So, what do you choose not to do around the house? Why?

[mattl]

I read Mark's comment  in his thread in the Deluxe forum about about not wanting to install his new dishwasher and saw others felt the same way.  Got me wondering why some folks are put off by things others routinely do.  I can pop a DW in in about 10 minutes and not even give it a thought, others feel very unsure about their abilities.  As I stated in his thread I thinks it's good to know your limitations, but I wonder where those limitations come from.  Are they learned or are we genetically predisposed with the ability to tackle projects.

 

Growing up I was always taking things apart.  If it had lights or a motor I wanted it and soon had it apart to see how it worked.  I did put it back together- most of the time.  I can recall being 8 or 9 and pulling tubes out of the TV and testing them, at that point I knew which tubes where the likely culprit.  At that same age I built a TV antenna, the log periodic style had just come out and I copied it  and made it out of an old antenna and wood.  At 14 or 15 I was wiring the basement when we finished it off.  I never gave a thought to not being able to do stuff.  Same age I built a 25" Heathkit color TV Perhaps it's because my parents never stopped me or even questioned how I knew what I did at an early age.

 

So, are you handy or are you a have it done type?  I know may have no qualms about tearing down a washer or dryer but is that your limit?  Run a water line?  Gas line?  Make a countertop?  If you don't is it lack of experience or something more that make you call someone in.  I see the younger generation as being largely unable to do many if not most things around the house, I find that scary.

 

[beekeyknee]

I was always the type to tear something apart to find out how it worked, sometimes with good results and sometimes not, but I didn't care. I wanted to know. My Father encouraged me to fix things on my own. If I realize a project is beyond my abilities I will ask for help but will supervise, as I have a natural instinct for the proper way to do things and what the result will be if it is done wrong.

 

[foraloysius]

No, I'm not handy. I have a tremor and sometimes light spasms. I have ideas how to do some things, but prefer to let others execute them.

 

[NYCWriter]

I'm in awe ...

... of all of the mechanical and technical abilities of those on this board.

This is why I've become quite talented at writing out checks.

 

[frigilux]

I am not a handy-man.  People run for cover on the rare occasion I open a toolbox.  Can't say exactly why I have an aversion to handling projects; both my father and stepfather were all about DIY and  could build a house from the ground up.  While I have an immense amount of patience for certain tasks, I cannot tolerate spending even 15 minutes pulling apart an appliance to diagnose and fix a problem.

 

On the upside, I help keep plumbers, electricians, contractors, repair services, and handy-men in business.

 

Add me to the list of people in awe of everyone here who braves tear-downs, re-builds, and repairs!

 

 

 

 

[chachp]

I've learned my mind is my biggest limitation....

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I, too, was always taking stuff apart as a kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Although I didn’t always get them put back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And I can also throw in a dishwasher in 10 minutes if I didn’t have this flipping counter situation that makes getting them in and out a bit of a challenge.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I get older I’ve found I am capable of doing most things that I put my mind to but I am one of those who needs to research it first, understand what I’m doing before I start and I want to be prepared before I start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’m not someone who just dives in and figures it out as I go along.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I did two things in this house that 20 years ago I never thought I would tackle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I put a Koi pond in my back yard but before I picked up a shovel I had researched it, planned it out, and had all the parts and pieces I thought I would need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I woke up one Memorial day and said today is the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>By the time hubby got out of bed I had the hole dug and was working on the liner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He was shocked when he got up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It went smoothly because I was prepared.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also put in a sprinkler system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I designed it based on what I read online, I ran all the lines connected all the valves, timer, rain sensor, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I mounted the timer on a brick wall where I even drilled holes in the brick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And saved myself about $5K in the process.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But in both cases I knew my limitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I won’t mess with power or plumbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>So in the case of the pond I had an electrician run the power to the pond and with the sprinklers I had a plumber connect the back flow valve to the house plumbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I did this for two reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I wanted to make sure both were up to code and I wouldn’t want something happening to my house that turned out to be my own fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>n both of these cases I bartered the work which even sweetened the deal.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m a computer geek so that’s where I’ll push the limits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I did all my Home Automation myself and if I must say I have the coolest sprinkler system both of which I can control from anywhere I have an Internet connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The sprinkler system even adjusts itself based on current weather conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some might say oh that’s a piece of cake and others would say how did you ever figure all that out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But that’s what makes us all different I guess.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bottom line is I am also someone who thought the only thing I would ever be good at would be to write a check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>However, buying this house and tackling so many of these things myself has given me a new sense of confidence and has helped keep money in my pocket instead of someone else’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The only advice I would have is take a little extra time up front to research and prepare and you’ll find the process a little more pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I am someone who has champagne taste and a beer budget so doing these things myself makes them attainable when otherwise they might not be.</span>

 

 

[NYCWriter]

Well ...

... the other things that are stopping me:

-- no time (I'm a typical type-A personality New Yorker who works pretty much all the time)

-- no workshop or even a few square feet to do any kind of messy project (I'm a typical New Yorker in a small apartment)

I'd love to get back into woodworking. I looooooooove the smell of sawdust!

 

[tolivac]

Like NYCWriter-my main problem is time---Have the tools and such-but not the time to do lots of these things.I have been working every midnight shift for 2 weeks now-just the way it is here.The jobs I HATE doing are yardwork and painting.The only yard chore I like is mowing-to me kinda like vacuuming a giant carpet.I love woodworking,too-did that in school shop classes.BUT-the price of lumber and time is putting a damper on this-for the price of the pile of lumber to build a furniture item--you could buy the item!Esp in my area.Oh yes my two Shopsmiths are sorrounded by vacuums!Lowes used to demo and sell Shopsmiths-haven't seen a demo there in years!I do lots of repair work and such at the transmitter plant.So guess I am not in the mood so much when I get home from work!

 

[NYCWriter]

Yes, Rex ...

... crazy shift work here too.

I've done some form of overnight/late night/early morning shift for the better part of 25 years. That's television.

And people who've never worked overnights really don't get how hard it really is. One 8-hour overnight shift is like working 16 daylight hours.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I prefer doing my own works and I always take everything as a chance to learn, this since I was a child, I enjoyed tearing up old toys to see how they worked and I always had interest to understand how stuff works... when there's something new first I try myself and if I realize it is beyond my ability and knowledge I call a pro and I observe what he does, and I ask explanations for what is unclear, then I try doing myself and most of the times I succed after I learned.
I think it's always best to learn how to do on your own...the more you can do, the more is better for the future and for you personally.

In fixing machines:
While I am not much mechanically inclined as I still not have much education about it, this when it comes to motors, transmission and clutches, sometimes, I am really confused and perplexed at first, especially by the theory on paper, but then as I get myself into the practical aspect I discover that what I thought complicated is actually very easy and so always result in a succes, as I am in life I prefer practice than theory, just think of when I had my oil leak in the Filter flo....I was so confused at first, but now I could replace pretty much everything in a Filter-flo and all I learned was just by opening it's back and turning it on it's side and observe...
The same is for dishwashers, dryers and so forth...
Funny is how I sometimes I meet more difficulties in figuring out how to open a machine rather than working on it's internal components, example: I had to ask how you access the front panel in a SQ dryer, but then I replaced the valve unit, thermostats, belts and can actually easily do everyrhing inside without any help or indications just by observing...
I can install machines and fix small things like pumps, seals, belts, valves etc at closed eyes and do that since I was 8 and that's what I did as a job when I was in elementary school, some kids collected leaves and shoveled snow, I did assistance for small issues in appliances taking as little as 10 euros versus 50 a techician asked you just for calling.
I can do "everyday" works inside the house, like replace a sink, drains and piping, sinkerators, electrical outlets, install ice maker refrigerators, gas dryers, gas stoves, change gas valves in appliances and heaters, install dryer or cooker hood vents (as long as you already have a vent hole, I don't have the tools), and do gas or water piping and related jobs around the house, etc....
All with confidence and security on what I am doing and with much ease.....small little things..
Not sure why for some people are so difficult to do even the simplest things, I believe it's all matter of inclination and confidence, but more than else inclination to practice, I think that if they would try they would be surprised of what they can do, but many of them does not even try, just because they have a feeling of not being good at it and prefer have it done rather than try theirselves...
I can also do small works of carpentry, I can break a wall to make access for wires, oulets and pipes and fix it properly....but I still have to learn alot for the rest...but again is matter of learning and trying...
I think it's important being the more indipendent you can be in life....
[this post was last edited: 6/11/2014-10:47]

 

[turquoisedude]

Even before "retirement" I would pretty much try anything around the house.  However, I am not good with a lot of woodworking projects.  My eyesight is awful and I frequently mis-read measurements so Hubby prefers to do the bulk of that work.  He does trust me to hammer in the nails or drive in the screws, though! 

 

For insurance reasons, though, I did not do any of the electrical work when we built the garage and re-did the kitchen.  

 

[whirlcool]

I do as much as I can around the house. Just about the only thing I don't do is air air conditioning work. I don't have the tools to do it.

Like others, I started as a little kid helping my father and my uncle do errands around the house, fixing things, working on cars, etc. I have always been pretty technical and interested in this kind of stuff. This later came in very handy when I started to fly. On the FAA private pilot tests there is a section about engines and how they work and engine performance. I was able to just breeze through the tests, but a lot of guys in my class had a hard time with it. Questions like, in a 4 stroke engine what are the name of the piston strokes? What's the difference between carburetated and fuel injected engines and how the weather affects each of these types. What do the valves to and how to they work? What is a camshaft?

Plus I have never enjoyed having to write a check to a repairman to fix something I could have fixed and had them do it just because I was out of town on a trip and Karen couldn't wait to have the item fixed before I got back. And if something breaks it always seemed to happen when I was on a trip.

I also do work on our cars, oil changes and light mechanical work. But I'm getting two old to get under the cars all the time. So if something big goes wrong, off to the mechanic it goes.

I also enjoy helping others out too. One of our neighbors had a toilet that was leaking and was going to call a plumber out to fix it for $150.00. I took them to Lowe's showed them where the toilet overhaul kits were and then assisted them while they repaired it themselves for $14.95. Plus I've also gotten involved with some appliance repair that everyone here on the site have helped me with and the repair was successful. I find it a lot of fun to fix things! Especially when the owner is appreciative!

Whenever I hear from that friend of ours who needed a dryer belt and drum glide kit still comments about how quiet the dryer is. He says it wasn't that quiet when it was new. It's very satisfying knowing that you helped someone out and saved them a huge bill for something that could be fixed at home.

But I have also discovered that some people are just nutty. They have strange ideas about how things work. Like that woman down the street who didn't want the motor in her dryer (which was in mint condition) changed. She wanted a new dryer.
Period. And it HAD to have a steam option. She was very adamant about that. So she buys an LG steam dryer. Now that she has had it for 18 months she has never used the steam option. Never. Then she has a nice KitchenAid dishwasher that she uses only a dime sized spot of liquid DW detergent in. She also likes to block the detergent dispenser with large roasting pans by putting them across the front and always complains that "something must be wrong with this dishwasher, it never cleans anything!". She has now taken to washing her dishes in the sink (yes w/soap and water) and then she'll put them in the dishwasher to wash. I'll leave those people to the professionals.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

CLEANING IT!!!!!!

My daughter's toys are all over the floor, so in turn, it's hard to vacuum! The den, the basement & the child's room are the only rooms that are carpted, but I need to learn a magician's levitation trick, or quit being soooooo DAMN LAZY!!!!

And NO EATING IN THE DEN, unless you pick up everything that falls on the floor & eat it or put it in the garbage... (And the floor used to be clean enough that you could do the former...!)

"Yes, wait'll you get home to find out what your daughter did, and what your wife didn't do!", I tell myself when I'm coming home from work, to find what the latest messes are...!

-- Dave

 

[jmm63]

I didn't become "handy" until later in life. I was never into tearing things apart when I was a kid. I lost my father at 7 so I never really had the exposure to fixing things. However, during those early years, I learned all there is to know about housekeeping, cooking, and baking from my mom and grandmother.

I found I'm pretty handy after owning my first house and especially my current old "fixer upper" . I just hate to pay someone to do something I can do. I do some electrical, all the painting, stripping, wallpapering, gardening etc. I installed a new floor in the kitchen without killing anyone, and most recently, I resurfaced the concrete walkway and steps in front of the house. My next project is replacing the rotten windows and sills in my garage...I mean, how hard can that be??

 

[norgeway]

I let Donald

And his Dad take care of anything that takes a hammer and nails!!

 

[iheartmaytag]

I have no problems, doing DW install, or some plumbing. It's the outside maintenance that I hate. Cleaning the gutters, painting the eves, Staining the deck.

The first two are related to the fact that I don't like heights, The third is I'm just lazy. Somehow a stained deck is just not as rewarding as fresh loves of sourdough bread.

 

[frigilux]

I'll watch a video on how to repair an appliance, and it looks so logical. The "rub" as they say, starts when a problem arises during the process: The rusted bolt won't budge, or it breaks off; etc. I don't have the patience or equipment needed to work through the roadblocks that can pop up during a repair job.

While my kitchen is well equipped to make cooking easy and fun, my entire inventory of tools consists of a hammer, a pair of pliers, a cordless drill, and a vice-grip pliers. Oh, and a level and a tape measure.

My sister hates to cook in her kitchen, and is always surprised that she actually enjoys cooking with me in my kitchen. It's because I have plenty of the right tools to make quick work of all sorts of tasks. Plus, she has someone with experience and kitchen confidence working beside her.

Guess I need to find a handy-man mentor!

 

[paulg]

Can't do it all

I was once the technical trainer for a large TV/Appliance manufacturer - plus my father was an Engineer for Hotpoint. For those reasons I am OK with just about any electronic or appliance issue.
However, I cannot nail two boards together.
The car and snowblower go to the shop and I pay. I never did well with car repair. I did manage to set fire to my LeBaron. It survived.
No natural gas work or plumbing of any type for me.
Computers are a weird one for me. I had to program computers to talk to TVs, stereos etc in the lab at work. My lab had four computers, two laptops and a Crestron. I would get into the operating systems of consumer electronic gear and run tests / pull info / change their operation in the interest of quality.
However, I HATE computer work with a passion. I never liked computers and avoid them whenever possible. I own APPLE equipment now and am a much happier person as the stuff always works.
Oftentimes people come over to the house and are surprised at the lack of high-tech gear. They ask why...
I always respond " Would YOU like to come home and have YOUR house littered with the stuff you see everyday at work??"
And that is why I love cocktails while listening to my tube amp stereo.
I wish (a lot) to learn how to repair/recharge a sealed-system. Anyone want to teach this fella?

 

[frigilux]

"The first two are related to the fact that I don't like heights, The third is I'm just lazy. Somehow a stained deck is just not as rewarding as fresh loves of sourdough bread. "

Harley, that sums it all up so well in my case.

One thing: Don't know that's it's laziness, necessarily. I'm willing to work very hard on things that interest me---and I'll bet you are, too---but painting, staining, building, repairing, etc., just don't do it for me. I can certainly understand the pride and sense of personal accomplishment one gets from those projects...but it's just not for me.