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Old 05-01-2014, 08:01 PM
 
Location: Connectucut shore but on a hill
2,617 posts, read 6,997,802 times
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Just curious.......

My guess is that some of you folks have seen some absolute horrors committed by do-it-youreselfers doing shoddy repairs, absurd renovations or stupid designs.

And, related to that, is it usually apparent when repairs or renovations were done by the homeowner and not a professional? There are some very skilled DIYers out there and some incompetent pros. Without further information is it usually apparent what you're looking at?

I'm sure that are some great stories out there.
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Old 05-01-2014, 08:27 PM
 
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Typically bad repairs are hidden. Typically behind the sheetrock, so its a total mystery until you pull the sheetrock off. A simple fix can turn into a HUGE project.
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Old 05-02-2014, 05:08 AM
 
31 posts, read 33,560 times
Reputation: 46
Polarity is reversed on every plug in the house.
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Old 05-02-2014, 06:45 AM
 
101 posts, read 186,195 times
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In our former home, we decided to scrape off the popcorn ceiling in a bedroom addition. Didn't notice before starting that project that all the crown molding was hung UPSIDE DOWN by previous homeowner in a DIY project. Unbelievable how many blobs of caulk were holding that stuff on the wall and ceiling. How could you not notice how wrong that was when you were hanging it?

But I've seen some shoddy work by licensed contractors, too. Didn't notice for a while that the door and window trim in most of the bedrooms in our home were painted white with just a 4-inch roller brush. The "professional" painters saved time by rolling on a coat of paint and never used a paintbrush to cut in. As I said, it wasn't overly noticeable until you looked closely, but I would be embarrassed to have my company's name associated with such a lazy, shoddy job.

A couple of recent touch-ups we paid a license contractor to do on our currently for-sale home are not up to my husband's standards. He's already relocated so couldn't do the work, but it would have looked much better if he had done it himself. But he put himself through college by working in construction, so he has the background for a lot of DIY projects.

And my stepfather, who's a proud homeowner and tackled lots of projects himself instead of paying a pro, has no construction background. He always thoroughly researches any home project before attempting the job, and his work is some of the best I've ever seen.

So I'd say pride in a job well done makes the difference, whether the work is DIY or professionally done.
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Old 05-02-2014, 07:00 AM
 
4,567 posts, read 10,611,782 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LisaCola View Post
So I'd say pride in a job well done makes the difference, whether the work is DIY or professionally done.
Yep. I've seen some of the worst work I've ever seen done by people in the construction business 30 years. Sometimes longevity in construction doest necessarily mean they are good, sometimes it just means they are too incompetent to work for anyone else, unemployable. It just so happens there is plenty of people who need work done, and hire these idiots.
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Old 05-02-2014, 08:46 AM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,513 posts, read 40,253,021 times
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The biggest professional mistake I see is in regard to flashing. It is a huge deal in Oregon where it rains all the time.

The most common DIY issues I see are in regard to tile work. I've seen so much poorly installed tile.
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Old 05-05-2014, 01:07 PM
 
Location: Mount Monadnock, NH
752 posts, read 1,483,404 times
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Finished basements---a lot of opportunity for mistakes/shenanigans which could cause serious problems with mold, etc.
One house we had a contractor had finished a portion of the basement, turned it into a rec. room of sorts with paneled walls, carpet floor and one of those "dropped" ceilings with 12" tiles and recessed lights.
Well, fast forward about 4-5 years and the paneling had started to buckle severely, crack and crumble along the bottom. The carpet had warped in areas as well, with an odd smell in the air. We had no choice but to have the entire room gutted and redone. I did the remodeling myself this time. When I removed the paneling, it was found not only had mold started to grow in areas but stickers on the back clearly indicated it was not suitable for use 'below grade' or in moist conditions..it was actually particle board with a faux-wood face, not plywood.

The carpet was damp in areas and mold was growing under it too. When we tore down the tile ceiling more horrors: while the ceiling itself was installed correctly, the six recessed lights were not. Each fixture was wired to the next with non-metallic cable, but no junction box covers were present and the wire connections were done loosely with electrical tape, nothing more. No ground wires were connected, just left hanging in mid air. A few splices of cable were done without boxes either, just bare wires spliced with electrical tape in mid air. All of the wall outlets were of the 3-prong grounding type, but when I opened the boxes up, none were connected to ground...in fact none of the electrical wiring in the room was grounded at all. It was obvious none had ever been inspected, so when the room was gutten an electrician was hired to redo the entire room with new electrics. I then finished off the room with drywall/concrete board (walls and ceiling) myself and here, eleven years later it s still holding up nicely--so I am told by the people who now live there.
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Old 05-05-2014, 01:26 PM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,784 posts, read 74,806,151 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 399083453 View Post
Typically bad repairs are hidden.
Not at my house, LOL. The guy who lived here 20-25 years ago was a bad DIY-er. He must not have owned a level.
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Old 05-06-2014, 07:09 AM
 
4,567 posts, read 10,611,782 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Austin023 View Post
Finished basements---a lot of opportunity for mistakes/shenanigans which could cause serious problems with mold, etc.
Basements should not be finished. Period.
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Old 05-06-2014, 08:18 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,063,327 times
Reputation: 18726
Default Overly strident objections are generally foolish.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 399083453 View Post
Basements should not be finished. Period.
I have seen plenty of basements that are not just finished to an excellent degree but are everybit as resistant to any water related issues as above grade construction.

All comes down to using the right materials and have enough knowledge to know how the products work together.
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