DIY is a term that encompasses a range of home-focused skillsets, all aimed at improving our domestic residences with our wit, will, and financial investment. DIY may be seen as a chore by some, but for many, it’s a worthwhile and fun method of maintaining our homes, and of feeling a sense of autonomy in how it’s presented.
That being said, you cannot simply apply yourself to DIY efforts because you feel you can. While simple tasks such as putting up shelves can seem easy enough, they require planning, and understanding of safety, and correctly moving forward from there to enjoy the best success.
For this reason, it’s important for anyone new to DIY, or anyone a little rusty, to consider and reconsider the four principles of DIY should they wish to enjoy success. After all, staying safe, protected, and accurate in your pursuit is a crucial part of success. Too many homeowners find themselves at a loss, or worse, injuring themselves,if not following some of the golden advice below:
Safety Is Paramount
Safety should always be considered paramount whenever attending to a DIY task. Without this most vital of efforts, you will find yourself unfortunately closer to risk than you might like. This means wearing important protective gear, such as gloves, safety glasses, or even a hard hat depending on the kind of work you’ll be doing. Also, ensuring that your electricity circuit is switched off from the fusebox before you try any invasive work (and even then, verifying that your approach is safe) is essential.
Reading thoroughly through manufacturer manuals when using a new tool is important, as is only using ladders or stands that are fully secure and balanced. Furthermore, dust sheets, preventing your children from coming into rooms in which you’re working, and great lighting are all essential. Safety really must be your first priority, because at your home there’ll be no foreman looking over your shoulder and making sure you’re adhering to best practice.
Don’t Rush Things, Nor Leave Things Undone
Never rush DIY. It’s important to verify everything that you do before you do it. An old adage of ‘measure twice, cut once’ is something that should be in your mind at all times. This helps you avoid causing undue damage, or subduing your pursuit with mistakes. Furthermore, leaving things undone for some time can sometimes even leave your home in a worse state of repair than you intended. For instance, incorrectly securing shelving units could make for a real falling hazard, which is not something you should accept. ‘Good enough’ is never something you should settle for, there are right and wrong ways of performing a job. Now, of course, you likely know all of this. Yet practicing this principle when working hard on a long project can be different. You may feel the need to cut corners or perhaps overlook certain errors you have made in the interest of completing a task over the weekend.
If you aim to never rush things, nor to leave them undone, you’ll be in the best possible mindset conducive to excellent DIY work. Then your practical standards will be embodied in the surrounding residence you live in. That’s a great feeling to have.
Use The Right Tools
Using the right tools for the job should also be an essential aim. You cannot complete a job with half-baked or too-old tools, nor is using a tool for any other purpose than that it was designed for advisable. To use an example, you can click here to view a direct comparison between an electrical and impact wrench, helping you come to the best decisions when expanding your toolset library.
Taking the time to source the right tools also means knowing how to use and maintain them correctly. This is especially true of power tools, or tools that could cause real injury if not used correctly. If a manufacturer recommends using a machine in short, quick bursts and wearing full safety protection while doing so – do so. A tool is only as good as its owner permits it to be.
Join A Community
There are many excellent communities out there, all focused on the best DIY application. r/DIY is just one of these. You may decide to ask questions, join the forums, and learn tips you may not have known before as you begin, in order to save yourself the hassle. DIY needn’t be something you feel alone in carrying out. There’s plenty of practical wisdom out there to make use of.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily commit to the best DIY principles before committing to your final task.
