Are you a handyman/woman??

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Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
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I was just wondering about the people here. I was raised in a household where my father did just about everything. The only professional I ever remembering him hire was a guy to run the furnace duct (sheet metal) when we were building our house. My father did everything else and my grandfather did the electrical wiring. Then I was lucky enough to marry into a family whose Patriarch is my father x10! I have yet to have this guy find something he couldn't do. :)

So, the question is can you perform your own general household maintenance? This goes for anything, cars, yard, etc...


For example...

Can you set a toilet?
Install a sink & faucet?
Lay ceramic tile?
Maintain your own car? (Oil, brakes, minor tune-ups, etc.)
Perform repairs/advanced maintenance your own car? (CV-Joints, timing belt, water pump, etc.)
Run the wiring for a light switch?
Install a light fixture?
Install/repair drywall?
Frame a room?
Install TV antenna/Satellite dish and run wiring?
Install new copper plumbing for a water run to something?
Pour Cement?
Build a fence?
Install a sprinkling system?

The second part is DO YOU actually do this stuff or do you find it easier to pay someone else?


amish
 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0

Can you set a toilet? - Haven't tried
Install a sink & faucet? - Yes
Lay ceramic tile? - Yes (and can't wait to use my new diamond blade tile cutter at the new house)
Maintain your own car? (Oil, brakes, minor tune-ups, etc.) - Yes and No, have never done brakes
Perform repairs/advanced maintenance your own car? (CV-Joints, timing belt, water pump, etc.) - No
Run the wiring for a light switch? - Not yet, but will soon
Install a light fixture? - Yes
Install/repair drywall? - Yes
Frame a room? - No
Install TV antenna/Satellite dish and run wiring? - Yes
Install new copper plumbing for a water run to something? - No
Pour Cement? - Yes
Build a fence? - Yes
Install a sprinkling system? - Not yet, but will soon (this should be real fun)

The second part is DO YOU actually do this stuff or do you find it easier to pay someone else?

Yes, I have done all of this stuff marked Yes and will be doing some more of it once I move into the new house. I wanted to build my own pool, but was talked out of it. :(
 

I do all that and more, the only thing I won't do is clean out/and or replace a main sewer pipe.
(The smell makes me gag to no end)

I have never paid anyone to do any of those jobs.

Handyman yes, Handywoman no.
 
R

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,475
1
0
Electrical scares me so I haven't ventured that far yet, although I'm a cheap bastard so I will undoubtably do it some day, but I'm not going to be touching circuit boxes without help.

I also haven't sweated any copper personally but I've done everything else on the list. With the exception of the difficult automtive stuff I do it all myself, the more difficult automotive stuff depends on the price. Usually it's not worth my 6 hours to change a CV Joint (and yes it did take me that long the first time).
 
W

weezergirl

Diamond Member
May 24, 2000
3,366
1
0
wow, you just described my dad! he's the handyman superstar. he's done everything on your list except for maybe the sprinkler system. we've never hired anyone to do any kind of work because my dad is really untrusting of them. and it's not really a big man ego type thing, he does it on his own because he CAN. or he learns how to do it. and he does a very good job too. unfortunately his 4 kids don't share his enthusiasm and we rely tooo much on dad. my dad's my hero. :)
 
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Yep, that's me. Jack of all trades, master of none. Dabble in everything you mentioned and then some. Don't particularly enjoy it. I just do it to save money. Lately I'm getting really bad. It's all I can do to drag my dead butt outside and cut the grass! :eek:

BTW, did your dad teach you as he went along? I simply MUST drag my boys into these projects as they come up. That's another thing I'm bad about. It's a LOT of extra time and effort to show somebody else how to do something, but I owe 'em at least that!
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
I'll vote myself at "above average" in handiness.

I can do

- light plumbing
- mix, pour, and finish concrete
- tile work
- minor car stuff(oil changes, tire rotations, ect)
- reroof a house
- drywall work
- decent with powertools

I'm sure I could do some minor wiring if I read a book on it. I wire all my phones and network connections, as well as doing the punch downs and crossovers. Electrical isn't *that* much different, just higher stakes at play :)

As for your second part, I'm cheap, so I'll try and do as much of it as I can myself and save money. It takes me an hour to change the oil in my car(allowing it to completely drain), but I save $15 a pop for it and have the piece of mind knowing that some monkey isn't going to strip out the oil pan plug with an air wrench.
 
J

Johnnie

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
May 28, 2000
8,444
0
76
i do electrical at work :)
matter of fact installing a new light fixture now in my bedroom :)
can do most anything around the house..not that i like to :)
 
E

Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
1
0
Originally posted by: Ornery
Yep, that's me. Jack of all trades, master of none. Dabble in everything you mentioned and then some. Don't particularly enjoy it. I just do it to save money. Lately I'm getting really bad. It's all I can do to drag my dead butt outside and cut the grass! :eek:

BTW, did your dad teach you as he went along? I simply MUST drag my boys into these projects as they come up. That's another thing I'm bad about. It's a LOT of extra time and effort to show somebody else how to do something, but I owe 'em at least that!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the only thing I really remember my father actually teaching me was Brakes and Tune-up. The rest I learned by watching, by reading, or by trial and error. :)

My father and grandfather built my Grandfather's last house and my Parent's last 2 houses. I learned a lot through osmosis just by being in the vicinity. I really wish my grandfather would have lived longer so I could have learned from him. He was a genius when it came to electrical wiring.

amish
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Can you set a toilet? Yes and I hate working on toilets. :disgust:

Install a sink & faucet? Dunno about the sink since I have not tried but it does not look too difficult from what I have seen and yes to the faucet.

Lay ceramic tile? Never tried but my wife did some in our kitchen.

Maintain your own car? (Oil, brakes, minor tune-ups, etc.) Yes. I rebuilt a VW engine back when I had a real (air cooled) Bug.

Perform repairs/advanced maintenance your own car? (CV-Joints, timing belt, water pump, etc.) Yes see above.

Run the wiring for a light switch? Helped my father with it way back when I was younger so I guess I could if needed. Have replaced switches and outlets.

Install a light fixture? Yes.

Install/repair drywall? Yes but there seems to be a knack to this I am missing to make it totally invisible.

Frame a room? Helped my father with that as a kid as well and will put it to the test when we begin finishing our basement.

Install TV antenna/Satellite dish and run wiring? Yes my DirecTV was self installed complete with drip loops and grounding.

Install new copper plumbing for a water run to something? Never tried this but suspect no.

Pour Cement? Yes.

Build a fence? Never tried it.

Install a sprinkling system? I assume you mean outside and again have never tried it.

My biggest "Harry Homeowner" project to date was laying hardwood flooring in our family room last November. It was a lot tougher than it appeared but it sure feels good to have done it ourselves. :)
 
A

Armitage

Banned
Feb 23, 2001
8,086
0
0
Originally posted by: Electric Amish
I was just wondering about the people here. I was raised in a household where my father did just about everything. The only professional I ever remembering him hire was a guy to run the furnace duct (sheet metal) when we were building our house. My father did everything else and my grandfather did the electrical wiring. Then I was lucky enough to marry into a family whose Patriarch is my father x10! I have yet to have this guy find something he couldn't do. :)

So, the question is can you perform your own general household maintenance? This goes for anything, cars, yard, etc...
Click to expand...

Yea, I learned alot from my dad/extended family also.
To the point that I'm now building a 1400 ft^2 addition onto my home, and doing most of the work myself. So far, I've contracted out the slab, roofing, and setting 2nd story trusses. Primarily because I don't have many friends here to assist that have the first clue how to do this stuff. And sometimes time is more important then money. I'll be contracting the stucco & gutters also.

Another factor is how much skill is required vs. perseverence.
Any monkey can do framing. Read the plans, measure, cut, nail. A few tricks to learn on stud placement, etc. But nothing critical.
Same goes for roofing, siding, setting windows. Electrical takes a bit more reading, but isn't bad.

But some stuff takes skill & experience to do it well.
Stucco
car bodywork & painting
laying block/brick (for me at least), and even more, laying stone (real stone, not that cultured stuff).
cabinet making & finish carpentry.
etc.

For example...
Click to expand...

Can you set a toilet? I've replaced one from the flange up. I'm just finishing up the DWV plumbing in my addition. PVC though, to much of a wimp to do it in cast iron :)
Install a sink & faucet? Yep
Lay ceramic tile? Yep
Maintain your own car? (Oil, brakes, minor tune-ups, etc.) Yea, but I do take the honda to jiffey lube just because the filter is such a b|tch to get at, and it's not much more then DIY
Perform repairs/advanced maintenance your own car? (CV-Joints, timing belt, water pump, etc.) I have, but don't have access to the tools/lifts etc. since I've left home.
I've rebuilt snowmobile & moped engines.
Run the wiring for a light switch? Sure.
Install a light fixture? Yep
Install/repair drywall? Yea, but it sucks. Drywall finishing is about my least favorite construction task.
Frame a room? Two story addition.
Install TV antenna/Satellite dish and run wiring? Sure
Install new copper plumbing for a water run to something? Yes. Copper beats plastic compression fitting stuff any day. Got a funny story on that though.
Pour Cement? Yes
Build a fence? Yes
Install a sprinkling system? Nope

The second part is DO YOU actually do this stuff or do you find it easier to pay someone else?
Click to expand...

Depends how much of a hurry I'm in and how much specialty equipment you need.

amish
Click to expand...

It's amazing to me how many (most?) people don't have the first clue about how to do the most basic home repair/improvement. I've had friends call hire handyman services to replace faucet washers, light switches, door locks. This stuff simple, but they just don't have any idea where to start. Or just don't want to. But then, $40 to change a set of faucet washers should be motivation enough!

Alot of it is just confidence & curiosity as well. When most people have a small appliance go out, they toss it. A broken appliance is an opportunity to poke around. I've fixed my microwave twice for less then $5 each time.

Just lucky I guess, I learned everything on that list (and some that isn't) from dad & family.

A few things not on the list:
butchering
painting
operating heavy equipment (tractors, combines, backhoes, large trucks, etc.)
installing leach fields
siding (Al, vinyl)
repair/replace water heater (you'd be amazed how many people spend hundreds getting a new water heater installed for want of a $20 part)
ski tuning, testing and adjusting bindings

 
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