To DIY or Not?
I love a good DIY and am all over it.
Why pay someone to do something if you can do it yourself? There are many services out there where I just quizzically look at someone and think, “you can’t be real”. But, then again, there are things that I truly enjoy doing that maybe others don’t. Like grocery shopping, cooking, and designing photobooks! I would never outsource that. Cleaning? Now, that’s another story.
I took on a construction/demo DIY project last January, and now, truly have an appreciation for the professionals who know what they are doing. Here’s what happened:
My husband had taken on a basement-renovation project during the summer of 2020, while we were all holed up at home. I was thoroughly impressed with his handiwork, and I thought, "I can do something like that!" We live in a 1927 house and the family bathroom is pretty much still in its original state. So, I "gifted" the girls a cosmetic refresh of the bathroom as a Christmas gift.
My first task - Tile removal.
Now, anyone who has seen an older bathroom has seen wall tiles that come up about 4’ and surround the entire bathroom. A LOT of tiles needed to be removed. I started in an inconspicuous spot behind the door so that if I screw up and damage the plaster, it wouldn’t be noticeable.
Holy cow, was it hard!
I had tools, but probably not the right tools. We had a drill-like thing with a blade attached. It didn’t even make a dent in my work. I couldn’t get the blade behind the tile. Then I tried using a chisel with a hammer. That was splitting off little flakes, but not full tiles like I had watched on YouTube. It was insane. I just looked around the bathroom and gulped. There was no way I was going to remove all that tile! And, I will admit, tears were shed. But, I kept at it, changed my form, got another tool, and kept at it.
A few more hours into the backbreaking work, and I knew this was NOT going to be a DIY project for me. Hiring someone to come in and remove the tile was front and center in my mind. They have the right tools, expertise, strength, and staying power. I recognize that there are experts and professionals for a reason.
DIY for Photos
Similarly, in my line of work, there are professionals who have the right tools, expertise, technology and staying power. On top of that, a separate challenge that exists in DIY Photo projects is the emotional connection we have to our photos which adds time to any project. As professionals, when we organize our client’s photos or design photobooks, we are efficient and approach the project systematically. We gauge the importance of images by understanding the context and dynamic of the people in the photos. We organize by utilizing metadata and cull based on composition. We accomplish the same tasks as a DIY-er in half the time. Kind of like my tile removal project!
If you have a photo project you want to tackle on your own - go for it! There is tremendous pride in getting something done on your own. You’ll save money and you’ll have a wonderful trip down memory lane. I ended up hiring someone to come and take out the tile and I couldn't have been happier with that decision. It was money well spent!
A few things I learned along the way in hiring a professional…
It's ok to start something on your own and then realize it's not going to work out.
You don't have to give up the entire project. In this case, someone came out to demo the tile. The rest of the bathroom is still on us.
Going with a pro saves a TON of time
Going with a pro saves a TON of frustration!
Going with the pro means you know that the job will get DONE
For my tile project, I wanted to do it, if only to say that I did and that I could. But, the time, effort and frustration were not worth it. I was able to help by painting the wainscoting (which covered the tile), and my husband ended up doing the rest. I'd say, we did a really good job.
Send me a message and let me know how your latest DIY is going!
PS – In my defense, we ended up having contractors take a look at the tile demo and they ALL said that they've never seen anything like it. The tiles were a ¼” thick and adhered to concrete. Our bathroom was built like a bunker. After the guy we hired struggled, I knew I had made the right decision.