Why You Should Avoid DIY Home Repairs

In today's world we have more information and knowledge available to us than any other generation before us. This is quite an amazing thing to think of. The answer to just about any question is a click of a mouse, or a scroll of your finger, away. We have YouTube, Facebook, The DIY channel and a million other sources of information. Just the other day, I watched a YouTube video that gave me the confidence to complete some maintenance on my boat. It saved me a trip to the mechanic and about $250. However, a few weeks ago I watched another video because I wanted to do some suspension work on my truck. After watching I knew I was under-qualified and ill-equipped to try to pull it off. But in this case, I had the information to know what the likely result would be. This is known as "conscious incompetence". I understood what was required to do the task and I knew I wasn't equipped to do it. On the contrary, there is something known as "unconscious incompetence". This is when someone does not understand, or know how to do, something and does not know they are unaware. Simply put, they don't know what they don't know. We especially see this in the home improvement industry. Often times homeowners take on projects, believing they know how to properly complete them, when unfortunately the do not.

For example, a few years ago in Northern PA, a contractor sealed up a family home with caulk, foam and who-knows-what in order to achieve "energy savings". This service was provided at no cost to the homeowner. You know... "FREE!"

The contractor that was hired by the agency did not fully understand the condition of the home. They didn't understand the effects of not addressing the extreme moisture problem in the basement. They were only trained to do one job. They were not trained to identify potential problems.

Prior to sealing the home, the moisture was able to escape through the many air leaks. After they sealed the air leaks, the moisture was trapped in the home. After a couple weeks, the first signs of mold appeared. Soon enough, the family could no longer live in the home. It's for this reason Dr. Energy Saver will perform a full home energy assessment prior to sealing a home. Taking a few, simple, extra steps will ensure the preferred result and the health of the family and the home.

Keep in mind these three things:

• DIY-ing or hiring a contractor who does not look at the home as a full system, but performs the job anyways, can be worse than not completing the job at all. 
• Knowing when to call a professional, can make a difference for your home and well-being.
• When it comes to your health and your home, "free" may not guarantee your safety.

Call us today to schedule you Home Energy Audit! 

~mb