Homeowners Beware of DIY Repair Dangers

Aug. 21, 2009— -- In this economy, "do-it-yourself" home repairs have never sounded so good, and penny pinchers across the country are rolling up their sleeves, opening their toolboxes, and tackling home projects.

With the help of the Internet, TV advice shows, and some basic tools, you may wonder if you need a professional at all.

But "do-it-yourself" isn't always as easy as it may seem.

Cathy and Will Huiras of Fishers, Ind., thought moving their stereo cabinet from one place on their wall to another would be simple.

"We thought we had found a stud in the wall and unfortunately, we drilled into a copper pipe," Cathy said. "At the time, it didn't produce any water. We thought we were safe."

Several months later, however, the water finally appeared, in little puddles on the carpet.

Will Huiras said a large area of their living room was affected by the water.

"The dry wall had to come out," he said. "The paint bubbled and we had to peel all the paint off the wall and peel off the old, wet, sticky dry wall."

"It turned out to be quite a horrific day," Cathy said. "We turned the water off but water was still squirting out. The carpet was a mess. It was quite an ordeal."

After hiring pros to fix the pipe and install new dry wall, the couple was out close to $500.

Despite horror stories like that, other happy homeowners are still picking up their hammers.

In a recent Time magazine poll, 36 percent of people said they are spending less on home improvements, but 23 percent said they are doing more home repairs themselves rather than hiring help.

The argument for going with the pros isn't just about saving money in the long run. It's also about saving yourself. Emergency room doctors say they have treated more do-it-yourself injuries in the past year as people cut corners to save money.

Matt Taylor of Danville, Ill., might have avoided a 3-and-a-half inch nail in his wrist if he'd hired an expert. He was framing a door in his basement when things went awry.

Electrical work

Roof repairs

Anything involving high ladders, like gutter repairs

The next time you reach for your tool kit, depending on the project, you might want to reach for your phone and call a professional instead.