5 Home Improvement Projects You Should Leave to the Professionals

Removing period detail

Homebuilding & Renovating recommends that when renovating an old property, you should consult with a professional before removing windows and doors that originally came with the house. Removing period windows and doors lessens the value of the property, and replacing them with another material might not work for older style houses. Alongside contacting a professional to do the job, also consider conserving period details as much as possible to save yourself the money and hassle. It will also add more character to your home.

Updating, replacing or installing electrics

It’s true that calling an electrician may cost more than you’d like. However, if electrical jobs are done incorrectly, they can cause fires, injury or even deaths. Electricians cite instances where they’ve seen homeowners use the wrong sized lighting cables for their circuit breaker. This means that the cable is likely to melt due to a high load, which compromises the safety of everyone in your home. Moreover, some electrical jobs need to comply with certain regulations and be signed off by your local authorities. Handing off your electrical home improvement job to a professional means that they can sign the work off themselves. Hiring an electrician is definitely the safest way to go about improving your home.

Any gas and heating related fixes

Similar to electrical fixes, any gas and heating related fixes might cost more for a professional to do it, but it gives you piece of mind knowing that the job doesn’t compromise your family’s safety. With most gas-related work it also needs to be carried out by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. These jobs include installing or repairing a gas boiler, gas cooker, gas fire or hob. Potential gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning pose serious risks. Moreover, contacting a professional could also save you additional repairs in the future.

Fixing and installing pipes

There are some plumbing jobs such as bleeding radiators or topping up the pressure of your boiler that are easy to do. However, more difficult plumbing jobs like installing and fixing pipes are riskier to undertake on your own. For example, if you don’t install a soil pipe in your bathroom correctly it will start smelling horrible and you will have to bring in someone to fix it anyway.

Incorrectly installing pipes in your home can also lead to flooding or even burst pipes. It is always best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, as HomeServe detail how pipes can burst at the most unexpected moments. This is why installing new pipes and fixing those that have already burst could be a costly mistake. It’s best to find plumbers who can do the job properly and have experience carrying out these types of jobs.

Removing second story flooring

The Girl Sun featured a young male who tried removing floorboards in his room on the second floor by himself, but started from the wrong end so he had to balance on a thin plank just to finish the job. Fixing flooring on the second floor of a house isn’t something you want to do on your own, especially with the risk of falling and injuring yourself. Find a professional builder who knows how to fix second story flooring safely.