5 DIY Projects to Leave to the Pros

Sep 1, 2013

5 DIY Projects to Leave to the Pros

The Internet is filled with tips, tricks and all sorts of DIY projects to help you save money and live better. But sometimes tackling a project yourself will only leave you frustrated, in debt and with a bigger problem than you had before. Here are some projects that you definitely want to leave to the professionals:

That Hole in the Roof? Make a Phone Call

Not only is working on the roof risky (because you can slip and fall) but it could be detrimental to your home's structure if you don't know the proper way of installing or repairing your roof, according to AWM Construction. If you try repairing yourself it could look right as rain now, but in a few months could start deteriorating or chip away if not installed properly, leaving the inside of your home susceptible to damage.

You're Worse at Protecting Your Identity Than You Think

According to Kelsey Havens at identity theft protection service Lifelock, the average thief has 106 days to wreak havoc with your personal and financial information before you're likely to notice yourself. That's almost four months of fraudulent purchases, credit card applications and other types of abuse that would leave your credit history, and bank account, in ruins. Instead of taking on the burden of monitoring all the details yourself, hire a service that monitors and notifies you in the event of a breach. Services like Lifelock also provide tips on their Facebook or Twitter pages to keep you a little better informed.

Removing a Tree From Your Yard: Don't Even Think About It

Your tree is just too big for your yard, or maybe lightning struck down and broke your tree in half. Sure, it might look like an easy job to do but do not try to take the tree out yourself. You can do physical harm to yourself, others and even your home if you accidentally rip out plumbing or part of the stump falls onto your home, shattering your roof, says The Progressive Farmer. When removing branches or cutting down trees, it takes strength, climbing and working with dangerous tools. It's better left to the trained professionals to do this: You don't want to accidentally cut your arm off!

Replacing the Brakes on Your Car

New brake pads are pretty inexpensive so you might be tempted to change them out yourself, but if you don't know what your doing you can do more harm that good. According to AAA, when changing brakes yourself there's a risk of not tightening the lug nuts enough, inadvertently spraying oil on the brakes or putting the wrong fluids in the reservoirs. Since your brakes are one of the most important safety feature of your car, you better leave this to a trained professional.

Outdoor Kitchen: As Tempting as It is to Do Yourself, Don't

Yes, outdoor kitchens are amazing, beautiful, fantastic and convenient (I could go on) but putting one in yourself could be damaging and disastrous. Unless you're a practiced and trained professional, you might not understand the complexity of putting in a grill station, dish washer and cook top. The plumbing alone is complicated enough, so be sure to get a professional to install this masterpiece, because you won't want to use a half-completed or broken kitchen.