It’s a good thing I’m retired

[The emperor has no clothes]

I try to do most of the maintenance on our vehicles and home. Not really because I’m that good at it, but because I’m cheap and my Dad would roll over in his grave if I paid someone to do something I could do. It probably makes more sense to get professionals to do these things though. What takes me 3 days to do  would likely take someone else an hour. Not long ago I remodeled our 2nd bathroom. After soldering the new copper water lines I checked them to make sure there were no leaks. Everything was good and I sheetrocked, textured, and painted. This bathroom doesn’t get used much. A couple months later I took a shower in there and thought I must have splashed some water up high on the wall. Nope ! Water was coming thru the wall near the shower head. After determining it was the threads on the shower head I had no choice to tear into it and figure it out. After cutting out some of the drywall to investigate I still couldn’t figure it out.
 When I initially checked for leaks I didn’t have the shower head on, just the pipe. Same thing this time. No leakage. I figured I’d put the shower head on and see if it was leaking around it. Soon as I did that a stream of water comes shooting out the back of the copper pipe fitting. The shower head evidently created enough back pressure to expose a poor job of soldering. Got everything resoldered, retextured, and repainted. Ended up being a 100 man hour job that a professional could have done in 5. (With a lot less aggravation)
  A while back I replaced a fuel pump on the truck. I think I ended up taking the tank off 3 times before I got it right. Another 100 man hours that should have been 5. (With a lot less aggravation)
  A week ago I ordered a window motor to replace the one in the truck that quit working. As I’m looking thru Amazon for a drivers door motor when I get to the ordering section unbeknownst to me it had switched (I probably did it) to the passengers door motor. Comes in the mail, I tear apart the door panel breaking a couple plastic thingamagigs. (And much cussing and sweating in 112*) Only to get stumped why the new motor won’t fit. After reordering the right motor and waiting 4 days for it, the tape that I used to hold up the window gives way in the heat and falls down. Luckily it didn’t break but it evidently it came out of the channel on one side, that I didn’t realize. Get the new motor in, door panel all buttoned back up only to have the window jamb in the down position. I gave up that day and took a shower in my now operational shower. Hit it again today and realize what happened. Take all apart, reposition it, and check the operation before buttoning up the door panel. Success ! Another 100 man hours on a 5 hour job.

It’s a good thing I have nothing but time here lately. 

[Wizzard]

wow,, you wore me out just reading that. You are getting rid of all your bad luck all at once.

I have not had a repairman at my house in 44 years. Hope my luck holds out

[Skinhead]

And they let you vote??

[Serk]

I've long said the most important rule of being a successful DIY'er is knowing when to bow out and hire a professional... Sometimes it costs far more when the pro has to come in and clean up what I broke before they can even fix the original problem.


As a wise man once said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

[Red Diamond]

The great thing about it Rob is all those 100 mh jobs are at best a good learning experience. After gaining all that experience you usually won’t use it again, something different will break next time.

[AwesomeDad]

I used to do a lot of things myself usually out of necessity because I couldn’t afford to have someone else do it. Now I look at it as how valuable is my time? Because it’s gonna take me twice as long if not longer than a professional. And sometimes I’m just tired of busting my knuckles…

JJ

[John Schmidt]

I know exactly what you're talking about, as a young man I was never able to afford hiring someone to do it so did as you...learned via my mistakes. Now in my dotage(not hardly), I'm tired of doing all that stuff myself. As Awesome Dad said...tired of busting my knuckles so now have it done for me. My car needs the front brakes done. I can do it and have all the tools necessary, I just don't want to. I'd much rather go over to my daughter's place and play with my g-granddaughter while it is being worked on. Yes, it will cost me extra and no...I don't care. 

[sandy]

Professionals my butt. A few years ago a young female coworker asked me to install a window motor on her Subaru. Three professional mechanics each told her she needed a new motor($400+install). She got one out of a junk yard for $125. I removed the door panel to find the plug had come loose. It cost her $125 to find she got lied to by three pros in shops.

[cookiedough]

do not feel too bad,  at least you tried and got it figured out even if was 300 hours on 3 jobs a pro would take 15 hours on.  You should feel HAPPY in the end as you got er dun.

My wife told me NO when 2 long sections of vinyl siding came off/loose WAY WAY up top could not reach on a 20 foot extension ladder about 1 foot too short and did NOT want to go up any higher to the top 2 rungs on the ext. ladder, felt unsafe to do so me 285 and clumsy (bad legs/hips) on a 250lb rated ladder.  So, I bit the bullet and 50 bucks later a vinyl siding company installer came out with 2 guys and did both sections in 15 minutes total.

Same goes for changing spark plugs on my V6 SUV.  I can get the front 4 done easy enough undoing the plastic cover on top right there in front in the open, but the back 4 I would have to had taken off all the hoses/wires/air filter box, etc.  and top intake gasket to replace them.  About 100 bucks later (1.5 hours) I took it to a car shop all for 4 darn spark plugs doing all 8 of them.  Knowing me,  I would have screwed it up can dissamble anything, but putting it back together all right is iffy.

My mechanical skills on vehicles are pretty much limited to tires, air filters, oil changes, and a few rotor/brake pad jobs and just recently flushed out the tranny fluid on that SUV at 100K miles now.  Am sure I could do more, but time and aggravation are not on my side.

I have a rotten window sill on the side of my garage window, pretty bad shape been needing replacing for 4-5 years now need to just start tearing it out and getting er dun.    If I would have done it 4 years ago when only a small portion was rotten, I could have used that wood hardener putty stuff,  but now about 1/3rd of the window ledge is rotten away.

[cookiedough]

My neighbor is retired now was age 62, now 64, and he is looking for stuff to do.  I swear he mows his grass 2x's weekly (only needs to do it once) and vacuums the vehicles out every few weeks for something to do I guess?  I know of NO ONE that vacuums their vehicles out more than once per month, more like 1-2 x's per year.

[Patrick]

I guess I haven't yet learned that lesson, slow learner I guess. I still do the work mainly because I want to. And I do it for others too.

But I did stop roof work. I have hired the 3 roofs out.  The guys had the barn roof done [ 3 years ago] in 4 hours for $2500. Probably would have taken me 4 days. And I don't think I'd bounce as well like I did when younger.

I've been enjoying the golf course and fishing more as each year rolls by.

[cookiedough]

I guess I haven't yet learned that lesson, slow learner I guess. I still do the work mainly because I want to. And I do it for others too.

But I did stop roof work. I have hired the 3 roofs out.  The guys had the barn roof done [ 3 years ago] in 4 hours for $2500. Probably would have taken me 4 days. And I don't think I'd bounce as well like I did when younger.

I've been enjoying the golf course and fishing more as each year rolls by.

yah,  me and another contractor short of help did our basic shingles on ranch home in 2 full days just the 2 of us.  I was age 38 at the time and now over age 50,  NO WAY would I attempt to do our basic easy ranch home and help out again.  I was exhausted doing most of the cleanup and tossing shingles his way while the contractor nailed them down.   I know I could rip off the old shingles myself, but putting the new shingles back on and underlayment correctly would do a horrible job and instead of 2 days, would be 2 weeks or longer. 

[RP#62]

Welcome to my world.  We should team up.  Between the two of us, we could get it done in 200 mh.

-RP

[J.Mencalice]

Welcome to my world.  We should team up.  Between the two of us, we could get it done in 200 mh.

-RP

Sir Meat, I hearby christen thee our own Dagwood Bumstead.

[J.Mencalice]

Welcome to my world.  We should team up.  Between the two of us, we could get it done in 200 mh.

-RP

Sir Meat, I hearby christen thee our own Dagwood Bumstead.

I forgot all about that comic strip. 

Anyone who picks up a hammer, paint brush, tile cutter, pipe wrench, or any implement of mass destruction in their home is....Dagwood.  We are all Dagwood!

[John Schmidt]

Professionals my butt. A few years ago a young female coworker asked me to install a window motor on her Subaru. Three professional mechanics each told her she needed a new motor($400+install). She got one out of a junk yard for $125. I removed the door panel to find the plug had come loose. It cost her $125 to find she got lied to by three pros in shops.

That reminds me of a similar case with a beautiful Puerto Rican lady/secretary where I worked and a single mom close to my age. It was the same issue for her...the window motor on the driver's side,  plus the door wouldn't unlock. That made her have to crawl in from the right side, an interesting exercise to observe indeed. Thankfully this all took place before I met my wife, not sure I could have resisted the temptation. That lady had more curves than the Dragon...and she knew how to move'em.

I suggested she come to my place where I had all my tools, we set it up for a Saturday morning. I had already determined the motor was ok, the wiring was pinched in the door and cut. The lock was quite simple, just replaced a couple of the nylon connectors inside and bent a couple rods straight. It appeated someone had tried to break into the car with a tool that slides in next to the window and had bent the rods and broke the connectors. I repaired the wiring, fixed the lock, and all was well. She, Rose, asked what she owed me and of course I wasn't going to charge her anything. I got paid anyway.

Now for all you perverts, it's not what you're thinking. She offered this bachelor a hot, home cooked meal the next day...Sunday, after church. I accepted and we had a marvelous afternoon. I honestly think if I hadn't met my Rita shortly after that, we would have ended up together. Sadly, cancer took her not long before it, and Parkinsons, took Rita. At my retirement dinner/party, Rose gave me a box of handkerchiefs that she had embroidered with my initials. Rita let me keep them, I've never used them. Strange how things often go full circle. I'm again a bachelor...but no lovely lady needing her car fixed. 

[Patrick]

Not to worry John. There are still nice single ladies out there somewhere just waiting for you.

[Robert]

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/pex-pipe/

All You Need to Know About PEX Pipe
Find out why this colorful tubing is the up-and-coming plumbing trend that has DIYers excited

https://smartchoice.plumbing/pex-plumbing-disadvantages-what-you-need-to-know/

With today's tech and options its not a matter of relying on the old ways but picking something out of the assortment of options that may better suit abilities and needs.

[Kep]

I've long said the most important rule of being a successful DIY'er is knowing when to bow out and hire a professional... Sometimes it costs far more when the pro has to come in and clean up what I broke before they can even fix the original problem.


As a wise man once said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

I run my own HVACR business and I know that someone has gone past the "bow out" period when their first words are " I looked it up on you-tube and...." When this is the case , 90% of the time it cost them twice as much because I have to fix what they did plus fix the actual problem.

[John Schmidt]

Not to worry John. There are still nice single ladies out there somewhere just waiting for you.

Patrick, I'm still looking for that retired 60 yr. old hooker that just won the lotto and needs someone to help her find ways to spend those new found millions. No strings attached, that ship sailed with the prostate cancer treatment.     

[DDT (12)]

Rob,

Six months after my own retirement, I was ready to lynch Bob Villa! Not being particularly handy myself anyway certainly didn't help matters either... Good luck with your ongoing follies... and, thanks for sharing them with us. Not so bad reading about all I'm missing. Sort of reinforces the appropriateness of my own choice to go another direction... Enjoy!

DDT

[Wizzard]

I saw a sign on side of a panel van in Hawaii. It was Roberts professional repair.
His slogan was "I can do anything your husband can do NOW!"

[Jersey mike]

Wow and I thought I was the only one with problems like that. I feel your pain.

[Patrick]

Not to worry John. There are still nice single ladies out there somewhere just waiting for you.

Patrick, I'm still looking for that retired 60 yr. old hooker that just won the lotto and needs someone to help her find ways to spend those new found millions. No strings attached, that ship sailed with the prostate cancer treatment.     

I imagine a good looking retired hooker would be a nice way to spend retirement. I can't speak to anything prostate, but, I can to other cancer treatment. So, I understand. Its a bitch. [ cancer aftereffects, not the hooker  ]

[Cyclejohn]

I try to do most of the maintenance on our vehicles and home.

Meathead,

Thanks for the story. It was like strolling down memory lane.

Now I'm sitting here with little beads of sweat popping up on my forehead because I just replaced the whole braking system on my daughter's 4 wheel drive truck. It was working when it left my driveway  .

John

[Hook#3287]

Rob,

Six months after my own retirement, I was ready to lynch Bob Villa! Not being particularly handy myself anyway certainly didn't help matters either... Good luck with your ongoing follies... and, thanks for sharing them with us. Not so bad reading about all I'm missing. Sort of reinforces the appropriateness of my own choice to go another direction... Enjoy!

DDT

Ahh, Bob Viila, the original diy guru.  Or so most think.

The house next door to mine was the first "new construction" of This Old House back in 1984 or so.

I built in 1989.  The original owner from next door still lived there and did not have a high regard for Villa.

He considered him a  prima donna that didn't really know much.

 If you watch the whole series, you can see the tension near the end.

 He had a lot of respect for Norm and liked him a lot.