One too many HGTV shows can put us in the mood to mix things up at home. We get it. There’s excitement around the idea of transforming your basement or bringing in new energy to your bathroom with a fresh floor tile installation. Whether you’ve attempted anything like this before or not, we’re gonna advise you to step away from Pinterest and drop the mastic. Seriously.

First off, we want to say that you’re probably a capable, creative person with great design vision for your home. Don’t get us wrong! If you’ve ever repainted your interiors or installed new fixtures in your bathroom, we’re the first to applaud your moxie. Your home should be a canvas to express your style and get creative. But there are some things best left to the professionals. We don’t say this to dampen your spirit, but only because we’ve been there with clients and we’ve seen the results. Today, we’re going to discuss a few projects that seem like they might be easy to tackle on your own and why you really shouldn’t.

Sanding the floor

We love wood floors but to look their best, they need some TLC. If your floors are in need of a good sanding and staining, it’s easy to assume that this task is a good DIY project, but we think you’ll quickly change your mind. Sanding floors is very physically demanding. Aside from the hard work, it’s very easy to tell the difference between an expert and an amateur when it comes to sanding floors. This is a skill best built up over time and experience, so we recommend hiring a pro instead of attempting it yourself.

Plumbing

Sure, you can tackle a clogged drain or a leaky faucet. Beyond that? We don’t recommend doing it yourself. It might seem accessible to replace some pipe connections or remodel your bathroom on your own, but the results could be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. The plumbing in your home is pretty vital so put away your toolbox and phone a professional.

Installing a skylight

Skylights are a wonderful addition for any home, unless they leak and cause mold problems and potential flooding. It’s much better to know that the person installing your skylight has done this many times before (and is willing to offer you a warranty on their work and the skylight itself!). Even if you have some construction experience in your past, the risk isn’t worth the damage that may result if you don’t install it perfectly.

Floor tile installation

Yes, many people do their own tilework and sometimes, it turns out alright! But there is a steep learning curve to this work, and we don’t recommend diving in unless you really know what’s involved with installing a tiled floor. Aside from the fact that you may be haunted by the place where you were slightly off in the tile design, you can cause expensive damage if don’t know what you’re doing.

Massive remodeling

Thinking about removing a wall for an open floor plan look? How certain are you that the wall in question isn’t load bearing or structurally important to your home? It’s best not to begin any type of wall demolition yourself and rely on folks who have experience with this. You’ll avoid saddling yourself with much more expensive repairs and remodeling if you stop yourself from pulling out the sledgehammer.

We hope these examples gave you some pause before attempting a project you may regret. If you’re in the process of a home remodel on your Hendersonville or Asheville, NC property, Brock Builders is happy to provide the professional and quality work you need for each step of the project. Or, if you’re so enthusiastic about crafting a house exactly to your specifications, why not work with us to build an Asheville custom home? We’d love to hear from you!