Are you a handyman?

[johns0]

I do whats needed so i don't need to phone up for help.

[usually_quiet]

I can do minor things: Replace electrical switches and outlets, run coax cable and telephone lines, painting/paint removal, replace most parts in the toilet, snake the drains, patch plaster, and so forth. My next project will be to fix a doorbell.

[Constant Gardener]

I find it quite satisfying to deal with home repairs, and any electronics that were designed to be repaired not chucked. I just finished bringing the kitchen wiring up to current standards, adding several new circuits, and warm-white LED strips for under-cabinet lighting (look on eBay) which were a big hit with my family.

[filmboss80]

Nothing turns a woman on like a problem-solver with a tool belt. Once I figured that out, I learned to be "Mr. Fix-It" real fast.

[gadgetguy]

20+ years ago I literally built my house. I hired the basement cement work, but I erected the framework, did my own wiring, plumbing, duct work, drywall, insulation, siding, roofing, windows, doors, floors, baseboards, wallpaper, paint, installed my own furnace and water heater, and anything else that needed to be done. Of course, I had a lot of help, but they were all amateurs, family and friends. This was just shortly after becoming a licensed electrician. The up side is that I know my house inside and out. The down side is that there's no one to blame and no one to call when something breaks down. Fortunately, I've only had to replace the water heater (twice, both times just after the warranty expired).

[redwudz]

I've done plumbing, carpentry, concrete and electrical work for many years since high school. I have a lot of relatives that are contractors, so I spent some time working for them years ago and picked a lot of it up. I have a new home now, so not much needs work or repair. I did install a water softener last year on the main water line.

[freebird73717]

Somewhat. I know enough to do most household repairs. As long as I don't run the danger of killing myself I'll tackle the repair job myself.

[lordsmurf]

No electrical.
Not so good with plumbing.
Everything else, yeah, usually.
Building from scratch? No, not really -- just fixing what's already built.

I know when to call people, as opposed to making it worse.

[Verify]

When I was in high-school my parents bought a lot in the country and we lived in two 16x16' Navy surplus tents for two years while they were working full time and building a new house. Learned how to cut straight lines with a hand saw (pre-skill saws) and how to dig a septic tank hole in decomposed granite with black powder.

While in college, became the maintenance manager of a student co-op and learned plumbing, plastering, electrical, etc.

The hard to reach living room drapes are now RF controlled - the professionals wanted too much so I did it myself. On the other hand, these days I usually call a 'professional' if work is needed (and unfortunatly these days they usually need close supervision and I even sometimes need to supply tools that they forget to bring).

[olyteddy]

I do it for a living.

[fritzi93]

I do it for a living.

Ha, me too.

Electrical concepts are often described in terms similar to plumbing, i.e. volts as "pressure", amperes as "flow". Neither is hard to understand, but involve a lot of boring labor. Plumbing, as you may imagine, is unpleasant when dealing with waste pipes.

[hech54]

Bob Villa is great at hiring people to do work....that's about it. I'm tearing apart my bathtub drain today(my wife's hair is like rope). I can do almost anything when it comes to "around the house" stuff.....and like Smurf I TRY to avoid electricity at all costs...but I still do it occasionally.
I heard a great saying about electricity:
If it can hurt(kill) me, and I can't see it coming to hurt me...I ain't messing with it.

[neomaine]

I'll tackle the what I consider the basic stuff: Paint, wallpaper (NEVER again...), minor electrical, minor plumbing, minor woodwork, cabling/networking, pc work. I can add hardwood flooring now. Hard work but very rewarding. Some things I've never done before but find that they're not so bad once I've finished. In general, the jobs are easy enough, its learning all the little shortcuts/timesavers that the experienced people have. Replacing toilets, garbage disposals. I hire out new electrical work that needs new wiring. Recently hired out my roofing.

In general, if I can't visualize it and get a comfortable feeling I'll hire out. For instance, just remodeled our two upstairs bedrooms (cape). Started with 'Let's replace carpet with hardwood.' That morphed to - let's replaced the trim since we have to remove the mop-board, and, let's repaint the walls since the trim is down, and, let's repaint the ceiling. Sorry, just venting... Anyway, part of the rooms remodel we decided to add 2'x8'closets to them. Plenty of space in the 14x19 rooms. I could have done it but, wanted it done right, i.e. square, and quick.

[lordsmurf]

.and like Smurf I TRY to avoid electricity at all costs...but I still do it occasionally.
I heard a great saying about electricity:
If it can hurt(kill) me, and I can't see it coming to hurt me...I ain't messing with it.

I think we traded "shock" stories once, some years ago.

[TBoneit]

Handyman?

What I've done in the last few years is replace a toilet, bathroom sink and most recently MY brother and I replaced a suspended ceiling fixture. Going from a 2' by 2' to a 2' by 4' fixture. That required changing the wire from the box to a longer wire that would reach. Very strong wooden floor to ceiling shelves in the basement. A Homemade computer shelf in the basement with a very strong shelf above it. When I say strong I mean 2 x 4 wood construction. 16" on center under the shelves with joist hangers, real plywood surface not chipboard. ran 8-3 to a sub panel in the attic for a 220volt AC plus outlets all around the room.

It helps having learned form licensed plumbers and electricians in the past. I've rebuilt 3 engines in my cars over the years. 1 had bad rod bearings when I bought it, really cheap to buy. I dropped a valve seat in one bank at about 110+ mph one winter in Pa. on my first car $50 car btw, i forgot to check the oil and water coming back from the shore and blew a rod bearing.

Over the years I've been a auto mechanic, electrician, Truck driver and computer repair. Some fun parallel parking a 40' trailer that way in NYC when you can't just pull in against the curb.

[greymalkin]

After owning a home for the past 9 years I feel pretty confident I could fix most things that went wrong with it (except major structural catastrophes!). I've always hated paying someone top dollar to do something I could figure out/do myself. And with all the things we've got planned for our home it would bankrupt me to pay someone to do it all.

When I do any electrical work I don't mess aroun trying to figure out which braker to cut off..I cut off the main and tell my family to deal with it until I'm done .

[hech54]

.and like Smurf I TRY to avoid electricity at all costs...but I still do it occasionally.
I heard a great saying about electricity:
If it can hurt(kill) me, and I can't see it coming to hurt me...I ain't messing with it.

I think we traded "shock" stories once, some years ago.

Yea...that damn antique table fan when I was a kid on vacation in Florida. Knocked my skinny butt clear across the room..
Now I've "over here" dealing with 220V out of every outlet.