how does someone learn to become handy?

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nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
so, I'm in the process of very casually house-shopping... not really looking to buy soon, but probably within the next 2-3 years once I've got a downpayment saved up and my great aunt/landlady is presumably in a nursing home/passed away*.

when I've got time to kill and I'm out of internet articles to read, I've been casually browsing sites like Zillow/Trulia just to look at what's out there, figure out what I want in a house, and get a feel for overall prices in my area.

every once in awhile, I'll come across a property like this -- http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/220-Mountain-Ave-Bound-Brook-NJ-08805/39847389_zpid/ where it has great bones and a super low price for the area, but obviously needs a lot of work. it makes me wonder, how to people actually learn to become handy so they can put the work into a fixer-upper rather than having to contract it all out?

sadly, I'm descended from a long line of people whose only home repair skill is picking up a phone.

(*at the moment, I live in a 2-family house with my 90 year-old great aunt in the other unit. as tenant and her only source of income, I want to stay here for as long as possible... the big x-factor is if she were to die and leave the house to me, in which case I'd probably sell it and use the money to buy something brand new and otherwise out of my price range)
 
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justoh

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
91
I understand the sentiment. I wish I was more so myself, though I would only ask the question rhetorically, I suppose. It must only require the motivation to learn. The information is freely available. Honest response.
 
The Boston Dangler

The Boston Dangler

Lifer
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
2
0
i think you're underestimating the value of the skills and effort involved. i consider myself quite handy, able to use and fix anything within a home, but i suck at carpentry and construction.

in fact, the vast majority of people have no idea what they're doing when it comes to home repair. like my carpenter friend says of home depot, "you can fuck up your house. we can help."
 
corwin

corwin

Diamond Member
Jan 13, 2006
8,644
9
81
Most people learn it out of necessity...I had to do all sorts of stuff as a kid, replacing water heaters, toilets, plumbing, wallpaper, car work etc. because we couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it...now I know how to do all that crap even if I can afford to pay someone else to do it:p
 
spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,960
1,657
126
Alot of depends on your personal aptitude as well...Even though I had no experience with laminate floors, I had no problem ripping out my old carpet, cutting the boards to size (even had to work around some funky angular columns I have) and putting up new baseboards...For having zero experience, I thought it came out very nice..
QR2.jpg

floor.jpg


I have also replaced my garbage disposal, replaced my wooden fence posts with metal poles, built garage shelving, put ceiling fans, replaced light fixtures, and bunch of other stuff around the house with zero experience...

Pretty much just patience, trial and error and alot of Youtube videos...
 
TheSlamma

TheSlamma

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2005
7,625
5
81
http://www.diynetwork.com is a great resource, also show up for those free Home depot classes on things or see if you have a trade school in your area, Denver has one called Emily Griffith trade school, even those home improvement books you can get off Amazon or from your local library are a great starting points.

Some of the other guys in here are right though, will to try, want to learn and aptitude are important. Also if you feel you are going to just rush the job then don't do it.. too many home owners do 1/2 ass work cause they are in a hurry and end up unsafe or redoing it over again.
 
boomerang

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
There are two ways. Roll up your sleeves, wade in, make mistakes and learn from them or reel in a friend with the knowledge to help and learn from him or her.

You can do all the reading and video watching you want but ultimately, you're going to have to perform the work and that's where you'll develop your skills.

You've heard it before. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
 
Mayne

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
8,849
1,380
126
boomerang said:
There are two ways. Roll up your sleeves, wade in, make mistakes and learn from them or reel in a friend with the knowledge to help and learn from him or her.

You can do all the reading and video watching you want but ultimately, you're going to have to perform the work and that's where you'll develop your skills.

You've heard it before. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
Click to expand...


truth
 
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nickbits

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,122
1
81
Research, and trial and error

It also helped that my dad was handy. He didn't teach me anything directly but I learned what could be done.

When I moved I told my wife I was building a deck. She didn't really think I could do it but I have a find looking deck now that I built 100% myself. (Ok, I hired someone to dig the post holes--clay was too hard for anything else)

Since moving, besides the deck, I have installed 2 humidifiers, a hot water heater, sump pump, numerous fans, lights and outlets, a whole house circuit breaker, new circuits, wired house for gigabit Ethernet, tiled the kitchen and installed cabinets, drywall repair, redid upstairs rough plumbing, installed toilet and faucets, hung mirrors, towel racks and toilet paper holders. I had no experience with any of that beforehand.
 
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Mayne

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
8,849
1,380
126
nickbits said:
Research, and trial and error

It also helped that my dad was handy. He didn't teach me anything directly but I learned what could be done.

When I moved I told my wife I was building a deck. She didn't really think I could do it but I have a find looking deck now that I built 100% myself. (Ok, I hired someone to dig the post holes--clay was too hard for anything else)

Since moving, besides the deck, I have installed 2 humidifiers, a hot water heater, sump pump, numerous fans, lights and outlets, a whole house circuit breaker, new circuits, wired house for gigabit Ethernet, tiled the kitchen and installed cabinets. I had no experience with any of that beforehand.
Click to expand...

I'm also guilty of having a friend with a laser level. Still learned tonnes though.
 
SolMiester

SolMiester

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2004
5,330
17
76
I learnt just by watching my Dad as I grew up, his favourite saying was, shut up and watch!....LOL
 
TheSlamma

TheSlamma

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2005
7,625
5
81
boomerang said:
There are two ways. Roll up your sleeves, wade in, make mistakes and learn from them or reel in a friend with the knowledge to help and learn from him or her.

You can do all the reading and video watching you want but ultimately, you're going to have to perform the work and that's where you'll develop your skills.

You've heard it before. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
Click to expand...
I would do a little homework though. I had a friend who was told by some moron you can use greenboard in a tile shower, that was a 2 year fail and redo mistake that could have been solved just by doing Durock instead for a few dollars more and TBH an easier to use material IMO.

All he had to do was ask me or post on the DIY network and it would have been a 20+ year install.
 
E

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
20,569
3,762
126
nickbits said:
Research, and trial and error
Click to expand...

This. Having the proper tool can make the job easier\look better. I've gone around and re-done some of my initial jobs because I now have the tools to make it look nicer.

Oh and always higher out drywall mudding. Sure you can learn it but is a giant, messy pain in the ass. I did everything myself when I finished part of the basement and this is the only thing I would pay someone else to do
 
Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,546
13,796
126
www.anyf.ca
I learned mostly from doing, watching TV shows (have to take those with grain of salt sometimes but they can still help. Holmes series and so on) Also just reading a lot of stuff online. Some stuff is also self explanatory. You see how it's done and can replicate the same way. Though you have to be careful as sometimes it was done wrong. Ex: back stabbed electrical outlets. It may be UL approved and to code but it's not really the right way of doing it and can cause a fire.
 
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natto fire

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2000
7,117
10
76
Just fake it. I have done quite a few jobs fixing other "handyman" jobs, and have probably caused a headache or two down the road winging it at quick fixes.

I did come from an industrious background, self reliant farming folk, and learned a lot of stuff when I was younger. I couldn't describe to you how I learn things any more than you could describe to me how you learn things.

I know diy network is the least sensationalized of all those networks (and I really enjoy the Holmes shows), but I disagree that television is a good place to learn anything regarding "handyman".

It really depends on how you learn, but for me watching shows and reading articles does not help nearly as much as actually trying it. I still RTFM with everything I try, but have learned that lots of flubs can be fixed, sometimes easier than others.
 
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schmuckley

Platinum Member
Aug 18, 2011
2,335
1
0
Common sense helps;It is not abundant on this forum.
Can you drive a 16-penny nail home with 3 whacks?
 
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