As most of us who’ve ever attempted to put together a modern coffee table, or any furniture, will know, DIY can be stressful at times. And many of us have had our fair share of DIY disasters when attempting to build our own coffee table or construct our own dining furniture in an attempt to save some pennies.
It’s enough to see us reaching for the Yellow Pages to find the nearest furniture stockist or Googling ‘modern coffee table – pre-built’ when we hear some of the DIY mishaps that have befallen others (and, we’ll admit, some that we have fallen prey to ourselves), but still we keep on trying. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of sitting back and admiring your very own hand-built coffee table after all, especially if it hasn’t been built upside down, doesn’t fall apart at the slightest gust of air, and doesn’t resemble a car crash on wheels.
So, before we get back to the flat pack furniture, we thought we’d share a few DIY horror stories with you so that you can hopefully avoid making the same mistakes and at the very least feel comforted by the fact that there’s always someone worse off than you!
One of the most recent DIY disasters we heard about was from a friend whose dinner party ended in tears after the table he had spent so long painstakingly constructing by hand, feel apart under the weight of one too many bowls of cheesy puffs and bottles of beer. The carpet and the guests’ laps were not a pretty sight.
At least this friend’s DIY mishap didn’t land him in hospital however, which is more than can be said for some of our other ‘handy’ friends; according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, a whopping 200,000 do-it-yourself enthusiastic end up needing hospital treatment every year, as a result of their efforts. Incidents that have led to a swift journey to the local A&E include hammers on toes, dining furniture on feet and scalpels on skin. Ouch!
DIY mishaps
Slash your energy bills by installing insulation
If you’re speedily trying to get your DIY jobs out of the way this summer, there’s one thing that should be top of your to-do list – installing insulation.
Insulation is an absolute must for homeowners and it really should be put in place before the cold weather arrives in the UK.
In recent months, some of the biggest energy suppliers in the country have announced electricity and gas price rises, which is bound to have a massive impact on households this winter.
One way you can try to protect yourself from the price hikes is by taking some time out to insulate your home.
Even if there’s already some insulation in your property, there are bound to be other places you can install some, to ensure your home is as cosy and energy efficient as it can be this winter.
Look in your attic spaces, ducts in unconditioned spaces, exterior walls, floors above garages and even in the foundations of the building to find somewhere to insulate your home.
There are a vast range of different products to choose from, so you’ll definitely need to do your research to make sure you get the best type for your home.
Fibreglass, plastic fibres and mineral wool are all great things to consider if you’re a fan of the do-it-yourself approach, as are reflective systems – foil-faced kraft paper, plastic film or polyethylene bubbles – all of which are easy to install as well.
Whatever you decide is best for your property, now is the ideal time to install it, as you really will want to reap the benefits during the colder months of the year.
With energy prices unlikely to drop any time soon, you’d be wise to look for ways to protect your household against the hikes.