Trying to do too much by yourself can turn DIY to "why-oh-why."
It's admirable to try to do as much as you can around the house, in most cases it can save you a lot of money. You can paint your own bathroom or change your own HVAC filters.
However, there are some things that should be simply left to the professionals. In some cases, the task is much more complicated than you may assume, while other jobs are simply too dangerous.
A Broken Garage Door
A lot can go wrong when you're fixing your garage door. So, it's best to leave garage door opener repair to the experts, no matter how small the issue may be.
Your garage door is not just more complicated than you think; it's also more dangerous than you think. You could end up hurting yourself or someone nearby if you don't know what you're doing, particularly with high-tension springs in the mix.
You could do permanent damage, which could mean you're faced with having to buy a new garage door or opener when a simple repair done by a trained professional would have fixed the issue.
Electrical Work
Yes, electrical work can be expensive, but it's money well spent. Just because there are thousands of electrical walk-thrus on YouTube doesn't mean you should follow them. Most of the people who post these videos are more concerned with building a social following and less concerned with your safety.
This is dangerous work. It is also specialized work, which is why you should leave it to the specialists. If you have no experience working with electricity, you don't want your first mistake to be expensive or catastrophic.
A Leaky Roof
Where should we begin with this one?
First of all, your roof is incredibly expensive. It's also more complicated than you think. Just because there is a leak or drip coming down into your bedroom doesn't mean the actual hole in the roof is directly above it. It could be running down from a different part of the house.
Second of all, this is very dangerous work. We generally advise against most work like this, because you're adding a new level of danger working at heights.
Over a half of a million people are treated for serious injuries from a ladder fall every single year. About 400 of those falls are fatal. Even the professionals fall, as roofing is the 5th most dangerous occupation in construction.
You most likely don't have a professional roofer's safety training, experience or equipment. So, don't take any chances.
A good rule of thumb is the less experience you have in a given area, the more likely it is you should let someone do it for you. We live in an age where internet videos can make nearly any home repair seem attainable; even easy.
However, it's not until you actually try to do the task that you realized you've bitten off more than you can chew. In these situations, the best-case scenario is you're now in over your head. The worst-case scenario is you're now in danger.
