D is for DIY

D is for DIY

I lived in the northern England for a little while, and while I was there I had a roommate from southern England.  I had grown up on a farm, so I had no idea what DIY was, we just fixed it ourselves, rather than pay too many people to do it.  But when something was not quite right and I suggested that we just fix it, he got all excited that we were going to be doing some DIY.  He hadn’t done much DIY in his life and it was something that he always wanted to do. 

Sometimes I like to fix things myself especially mechanical devices because I get to see how they work and how they were put together.  As I completed my engineering degree I also see more of the engineering that was put into it like the motion and energy transfer and movements.

For determining whether or not I should fix something myself it usually comes down to one of two options.  Do I have the time to do it myself or do I have the money to get someone else to do it?  Part of the time calculation includes how much experience I have with it or how complicated the repair is, also do I have the tools to do the job efficiently. 

For example, if I something on the internals of my engine of my vehicle stopped working, then would likely get someone else to fix it as I have very little experience in successful engine repairs, in fact I the opposite.  I have tried to fix something on a quad I had in high school, but ended up having to take it to the repair centre because I messed something up.  On the other hand I had an alternator failure on my car and I was confident to be able to change that because it was just unbolting and unplugging it.

I feel fairly confident in most of my abilities on home based repairs, like stuff with wood, electrical and plumbing.  Due to my working in commercial construction I am concerned with making sure things meet code, so I will consult with contractors at work to make sure that I am doing things correctly.

Here is a quick note on tools.  Make sure that you have the correct ones.  My wife gets upset whenever I have a new project to take on that I want to buy a new tool.  Well, for me if the new tool will make it so that I can complete the job quicker and safer, then I am all for it.  I will admit sometimes the tool is for a status symbol, but that is not typically the only reason for the purchase. 

If the costs for you to do the job based on a virtual discounted rate compared to having a professional to do the job, and you have the desire to learn how to do the work by doing it yourself, then by all means embark on the exciting journey of DIY.  If you don't know how to do something google it and find a forum and watch plenty of YouTube videos.

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