting a contractor to do a relatively small job can be really frustrating. I have often tried to get the recommended three quotes on a job and feel lucky to get two callbacks. I haven't done enough renovations to develop a solid relationship with with a contractor. My brother and daughter but have 'their guy' which is great for getting small jobs done. So long as it is within my comfort zone - or I'm willing to get frisky - I'd rather do it myself. I am certainly not highly skilled, but so long as I figure I can do it safely, not kill myself or botch it to the point that it will cost me more to get somebody in the clean up my mess, I'll try in myself. The lumber yard is full of wood waiting to be turned into kindling by my skilled hand.


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

I have had many issues with contractors in the past but I think it all comes down to one thing. A contractor is someone who wants to spend the smallest amount of time on each job while charging the highest price he thinks you will pay. 
I have limited money to spend and when I end up going full OCD on a project I have no problem putting in tons of extra time. 

A good contractor knows lots of shortcuts and has tools to do the job quickly but this comes with a price. Plus, he may skip details that are not important to him but are a big deal to me.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Cricket said:


> If we don't teach our children and grandchildren we will have a generation that doesn't have a clue how to do it themselves. I absolutely love when I hear stories of folks including youth in their projects.


Yeah, all of the above. I can't remember a time when I wasn't tinkering with something, taking something apart to learn how it works, building something or rebuilding something. I guess some are just born with it.

And some are not. None of my kids got the mechanical "bug." Oh, they're smart, have good careers, are artistic, and whatever other good things you can say about someone. But they all had no interest in figuring out how things work, or fixing or building things. One daughter (who spent a lot of time "helping" her grandfather puttering around the shop) has come around and is pretty handy around the house.

I've heard things like this often skip a generation. There are stories about my grandfather and his brother or cousin building a boat in the basement, and having to remove a wall to get it out. He was also a lifelong sailor. So maybe there's some truth to it.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Because if something is going to break, it’ll do so at 3:00am on Christmas Eve. That’s a huge reason I’m glad I assisted on the repipe/replumb of my house, I know where it all is and how it connects.


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## Ca443 (Feb 11, 2019)

I have a day job and am not always satisfied with the accomplishments...DIY gives me a sense of accomplishment, I enjoy doing it and I just find it fascinating. I get permits, I get it inspected. I also know some certified plumbers, HVAC and electricians. I often even pay them just to validate my plans ahead of time. It isn't about saving money though that often comes with it. 

Some people golf, watch TV and movies, etc...I DIY. It sometimes costs me more to do it myself as well hahaha. When it comes to my home, I get more satisfaction out of saying ya, I built that deck, versus look at the deck I paid to have done.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

When I was young I use to look forward to diy. Because I would always have to buy a couple tools for myself. That was my reward along with the self accomplishment. I figured I could pay someone so many dollars or I could do it myself. Order that tool and have some change leftover. Really there isn’t much I haven’t done. But I’ve also learned that there’s some things I don’t want to do. The roofers get paid lol. I’ve always done my own countertops, Formica and tile over the years. But those guys get paid too since we’ve changed granite countertops a few times. I built my last home. I got bored with work and built a few others. I lost a pretty penny on one where I just didn’t figure right. I respect the builders as well. A lot of money to be laid out before you get it back. My kids are all diy and so far I think one of my grandkids will be as well. She’s really young at nine but won’t hesitate to grab a screw gun, drill, hammer or paint brush. Takes a little longer but good quality time. Think she enjoys it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

Cost is probably in there somewhere, but it's mostly getting it done exactly how I want it and adding little features that professionals either don't think of or just don't care enough about doing (like putting a plug horizontal instead of vertical so it looks better, etc.)


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Saving money was my primary reason for learning diy but the satisfaction from having done it myself comes in a close second. Also when you diy you are more likely to get a job done the way you want it done.




> DIY helps to prevent the heart attack when I see what people are charging



Bud made a good point! It would upset me to have to pay my hard earned money to someone to do what I know I can do for far less. I was dismayed at how long it took me to gut and remodel our full bath last summer but I did save thousands compared to hiring it done.


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## yardmullet (Jan 6, 2018)

In the mid 80s, was having a tear-off/re-roof down to the rafters. Hip roof, ~40 squares on a 1910 house. Was quoted $4500. They are supposed to fix any bad stuff.
Was watching one afternoon. Guy is out near edge of wider hip wailing away putting on shingles and one of the exposed rafters breaks off about 4 from the roof edge and is hanging by one nail. GC tells me well just scab it back. 



I told my architect buddy I can do better than that. He said whoever has the hammer that day is the carpenter.


Met GC later that week to settle up. He says,OK, looks like total is $10k. I asked what about the estimate? He said "Hell buddy, it was just an estimate".
That's when I got seriously into DIY.
bg


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## HenryMac (Sep 12, 2018)

I grew up on a small farm... stuff would break in the middle of using it, so you fixed it yourself.

Fast forward 50 years. Where we live now there really aren't many good contractors. So, do it yourself now, or pay somebody to do it and then re-do their screw ups.

The internet really is a wealth of knowledge, do your research, and there isn't much a mechanically minded person can't do on their own today.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

We love to do stuff, so we do stuff ourselves...
Besides, I would probably drive a contractor 
crazy. :wallbash: ... admittedly, I’m very fussy.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

It is in my upbringing.

I come from a family of hard workers however we were never monetarily wealthy. As such we had to as much for ourselves as possible. 

I was lucky my dad was in construction. I learned how to handle tools (hand and power), cut and assemble lumber and mix concrete both by hand and with a job site mixer. I also learned to sweat copper, assemble PVC pipe and replace electrical fixtures. 

We did our own brake jobs, oil changes and many other automotive repairs. Any repairs that were beyond our capability we traded work for with one of my uncles who was a mechanic.

While the work was hard at times, we also learned the feeling of accomplishment in a job well done and of course the significant savings in cost.

Yes, today there are professional trade’s people one can hire, but those hires often come with a premium price many cannot afford. 

Understand, I am not begrudging trade’s people who earn a living from their skill. To the contrary, I believe we need to encourage more people to enter those lucrative trades. 

However that does not mean we should still not learn to do some things for ourselves. Often this can mean the difference between a minor problem and a major one.

Since I have owned my home, I have replaced all the toilets, dishwasher, stove (hybrid), washer, dryer all the electrical outlets and switches, most of the light fixtures, installed shut-off valves under all the sinks, built and installed two vanities, built a 240 sq ft deck and a 120 sq ft shed.

The cost to hire all this work out would have been in the tens of thousands of dollars, money that was instead saved for those times I needed things done for which I do not possess the skill or time. I think this is a point often missed by people who make no efforts to learn to do even the simplest if DIY tasks.


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## Irony58 (Aug 29, 2011)

I do a mix of DIY and hiring others. I like to DIY as much as possible because it gives me a feeling of self-sufficiency. If something breaks during the zombie apocalypse, I want to know it can be fixed, even if all the contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, ... have joined the ranks of walking dead.

Also - I can fix/build some things faster than waiting for a pro to come over to do an estimate and then get around to my place in the queue. It's definitely cheaper to do it myself. And I really, really, like (need?) to know how things work. I get that by looking things up when I run into something I haven't done before. Knowledge is power :smile:. And, as others have mentioned, there's a great deal of satisfaction when it's done.

But I also have a full-time job, so for big projects, I'll hire. It's worth the upfront time because it'll take me four times as long to get it done. Yeah, it'll take a contractor some time to get to me, but once they're started, things progress much more quickly. I can't leave my kitchen in disarray for three weeks; the "boss" will not be happy.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

Like most of the responders, I started doing it because I wanted to save money. Then it was because I saw some of the work the people I hired do, and I had to tell them how to do it. And, later, it was because I liked doing it and I wanted to carry on the tradition that my father taught me. If you want it done correctly, do it yourself. 

I tend to overbuild. I prefer to screw things together when I have time. I also tend to scavenge from building sites, after asking permission. That way, I can use an LVL or GluLam as a window header instead of 2x10's and I can bring them flush to the wallscape so that I have enough backing for hanging curtain rods. 

When I do my plumbing, I put a shut-off valve at the start of each branch. At least when I use copper. For pex, I use a manifold and home run each line with a shut off valve. I had to use a plumber for a couple of things and he went to go shut off the water at the main. I stopped him and said I have a shut-off for the branch. I shut it off and opened the drain and let out the water. He just shook his head and said most pro's wouldn't even do that in their own home but he understood why I did it in my home. The home was a split level, that was about 60'-70' wide. So I could isolate each wing and then each "wet" room. It made fixing/replacement and/or upgrades much easier. 

For electric, I typically run 12 ga wire for everything. Even 15 amp circuits. If I need to upgrade the circuit to 20 amp, it is easy to do so.


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## HandyAndyInNC (Jun 4, 2018)

I agree with KTownSkier. I want quality of quantity. We are alike, I will go above the minimal. I do not skimp on material costs. That will only cost a lot more to do the same job twice, or more. I do not purchase anything from a box store, their products are very low quality.


We have a big old Victorian house that I have re-wired and re-plumbed. I took the electric from 60 amp to 800 amp service. That is a 200 amp panel for each floor and a full 200 amps for the kitchen alone. When plumbing supply water, I used 1" copper for everything, then down to 3/4" copper in the actual room thru a manifold, and down to 1/2" copper at the last possible inch closest to the fixture. In each room there is a manifold that I can control any one half of any one fixture in that room. From the big board in the basement, there are two manifolds of 1" copper that I can control one half of any one room from there, or control the entire room from there. I installed a 2" copper supply from the street, buried 8ft below the ground, and pulled that thru 4" schedule 80 PVC. If I ever need to replace that, I can easily pull it out and pull another pipe in without disturbing the lawn. At the same time, I left one 4" schedule 80 spare in the ditch, just in case I needed it for anything. I used galvanized black waste pipe. You cannot hear water running thru that pipe. Everyone that can hear water running thru a waste pipe, you have PVC pipe. Who wants to hear that during a dinner party, or anytime really.



I did the same things with the electrical service coming into the house. Everything is buried underground at an 8 foot depth. I buried (4) 6" pieces of schedule 80 PVC and used 2 of the pipes for electrical service. 8 feet is as deep as the backhoe would reach down. I never want to have to dig up my lawn again. For all the branch circuits inside the house, I never used a single junction box. All junctions are make in the living areas in the floor boxes. I used extra deep boxes and all outlets that we have are set in the floors, not in the walls. I also used 12 gauge MC cable for every 120 volt, 20 amp branch circuit. I think it is just silly to mix and match 15amp and 20 amp circuits in panel. All the 240 volt circuits are in either emt conduit, or liquid tight conduit. Everything close and under the sink, or in the bathrooms are in liquid tight conduit. From the meter outside, all panels are in weather proof SquareD QO panels with bolt in breakers, this keeps the dust out of the panels and the breakers very tight and secure on the bus. I also ordered panels with solid copper bus bars. Not aluminum clad. I used AFCI/GFCI breakers for all circuits. I wanted everything to look all the same, and protect us. I used 4" EMT conduit from the meter base to the panels in the basement, and the panel for the kitchen on the first floor. Every room on the house has at least 2 circuits for power. Each room is split in half with half of the room fed from one panel and the other half of the room from another panel. I would never put power and lights on the same circuit. If I ever need to work on the electric in any room, I will also have power and lights that are still working.



I did the same type of thing for our cable tv service cables. I used 2" schedule 80 for them. It takes very little extra to go above and beyond.


I asked contractors about doing this for me, and all of them were all about trying to save me money. I told everyone of them that I already have an accountant. Do the job that I want you to do, and the way that I have designed it. None of them would do it because they said they had never done anything like that before. What?!?! Are you immune from learning something new? Or doing something a better way than you are accustom?


We had a new roof put on the house, I wanted high quality era specific shingles. I heard the same thing from those contractors as well. "These shingles will be fine, they are good, I install a bunch of them". I am not concerned the type you use for other people. This is what I want. I finally found a contractor that would install what ever I wanted. I did have to tell them that the fascia boards were to be cedar, primed and painted and to use stainless steel nails or screws. They had a stack of old bare pine boards they were going to use. I had everything listed that they has signed off to use. That material came out of their pocket.


One cannot find contractors today that will do high quality, or even medium quality craftsmanship. That makes me mad, and that is why I do work myself. I will spend days on end making sure that two pieces if picture rail is perfectly cut and fits into the corner without having a gap or crack showing. I do not use caulking to cover mistakes. I am not about quantity, I want the quality to show. I did not use caulk to cover the nail holes in the picture rail. I used glue and wood dust mixed. You cannot tell where the nails are. I also set a nail approx every 10 - 12 inches while using 210 feet of picture rail around the main hallway. That is a lot of nails to cover.


Andrew
Handy Andy In Mt Airy NC


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

Damn Andy, 
You are my idol. You have replaced Mike Holmes, Norm Abrams, and quite a few others. But not my Dad or the two guys I was a carpenters assistant for in College. 

Not only do I feel that you get it, you are doing it the way that I feel it should be done. And you are willing to push it so that you get what you want. I still wish I had your bank account though. 

I do shop at big box stores though. Because both my wife and I worked at them. And I know what to buy and what not to. Baldwin Good, Kwikset No Good. Copper parts are pretty much all the same but I still look them over. Although I am switching to pex. And I do oversize it like you do and bring it down at the very end. Why not have as much volume as you can?

I am a bargain shopper. I look for special order returns, overstocks, lightly damaged. Whatever I think I can get a deal on. I got a Kitchen Aid 5 burner gas Stove for $100 bucks do to a dent on the side. I straightened what I could that might be visible, nothing didn't work and I saved $2600. 

Our fridge was similar. It was the step below a Kitchen Aid. A $3400 Whirlpool that even had some Kitchen Aid decals. We got it for $1200. It didn't fit in the space that the people who bought it wanted it to. So they returned it. And we got another deal. Our dishwasher is a GE. Another special order return. $900 for $250. 

We got some Craftsman style 3 panel doors for $7.58 each. 5 of them. 

Some of these bargains are out there for the general populace, but, it does pay to know people and keep them in the know of what you are looking for. 

I could go on about windows, exterior doors, cabinet grade plywood but I don't want to get others jealous, or people in trouble. 

Just make friends with the department heads and Assistant Managers of the big box stores. Let them know what you are looking for and ask if they have any good deals. And don't be afraid to offer a lower price. Even a really low price. They may say no, they may come back with a different price, heck, they may even say YES!!

I don't understand it when people I want to hire to do a job don't do it with the materials I want or the way I want it to be done. Unless they have a very good reason why it shouldn't it. 

An example I have is that I had my roof redone. I specified that I wanted the ice and snow shield 6' above the house line. Not 6' above the drip edge. On that particular house. the front entry had almost a 6 foot setback before the entry door. So the house line was at 6'. I talked to the guy doing the roofing and asked him if he was laying the ice shield correctly. He said that it was three rows above the drip edge which on most houses would be at least 6' above the house line. I took some pictures and asked the guy laying the roofing if the ice shield was correct. He said yes and that he needed to lay the rest of the square before it got too dark. I took more pictures as he laid a few rows over the ice shield above the door. Then I went in and called the roofing company. It was closed and I asked for them to call me in the morning. 

They called me back and I asked the salesman to come out and meet me. I showed him my contract which said 6' about houseline. He said that yes, they put up three rows of ice shield. Then I pointed out the front entry which he walked through. He took one look, then looked at the roof, then back at the door and said "Oh, ****" I showed him the pictures and what I discussed with the roofers last night. 

At least it wasn't too much effort or materials to tear off that portion of the roof and redo-it. And, I told him that is why I specified in the contract house line, not Roof edge. 

And, that is partially why I do most of the work myself. I want to make sure it is done the way I want it to be. And that is why I pull permits when I need to. To make sure that what I want to do is feasible and up to code and the materials I want to use are approved. 

Another reason I like to at least understand how to do things is that when I do have to hire out to have things done (Like my knee surgery, my wife STILL won't let me operate on myself!!), I understand what is being done and what could go wrong and why it needs to be done. So when the auto mechanic says the hornswoggle needs to be discombobulated. I tell him that it is probably the flim flam code that needs to be updated.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> So when the auto mechanic says the hornswoggle needs to be discombobulated. I tell him that it is probably the flim flam code that needs to be updated.



:surprise: that made me grin :biggrin2:


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Kttownskier, yes, that was funny...looks like we have the same mindset...
You could share a bumper sticker with me, “I brake for a sale” :biggrin2:


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## HandyAndyInNC (Jun 4, 2018)

A lot of great stories and struggles in getting high quality work to be done the right way. I cannot and will not accept low quality workmanship from companies. Just like our roofing company. I asked for the water/ice shield to cover the entire roof. They said, "we have never done that before. But we will do anything that you want." One of the workers told me that he can lay 4 squares a day. I told him I want quality, not quantity. They used two bucket trucks and two large lifts to perform all the work on the upper roofs. I was in the bucket with them about 90% of the time. The directions on the shingles said to use 18 nails and three medium to large blops of black roofing cement per shingle. And that is exactly what they used. Had I not been up there with them, they could have cheated, and that would have only caused issues for me. They would have come back to replace the shingle(s). But the deck and possibly the inside of my house would have been wet or damaged. That is why I was there watching them every step of the way. We have a very steep pitched roof, or I would have done it myself. I am getting too old for some work, that is just not worth my time, or chance of getting hurt. I do not heal like I used too 40 years ago. My dad taught me to always do the job right the first time. He said you follow that rule, you will never have to touch it again.



KTownSkier, I should revert my comment about the box stores. I go in for some of the smaller items if I have to. They do have a nice selection of stainless steel fasteners. I shop a couple of the local Electrical Supply houses here in town. And we have only one Plumbing Supply houses. We also have about 3 good actual lumber yards and good old hardware stores. Go I will shop them first.


We have a wonderful auto mechanic here. They run a private garage. With that, I can actually tell them what I would like them to do, and they will. At the same time, they look over the rest of the vehicle and just give it a once over for things that are obvious. I go back into the garage area a lot. My wife & I used to own a bakery in California. So we are always taking pies and pastries all around town to give away. That keeps us in great standings with most everyone in every business.


I like doing business with folks and companies that will tell me the truth. When I ask the questions, I already know the answer. And the companies that shy away from doing something above board, or differently than they are used to, are the companies that I do not hire.


I look around my house, and I see that everything in here was created using hand tools and craftsmen that took their time to make it the absolute best possible. All of the trim was created with a hand plane. Most of the wood was milled here on site. We still have some 12x12's that have the oak bark still on them. All of the hardwood floors were milled from the walnut trees on the property. All of the trim was milled from the chestnut trees on the property. The men of the time took great pride in the smallest details of work. This house as stood for 130 years. We want it to keep standing here for a lot longer. So that is one reason we used MC electrical cables, metal electrical boxes, everything in conduit that we could, etc...


KTownSkier, I love the few times we had have service companies in and they see all this. Things like the HVAC service people come in twice a year to look over the 3 furnaces and 3 AC units. We use one for each floor. They came back to install the humidifier on each furnace, and tried to use a cheap saddle valve. Good thing I was standing there. I never imagined that anyone would use those things. Unless you really want your house to have standing water in it. I told them I would run a water supply line to each unit. When they came back the following day, I had a water line to each unit. With a 1/4 turn ball valve of course. Service people are so used to using easy, cheap ways and materials. Again, this would have cost me, not them when they failed.


Now comes the time to look for a painting contractor to paint the outside of the house. I have a professional paint sprayer. I may end up hiring my own guys and sanding, scraping and painting everything myself. There are some cedar clap boards that I want replaced. One company may do not have the experience to do both types of work. I am ok with having the paint sprayed on, but wet brushed over. Paint sprayers leave the paint too perfect, and do not show brush marks. All they had when the house was built were brushes. They did not have paint sprayers.


I can talk about things all day long, and I do love working on our house. We have won a few city contests, especially the home that has shown the greatest yard improvements. And we are on the holiday house tours. Almost everyone that comes in asks who did we hire. I tell them that it was me. Then they want to hire me. I turn them down, or they back away once I mention a price. I do that just so they will not want to hire me. I don't want to work for anyone else.



Andrew
Handy Andy In Mt Airy NC


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Contractors despise micro- managers. If an excellent contractor is doing a job for a micro-manager his mind set is, *( what's the fastest way to get away from this guy ) *and don't be surprised if he never returns for any other work of any kind.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

SeniorSitizen said:


> Contractors despise micro- managers. If an excellent contractor is doing a job for a micro-manager his mind set is, *( what's the fastest way to get away from this guy ) *and don't be surprised if he never returns for any other work of any kind.


I don't like to be micro-managed, as I am sure most people don't. However, when I work, my boss has the right to come and ask questions about the progress and review my work. 

Since I hired someone to do work for me, I reserve the same right to act as my boss does to me. What I don't understand is why the trades don't get that I am their temporary boss.

What I do though is that I always ask if I can watch. I explain that I want to learn from an expert and ask if they would mind I ask an occasional question. And I do not stay there all the time either. I give them their space. 

Most times I get: "Sure, thanks for asking." An occasional no and I accede to their request. 

Regardless, I do always come and check in. Ask if they need anything, how things are going, if they have any problems, etc. And I check their work. If they are doing something that I don't understand (don't like) I ask them about it. If they are doing something not in the contract, I stop them and ask them why the change.


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## HandyAndyInNC (Jun 4, 2018)

KTownSkier,
I sent you a private message. Let me know what you think


Andrew
Handy Andy In Mt Airy NC


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## Fish_Stick (Feb 28, 2017)

Living in a mobile home I have no other choice. Most contractors won't touch them and if they do everything they have to get is a custom size. No way I can afford custom anything for this place.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Fish_Stick said:


> Living in a mobile home I have no other choice. Most contractors won't touch them and if they do everything they have to get is a custom size. No way I can afford custom anything for this place.




I feel your pain on that. I had to make my own screen door on a mobile I used to live in. 

So fast forward to my current house, my girl asked if we could just make a custom door that was a bit wider, I had to explain why we shouldn’t. Just not something most people think about.


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## Fish_Stick (Feb 28, 2017)

Mort said:


> I feel your pain on that. I had to make my own screen door on a mobile I used to live in.
> 
> So fast forward to my current house, my girl asked if we could just make a custom door that was a bit wider, I had to explain why we shouldn’t. Just not something most people think about.



Yeah, doors, cabinets and tubs aren't a standard size and they gouge on the pricing for them. That's why I've been learning to build cabinets so I can replace them without taking out a second mortgage. Standardizing my door sizes as well except for the exterior right now. It's nice to be able to replace a door without having to tear apart the walls and reframe everything.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

MH doors are generally standard widths but most are only 76" tall instead of 82" I usually just by a slab door and cut off whatever I need to off of the bottom. That also requires ripping a piece of 2x to insert at the bottom.


MH cabinets are junk. I built cabinets for my kitchen and they came out great. I'm currently building 4 for my shop and I keep making one mistake after another :vs_mad:


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## Fish_Stick (Feb 28, 2017)

mark sr said:


> MH doors are generally standard widths but most are only 76" tall instead of 82" I usually just by a slab door and cut off whatever I need to off of the bottom. That also requires ripping a piece of 2x to insert at the bottom.
> 
> 
> MH cabinets are junk. I built cabinets for my kitchen and they came out great. I'm currently building 4 for my shop and I keep making one mistake after another :vs_mad:



I think the newer ones might be but mine are directly screwed into the "studs." The jamb on the latch side is about 4 strips of the cardboard walls stapled into the other "stud." A regular prehung door size doesn't fit so I ripped the walls apart and reframed so one would fit.



They are, I don't even have backs and can't believe how long they have survived. Frames are just veneered particleboard and the doors...idk, look like mitered frames with a skin on the front and back. 



Certainly a trial and error game for the first couple but after sitting down and doing all the math for the bit set, making setup blocks and making a cheat sheet I can make the doors easily now. The frames and boxes are another ball of wax though, use sketchup to play with the dimensions and what works. I get the door dimensions from the sketch and plug that into my cheat sheet to get the cut sizes. Takes time but saves on the amount of firewood I used to make. Best of luck!


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

No, you can't use prehungs in a MH without reframing [maybe the whole wall] I was referring to slabs that you'd cut the height down and then use the existing jamb. Many MH interior walls aren't 2x4 construction.


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## jecapereca (Mar 28, 2019)

Being able to do things on my own and not having to rely on money all the time to fix things have been strongly inculcated in me by my parents, partly because they did not have a comfortable upbringing. Honestly, I am thankful for it even when money is no longer a problem (at least it isn't now) and in a way hiring others would also be helping them make a living. Recently I employed the help of a landscaper, got curious about the job and learned that they earn an average of $13 per hour (source). But being able to do things personally is more than just saving money, there is also satisfaction and peace in knowing that I'll do fine on my own.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

HandyAndyInNC said:


> I took the electric from 60 amp to 800 amp service
> I installed a 2" copper supply from the street


Wait, timeout from the regularly scheduled thread. 800amp? I don't even think I can get over 400a for single family residential. 2" water meter too? Are you paying commercial rates for those (here a 2" meter would be $230 more per month before water use charges!)? Are you a bitcoin miner bottling water on the side?


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

When I was young I did everything myself to save time and I figured that buying pro grade tools would mean that the work would take me longer than a pro but the end result would be comparable and for the most part that has proven to be the case. 

Now I do more than I would like by myself as after the Great Recession the number of skilled tradespeople in my area is down by 90% even now, some 10 years later. I can get a contractor with his crew only for projects that are in the $50,000 or more price range so no problems with a $100,000 deck remodel or a $60,000 master bath remodel but for smaller jobs or for repairs I need to do the work myself. This is also why I have owned a pickup truck for the past 45 years. 

Even with contractors I have drawn up the plans and purchased all the key components and staged them prior to work starting. I have also found that I need to be the onsite supervisor and stop work when it is being done incorrectly or provide workers with tools they forgot to bring or did not own. Even with my new walk-in shower I had to provide the plumber with a diagram for the balancing loop needed for even water pressure with the multiple heads and jets.

I am also grateful for Amazon as 90% of the time the parts or tools I need are not sold at the local building supply and hardware stores. This includes even minor things like drip irrigation parts or even gopher baskets, as well as high performance hole cutters for battery powered drills that I buy from Hole Pro and Blue Boar and not settle for the bi-metal hole saws from local hardware stores. 

I have long realized that I can often do a better job than a pro as I have taken the time to learn about the latest techniques and tools and materials, and I can go slower and even redo work if need be. The contractor needs to work faster and often this means taking shortcuts. The exception is the very rare master tradesperson who can do the work in half the time and produce superior results, but they are a dying breed.


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