7 Signs of doomed DIY

Want your DIY and home improvement to kick a++? Here are 7 signs it might be taking a nosedive.

I’m not talking doom like the house is will collapse doom. This doom is like…Man, I totally eff-ed this up. And it talks to you when you see it—every day: ‘Hi loser. Remember me?’

That’s fun. Yeah, no.

But it’s easy to outsmart. Look for these signs of impending problems.

1–Don’t cut that! If the solution to a DIY trim problem has you considering cutting part of the trim profile off so it can fit, think carefully about it because you’re probably screwed. Pre-fab wainstcoting that wasn’t sized for the room; door openings that are too close together for the casing to fit, crown that doesn’t look quite right… Fitting two curved pieces together rarely works. There are lots of ways around this—from using a different layout to using flat stock at difficult intersections—but you won’t look for them if all you’re thinking is: I can make this fit.

2–On the floor. If you have to contort yourself into an unreasonable position to make cuts with a tool that defines itself as ‘benchtop’ like a miter saw or table saw, chances are that cut will stink. Too much bandwidth is devoted non-cut-related things like not tipping over or showing too much butt crack that not enough attention gets paid to making a clean cut.

3–Enhanced rinsing. The deck-destroying assumption that a pressure washer is an all-powerful deck cleaner can lead to a really frustrating, REALLY expensive mistake. Further, moving the wand closer to the work—or upping the pressure—only makes it worse. I view a pressure washer as enhanced rinsing, not a cleaning agent. But rather than go into it here, check out this How to clean your deck video.

4–Can’t find your [_______] tool. Again. Being organized, while potentially boring, is one of the keys to the castle for DIY (and pro level) work. Spending time looking for something isn’t working or DIY-ing. It’s just shuffling through crap you don’t need. Get organized. Claim your project power. Here’s one tip for rolling up extension cords.

5–Just because it looks sharp…Blades don’t last forever. While they may cut for a long time and new ones are expensive, dull blades usually mean crappy cuts. Miter saw blades can fill with pitch or sap from a million and one cuts. Circ saw blades can lose teeth. And jigsaw blades—perhaps the most vexing of all—rarely show a single sign of being dull. But if the blade doesn’t make it through the work with relative ease, time for a replacement.

6–It’s two lines past the big line. Knowing how to read a tape measure well is kind of important in DIY. All those little lines are 1/16ths of an inch. If you can divide them by 2, then they’re said as 1/8ths. And by 4, ‘quarters’.

7–Tool belt. This is more pet peeve for me. Lots of people really hate tool belts. But for a projects large and small, they’re worth the inconvenience. At least to me. They don’t have to be a pro rig. A cloth apron will do for lots of projects. Here’s how I prove that: A tool or fastener that I can grab with one move—from anywhere: Ladder, in the middle of a deck, on top of a pergola—takes less time, energy and distraction to retrieve than one I have to walk two steps, or 10, to locate, pick up, use, and find a new place to put down before repeating the process.

I could go on. But the theme is this: Chances are that if you’re out of position, can’t find stuff, or using a tool improperly, what’s already difficult gets more so. Solve the problem before hit happens and, boom, home improvement hero.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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