What Homeowner DIY Job Do You Hate The Most?
 

As I clean up after installing a kitchen faucet, I muse.

Why does everything turn to a corroded mass as soon as it is tightened up? I know the old faucet wasn't 15 years old, yet I had to cut it out with a Dremel, a hammer, and bolt cutters. Why hasn't mankind developed a plumbing fitting that clicks together, never leaks or seeps? Is it too much to ask for a fitting that can be connected, removed and refitted without the whole ritual of 1/8th turn-see if it weeps-weep a little yourself-repeat? Why don't cabinet makers think about accomodating the actual adult sized human who will inevitably be contorted under the sink, shoulders jammed by the useless center stile, back arched, face and head dripping?

Is plumbing my least favorite of the homeowner DIY chores?

I think it must be. Sure, weeding is endless, painting persnickety, electrical potentially lethal, carpentry frustrating. But for a unpleasant, dirty, unrewarding way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon, give me plumbing every time. From extracting rotten hair masses from the girls' bathroom sink, to tantric torture yoga under the kitchen counter, plumbing takes the cake. Let's not even mention the toilet.

Anyone disagree?

Unclogging the toilet is what I hate most. We have a new rule in the house now: No more Charmin toilet paper, only Costco brand. Charmin won't go down our commodes for some reason. OK, maybe it's not the TP.

Kitchen faucets are indeed painful, even when installing new.

I HATE installing the wax ring (I was raised calling it a 'johnny ring') on a toilet and trying to get it to seal. This seemingly simple job can be painful. And the consequences of failure are grim.

Sorry to hear about your Sunday adventure with the sink.

Cabinets can and should be build without the stile. Ours don't have them unless we have to match existing or period correct, whatever is needed. Sink based are usually 36 inches with all kind of crap under there. I am nnot sure if you have done your kitchen yet, but be sure to ask your plumber or contractor to have all that crap(garbage dis., wires and the rest of rats nest as far back as possible to gain more room. Drinking water filter should be mounted up front for easy access.

I hate toilet back up. It never happens when someone goes to pee, but always happens when some one takes a big dump. All of our plumbing is brand new when I remodel a few years back. I need to make sure I never have to deal with it when the kids are still young. If it happens later, then can help clean up. Friends have call me at 9-10pm because of this. I sent my plumber. I wanted to tell them, I am a stupid general building contractor or cabinet maker, I don't do "Siht".

My favorite is when you go and disconnect something under the sink to deal with the clog, that dirty water runs down your arm right into your arm pits and you get that big gush of tasty water right into your face. I do not enjoy dealing with waste water plumbing. I give my plumber a call when stuff like that happens.

This story will make you feel better. Two years ago, I got a call to help an old client out with one of him rentals. There's this complain about rotten smell. when I heard that, I really did not want to go see it, but I had to because he was a really great client for a long time. When we arrived, as soon as we walked to the back yard, that smell hit me like a freight train. I call Rick, my plumber, as soon as I opened the trap door. He comes over and opens the trap door to the crawl space and see a sea of water under there. The main sewer pipe broke. He calls his helper, his younger son to get the bucket. They started bailing water full of wonderful stuff in there. they got it pumped out the next day and started working the repair later. Keep in mind that we have no basement but a 2-3' crawl space. They were on their bellies for a week under there. All the pipes were changed. They earned their keeps in my book. That was the worst. I heard worst stories from him on commercial work.

I forgot to ask, did yo get it all done?

I rather install the wax ring then to take out the old one. Especially if its not your toilet.:mad:

Man, that's nasty.

I hate crawl spaces - attic and raised foundation. I gladly pay someone to crawl around in there. Well, unless the estimate looks like it is highway robbery. Once I got a $500 quote to put in a switched fan outlet to the center of the ceiling. I did that myself for $30 in materials and $5 in beer. Indeed - beer makes these jobs much easier to deal with.

G

Someone had to do it. My wife knows all about that when I help my in-laws replace their toilet and a few things around the house ten years ago. She was nice enough to come along to help because this was her family. He father ask her to get a stick or a putty knife. I see her walking back with it and I knew to better to run out to the truck and get some tools, quick. I hear this "OH SIHT" form the window as I can't up on my two feet from laughing so hard outside. I went back in only to slap the wax ring under the new toilet and tie it up with a wrench. What can I say? I am a hero.

Scraping, priming, and painting (exterior).

Did it for years... not doing it any more.

All the wood siding on the many large and small gables... and fascia has been covered with vinyl and aluminum for several years now.

I can't think of anything that I've ever disliked more. Working my way around the house in spare time when the weather permitted... in some places 16+ feet up a ladder, it always seemed like about the time I finished a lap, it was already starting to split and peel again.

A good bit of the wood siding and fascia was made of heart pine on this late '40's house... you put that in the sun and there isn't a paint known to man that will stay on it. :D

Yeah, got the faucet replaced.

The one that my wife bought didn't fit because the windowsill is up tight against the sink. In this era of tall spouts, the sill gets in the way. And I would have had to cut away 2" of sill for the handle to operate.

Had to go get a side control unit, mount it with the control facing forward, which looks fine, and make a small half moon cut in the windowsill which, as it turns out, fits the new faucet spout perfectly, like a crank in a bottom bearing.

Then only took an hour to get all the connections tight and totally dry, grrrr.

Make sure they are hand tighten and another 1/2 turn on all rubber parts or else it will leak again real soon. On some of the European stuff like Hans Ghroe, that piece of connection between the pull out flex line and the rigid line must be hand tighten only. ASk me how I know. don't be like most contractors, read the instruction if its one of those high end faucets. I read every single one of them if its something we don't often install.

Cut out the sill? This is not your new kitchen is it?:eek:

No, old one still.

Painting for me... Endless boredom. I really don't like being up on a ladder either.

The best are car duties. Washing waxing etc... All good but I dread vaccuming the interior.

Having built houses for 18 years, anything at home was a chore. Fortunately, all of my personal homes were never more than 2-3 years old.

Just had to do both. We rented an office/warehouse. To save money I did the demo on the floors, ripping out nasty carpets and tile squares in the batrooms, including pulling the toilets in the bathrooms.

The Tile guy did re-install the toilet...

I would say least rewarding for the effort. I just installed a new dishwasher in the house. Here, the code requires a little device on the outlet which is installed near the sink. It is supposed to prevent water from the drain backing up into the dishwasher. What a pain to install under the sink!

Patching a drywall repair..I can't seem to leave the mud alone....I have found that using a damp sponge is more fun then sanding it though....

Plumbing for sure. Sweating overhead joints particularly. Or sweating joints in a crawl space while lying on your back.

Cabinetry, wood work of any kind: Wood hates me, I hate wood.

Measure once, cut, paste, whatever.

^^^ this. I seem to run about a 50% failure rate on soldering. :rolleyes:

Ian