# Diy Expert Or Berk ?



## retro72 (Jan 19, 2005)

Im not good at DIY. To give you a couple of examples, My son and I have had to hold up the toilet seat for the past two years (no description needed). I replaced the seat today and found that the top of the cistern wasnt on properly and hey presto, I have a spare hand now. Also our house had low water pressure for a couple of years. We put it down to the combi boiler. Nope, the stop cock wasnt fully open.

Whats your worse DIY mis adventure?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Brilliant! Love the toilet seat one :rltb:

I drilled into a electric cable in a wall once, huge bang and blew the bit to pieces...I jumped ....


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

innocently started demolish a breeze block encased empty septic tank. Found the breeze block to contain an armoured concrete tank still full of effluent.

2 weeks later, a kango, 300 quid and 3 hrs of pumping and 4 trips to the dump I was finally free of what seemed to be an afternoons work Sweet.

Andy


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## ujjwaldey (Mar 3, 2008)

When I first came to UK ( remember, where I come from, DIY is an exotic adventure); we bought the house and was completely doing it up.

Now, anyone who knows me would tell you, I am a miser.

So to save 20 Â£, I decided to paint the doors myself.

One early evening, I was back from office; and while the builders ( Mario and his team, bless him) were painting the rooms; I set about painting the door.

Soon enough, I had an enthusiastic crowd of spectators watching my progress with amusing intent.

Suffice it to say, the door had to be replaced by a new one ( Mario tried to strip the paint off, but....)

Oh, and I never could wear the suit again. It still hangs in my wardrobe, as a testimony to others of my DIY enthusiasm, and as a reminder to me that there are some things even I cant do

Ujjwal


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I like to think I'm quite competent at DIY. Haven't had any disasters and only a few minor cock ups over the years.

The last job I did (loft conversion) I got a builder friend in to get his plasterer to skim over the plasterboard (I cannot plaster to save my life) and the builder offered me a job working with him!

Always remember always watch a botch! If you know it's a botch and you can keep an eye on it then no problem.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2009)

jasonm said:


> Brilliant! Love the toilet seat one :rltb:
> 
> I drilled into a electric cable in a wall once, huge bang and blew the bit to pieces...I jumped ....


First house 710 insisted i put up curtain tie back hooks after doing a long shift ,i drilled through the earth ,blew the end of the drill bit and the electrics 

Next one decide to replace my back door ,the builders had fitted the lintel too low so the door wouldnt open :huh: had to take 4mm off the lintel with 4 grinding discs ,full of flint.As i lowered the small grinder caught my finger and needed 4 stitches ,doors bloody spot on though  ,Funny thing was i sat down at the hopital causualty opposite a guy withe same cut finger ,fuckin copy cat


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## jaslfc5 (Jan 2, 2007)

ive never really messed anything up ,had loads of shocks but no good stories but me and my old man used to have the maintenance contract for a private school . in the science block we had to replace the water boiler one week it was a really old german one so had it serviced and went to put it back into service.

we connnected the gas to the water and the water to the gas ,the next couple of hours were taken up by people from the gas board coming on site to laugh at the site of water coming through the bunsen burner taps .very funny.

jason.


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

jasonm said:


> I drilled into a electric cable in a wall once, huge bang and blew the bit to pieces...I jumped ....


Just married, first house, first hole in any wall.....same thing....wow....great sparks....does it always do that when you drill holes? :lol:

Learn't a deep and meaningful lesson..... :lol:


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Saved my mum some money by installing a new bath. It was spot on, but I'd forgotten to tighten the drain & corrugated tube thingy that that sits in the plughole. A litlle while after her first bath the hall ceiling came down.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Boxbrownie said:


> jasonm said:
> 
> 
> > I drilled into a electric cable in a wall once, huge bang and blew the bit to pieces...I jumped ....
> ...


That was my domestic senario too... 

It was above the bed against the wall, afterwards I mooved the bed to see my drill hole perfectly in a vertical line with the sockets near the floor...


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## spankone (Sep 17, 2008)

i like to think im a good DIY'er painted my house in 2 weeks while still working a full shifts at work


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Completely not interested, I did wallpaper a front room about 10 years ago and I once put up a sort of canopy over the bed once but it fell on us the same night when we were in bed.

For me DIY is and always has been a complete waste of good leasure/drinking time and money as well. That being said a house is really only something I sleep in and I'm not to bothered at one time I probably spent more time in hotels than I did in my house. In some ways I was glad to get rid of the last place and just rent now, if anything needs done I just give the landlord a ring and get him to sort it out.

B.


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Our house was new when we moved into it. After the carpet fitters left, a couple of the doors no longer fitted due the height of the carpet and underlay.

I went to B&Q, bought an electric plane and shaved the *top *of one of the doors. :blush:

Had to move the hinges and lock but 4 years later it has never closed properly. Too embarrassed to phone a joiner.


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## Andy Tims (Apr 13, 2008)

I'm not too bad, except plumbing or electrics. Have avoided plumbing, but had a go at electrical jobs a couple of times & had to call in someone who knew what they were doing to correct my cock-up's.


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Robert said:


> Had to move the hinges and lock but 4 years later it has never closed properly. Too embarrassed to phone a joiner.


PMSL :lol: :lol: Sorry Robert


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

my next door neighbour is always good for a laugh, I quite often have to go round and help him out. Last time the kitchen was flooded after he'd fitted a new tap to the sink! I fancy his mrs so it's no hardship!


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

In my mid-20s I managed to find the water pipes while nailing down hardboard onto a floor. Shame, as it was a first-floor flat, so the downstairs neighbour got an unplanned shower. :blush:

A year or so later I put up a shelving unit in the bedroom, above the 710's side of the bed. That night the whole lot came down - happily, just missing the slumbering one.

However, embarrassed by my ineptitude, I later took a City & Guilds in cabinet-making and am quite handy now - at least with anything wooden!


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2009)

pg tips said:


> my next door neighbour is always good for a laugh, I quite often have to go round and help him out. Last time the kitchen was flooded after he'd fitted a new tap to the sink! I fancy his mrs so it's no hardship!


 :naughty:


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