Things that you do around the house so you don't have to call an expert.

[///MPhatic]

My wife repaired the dryer last time.

I fixed a pin-hole leak in a copper water pipe with Conquest TSi parts from 1989. That's about the extent of it.

Oh, I do clean out the dryer tube every 6 months, I guess that's a skill.

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by ToddBlack88

So far the only thing I have decided to leave to the pros is mudding and finishing large drywall projects. The time it takes me to get it to my standards, I could build a house.

Lol, that's another thing that I hate doing. I'm like you, It takes me so damn long and I can never get it perfect.

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by eluded

I see you have Samsung's. It's a good thing you know how to fix them because you'll be fixing them a lot.

thanks.
Now a days other makes aren't much better. They don't last more than 10-12 years, if you're lucky. In the old days you could get 15-20 years out of them trouble free.
I had maytag before the Samsung and I had to replace them after 10 years. When they get older there's always something breaking.

[Alfisti]

I stink at the home handyman stuff. I can do basic things like change a power receptacle or replace a faucet but that's where it ends.

The problem is, paying folks to do stuff is getting absurdly expensive, a plumber for example is well over $100 an hr. I had a pro silicon/caulking guy do my bathroom and it was two guys for most of a day and hit me $1,500.

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I stink at the home handyman stuff. I can do basic things like change a power receptacle or replace a faucet but that's where it ends.

The problem is, paying folks to do stuff is getting absurdly expensive, a plumber for example is well over $100 an hr. I had a pro silicon/caulking guy do my bathroom and it was two guys for most of a day and hit me $1,500.

That's why I try to fix it myself first before I call an expert.
Just for the service call alone you're looking at $150.00 min. (Depending on the job) and then to fix it plus parts, sometimes it comes out to ridiculous amounts of money.

[Alfisti]

Oh I agree but i can't silicon a full bathroom, i am just not good enough.

My goal this year is to learn how to at least open the pool, closing is tricky because one mistake and the pipes in the ground break but opening..... i gotta figure it out.

[vreihen16]

I know how to do/fix EVERYTHING, and am frustrated that I cannot do a lot of it any more due to my ticker issue. For example, I pushed myself all of last weekend to assemble *half* of an Ikea furniture purchase, that should have taken no more than 30 minutes if I didn't have to keep stopping due to exhaustion/cramping. My last home project was engineering/installing our central AC unit a few years ago, which is when I came to the reality that I couldn't do stuff any more and needed to lean heavily on friends and family to help with the bulk of the labor.

The one thing that I could never master was laying a good bead with a mig welder, which frustrates me because I can effortlessly solder miniature surface-mount chips onto electronics boards. I'll never have the chance to try mig welding again now, because I'm 100% dependent on my pacemaker and arc welding with a pacemaker is verboten.....

[Dino GT]

I removed the old silicone and applied new silicone in my en suite shower and jacuzzi tub a couple of years ago and it was pretty easy.
Opening and closing the pool can't be that hard. I have a few friends that do it every year without any problems. I guess you just need to know what you're doing

[floridaorange]

Some stuff yes some stuff no

[XutvJet]

I have my "$500 rule", meaning, if I don't believe that I can cause $500 or more in additional issues/problems, then I'll most likely attempt it myself. There are exceptions like trimming and taking out trees, getting on high-pitch roofs, major home structural modifications, certain high voltage electrical stuff, mounting tires on wheels, and HVAC system replacement.

In most cases, it pains me when I have to pay someone to fix something for me. The amount of money I've saved over the years fixing/maintaining/remodeling cars, homes, electronics, appliances, furniture, basic watch/jewelry repairs is likely in the 6 figure range now that I'm 48 and have been doing this stuff for 25+ years.

I love learning how to take things a part and fix them. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. YouTube is an amazing thing and it's helped me immensely. I think my love of Legos and watching my parents do DIY projects are largely the basis for why I'm willing to do things myself.

I plan to buy a used MIG/arc welder and teach myself how to weld basis stuff. I also want to get a lift as I'm growing quite tired of working on my back.

[UncleWede]

Paint
tile
plumbing
rough framing
refinish old furniture

But more and more, I just don't have the drive/desire to do many of these. i.e.. plumbing is relatively easy IF I have the correct parts. My time to drive to HD 3 times to get the 3/4 instead of 1/2 connectors, plus that 18" line really needed to be 24. I just spent enough to have the dude show up with a whole truck of parts and do it for me, AND my back doesn't hurt from sitting in a lounge in the sun!!!

[overcoil]

replace pump on LG front loader washer. If you ever get O.E. error then replace the $60 pump.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Dino GT

Opening and closing the pool can't be that hard. I have a few friends that do it every year without any problems. I guess you just need to know what you're doing

Just set the water polo goal nets at the far ends and leave it uncovered, so they freeze in place and create the perfect hockey rink.

For other great tips like this, follow my YouTube and Instagram channels.....

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I have my "$500 rule", meaning, if I don't believe that I can cause $500 or more in additional issues/problems, then I'll most likely attempt it myself. There are exceptions like trimming and taking out trees, getting on high-pitch roofs, major home structural modifications, certain high voltage electrical stuff, mounting tires on wheels, and HVAC system replacement.

In most cases, it pains me when I have to pay someone to fix something for me. The amount of money I've saved over the years fixing/maintaining/remodeling cars, homes, electronics, appliances, furniture, basic watch/jewelry repairs is likely in the 6 figure range now that I'm 48 and have been doing this stuff for 25+ years.

I love learning how to take things a part and fix them. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. YouTube is an amazing thing and it's helped me immensely. I think my love of Legos and watching my parents do DIY projects are largely the basis for why I'm willing to do things myself.

I plan to buy a used MIG/arc welder and teach myself how to weld basis stuff. I also want to get a lift as I'm growing quite tired of working on my back.

Me too, I hate paying someone for something that I know I can do.
There has been times that I try to fix something and it doesn't work out. I screw it up so bad that I have to call someone to fix it, or it ends up going to the garbage.

And speaking of high pitch roofs. 3 or 4 years ago I was putting up the Christmas lights and I almost fell of the ladder. It was a little windy that day and I was putting the lights on the gable. It scared the crap out of me. I packed up all the lights, went to the store and bought 2 Christmas lights projectors. The safest and quickest Christmas lights to put up

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Just set the water polo goal nets at the far ends and leave it uncovered, so they freeze in place and create the perfect hockey rink.

For other great tips like this, follow my YouTube and Instagram channels.....

And then Alfisti can call you in the spring to replace all the broken pipes

[Alfisti]

LOL yep, that's the challenge, mess up the water removal from the underground piping and yeah... gonna get messy

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

LOL yep, that's the challenge, mess up the water removal from the underground piping and yeah... gonna get messy

Messy and expensive
It's not just the pipes that will need to be replaced, you're looking at the concrete too.