10 Jobs That Always Require a Professional, According to Mike Holmes

Your home’s plumbing is complex, and tackling the job yourself can make a mess of your lines or cause flooding in your home. Licensed plumbers have years of training and on-the-job experience, so leave any plumbing jobs to the professionals.

Electrical safety is something you always want to keep top of mind. I get so nervous when I hear of homeowners taking on their own electrical projects. If you don’t know what you’re doing, someone could get seriously hurt – or worse. Think about this: electrical fires make up about 15 per cent of all fires in Canada. Do you really want to be part of that statistic? For your safety, and for the safety of your family, bring in a licensed electrician to do the work, no matter how small you think the job might be. It’s some of the smartest money you can spend on your home.

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is the lungs of your home. It can help regulate the air by replacing the bad air with the good, while proper ventilation helps to prevent mildew growth. You wouldn’t want anyone other than a licensed doctor working on your own lungs, so why would you have anyone other than a licensed professional working on your home’s? For your family’s health and the health of your living space, don’t do any DIY on your HVAC system. Hire a professional to make it right.

My daughter Sherry is a skilled tiler, and I couldn’t be more proud. But it took years for her to master the skill, and she’ll admit that she’s still learning. When done properly, tile can enhance the look of any room; there’s hardly a room in the house where tile won’t work. But a tiling project gone wrong will cost you time and money. Nothing beats the knowledge and experience of a pro, so don’t make the mistake of attempting the work yourself.

When it comes to flooring, what the finish looks like is only half the battle; what lies beneath the floor is just as important. A poor subfloor can cause sloping, squeaking, or even a bounce when someone walks across it. A good contractor knows to look at the structure of the floor and subfloor before laying new tile, carpet or hardwood. Think about it – why would you spend thousands of dollars on new flooring and not spend the money on hiring a professional to install it properly? Doing a DIY job is asking to be disappointed.

If you’re looking at a kitchen makeover on a budget and considering a DIY cabinetry installation, think again. Nevermind the weight of the cabinets themselves, but think of what goes into them – plates, cups, glasses – all added weight. And if the cabinets aren’t installed properly, they’re most likely to come crashing down. Whatever’s in them will break, and if someone is standing nearby, they could get seriously hurt.

Asbestos was commonly used in building materials up until the late 1970s, so there are many homes that may contain it. Asbestos becomes dangerous when it’s disturbed or when the asbestos-containing material starts to deteriorate. If this is the case, hiring a professional asbestos abatement company is the only way to remove and dispose of the material safely and properly. Trust me – asbestos removal is not a DIY job.

Mould will grow wherever the spores have the right conditions – air, moisture, and a source of food. If mould is discovered in your home and exceeds an area of 10 square feet, you’ll need to call in a mould remediation company. They’ll contain the affected area to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the spores from becoming airborne and entering your HVAC system. They’ll also dispose of mould-ridden objects safely. If inhaled, mould spores can cause respiratory issues, and if they come in contact with skin, they can cause rashes or eczema. It’s not worth the risk to your health to tackle the removal yourself.

It’s important to know the signs that you may have issues with your roof – curling or missing shingles, a leak in your bedroom ceiling. But unless you really know what you’re doing, you should leave your roof repairs to the pros. Fixing it yourself will just be a “band-aid” solution and will lead to bigger issues down the road. And don’t forget – standing on your roof isn’t exactly a safe place to be. Call a professional roofer to identify problem spots and to do repairs properly and safely.

An open floor plan is a great way to create space, especially in older homes that have smaller, divided rooms. But rather than picking up that sledgehammer and swinging, please contact a professional contractor instead. Making structural changes to your home is not an easy job. First of all, it requires a permit. Secondly, you need to know how the weight of your home is supported by the foundation. Cutting into a load-bearing wall can cause the ceiling to collapse, and now you have a bigger and more expensive problem to fix. So put the sledgehammer down and hire a professional contractor to do any structural changes to your home. You might think you’re saving money by doing the work yourself, but trust me – some jobs are better left to the pros!