The internet is a great tool and can be used to access a plethora of information, and while more information is always better it can also lead people down the wrong path especially when it comes to the world of DIYs. Don’t get us wrong, we love being able to hop onto YouTube and find out how I should cook a chicken or make some fun gifts for the holidays, but there are certain situations where DIY can actually do more harm than it can help.
First off, we completely understand that DIYs are addicting, there’s an entire television network devoted to it. But sometimes you need to let the professional come in and do their job (even if it means spending a little more money than you wanted to). So what type of situations should you leave to those who are certified? The answer is, any time water is entering your home. Whether it is carpet cleaning or a broken pipe, water and your home don’t mix, because of this leave it to the professionals.
You may think that carpet cleaning is something that anyone can do in their home. We’ve all seen the ads showing that you can rent the equipment at your local hardware superstore or the flashy commercial showing that easy to use kit, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There are many different ways to clean carpet, but the best is hot water extraction done by a trained professional who won’t oversaturate your carpet. Who knows what may happen if you attempt to do it yourself? You may use too much water, use a chemical which could harm or discolor your carpet, or not remove the water entirely from your carpet. Each of these hypotheses could leave you with damaged carpet and the possible potential of growth in the future between the carpet and pad or pad and subfloor.
The same is true if you have water damage or flooding in your home. Many believe that with one 10 minute online tutorial that they are a pro and can properly remove the water from their home. However, most often the water is still hiding where you can’t see it. That is why a professional will always take moisture readings of all surfaces (even those that don’t feel wet to the touch) and use high quality equipment for both extraction and drying.
While you should always call a professional if water is entering your home, you should also call if water had stayed too long in your home as well. If your DIY cleaning went south or you’ve encountered a water leak you never knew you had, and you now notice organic growth and staining do not try and remediate your home by yourself. There are many different forms of mold, some which are even toxic. Improper cleaning and remediation of mold could leave you and your home at risk for health problems and cross contamination between different rooms in the home. If you discover growth within your home always call a professional.
So while DIYs can be fun and leave you with some great homemade soap and fantastic looking nail art, when it comes to the safety of your home (and yourself) always call a professional.