DIY Idiots Who Should Have Just Paid The Professionals

Sai Leigh - October 11, 2022
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DIY Idiots Who Should Have Just Paid The Professionals

Have you ever taken a look at your home and thought, I have the time and money to do a quick DIY renovation that will really class the place up! Well – don’t. There’s a reason that trades like plumbing, drywall, electric installation and more exist, and that’s to keep the ambitious DIYers from completely destroying their homes. Take a look at some of the questionable choices these homeowners and landlords made when trying to save a few bucks by NOT hiring professionals to get the job done.

Reddit

A Balcony Built on Promises

At first glance, this looks like a cute little balcony overlooking a street. The trees, sidewalk, and brick building give a picturesque vibe – until you notice the hard lean forward. On second glance, the problem is immediately apparent. This balcony is held up on posts barely balancing on the first floor’s porch (or cement blocks? Unclear.). On top of that, some part of this build is sinking, as the balcony is tilted and unbalanced. The Reddit user who posted this photo noted that their neighbor still comes out regularly to relax despite the potential hazard. All it would take is one nudge of a post and that whole thing would come down, chairs and all! [via Reddit]

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Reddit

A Bed Frame that’s Not Going Anywhere

Have you ever heard the assertion that you aren’t truly an adult until you buy a bedframe? This guy must have taken that personally, as he decided to build his own instead of purchasing one like literally everyone else. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the frame he’s building from scratch is made from bricks, mortar and those weird clear cubes that middle and high schools use as part of their aesthetic. There’s just so much wrong with these choices. First of all, the supplies almost definitely cost more than simply buying a frame. Secondly, he’s securing this “frame” right to the tiled floor with all that mortar. It’ll be messy for whoever has to pull it up in the future. However the end-product turned out, stubbing your toe on the edge of this thing would be dreadful. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

When You Can’t Accept Help from Anyone…

The Reddit poster’s description for this photo says it all. We’re all aware that landlords get a bad rap, but there are more than a few rough tenants out there. And for landlords not doing regular check-ins on the property, there’s a good chance their tenants are finding creative solutions to small problems. On one hand, it’s nice that they’re making an effort. On the other hand… are they? This tenant’s “solution” to a “problem” was to nail curtains directly to the wall. This is a horrible idea, as the curtains are then stationary and you can’t move them out of the way if you want to see outside. But check out the original post again: the landlord clearly states that they installed new curtain rods right before these tenants moved in. Did the tenants not know what curtain rods were? Were they not into the aesthetic of the rods? It’s pretty unclear what exactly was happening here for this choice to be made. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

Apparently, This College Didn’t Have a Woodshop Elective

College students aren’t usually quick to call out failed DIY projects, considering they come up with a fair few themselves. But this student decided that the school’s “fix” for holes in walls and doors was too good not to share with the world. If you’ve ever been stuck with massive student loan debt, just know that none of your money went to a competent maintenance team, apparently. This school’s solution was to cut out squares from thick plastic or wood sheets and screw them over the holes. Fixing holes in doors and walls isn’t always easy and usually takes a drywall expert, but it’s not impossible. In fact, there are countless YouTube videos out there detailing how to DIY. It’s sad in the first place that students were disrespecting their surroundings, but it’s almost more upsetting that the school doesn’t take care of their institution. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

Roaches Make the World Go Round

Landlords aren’t always reliable, especially when it comes to pest control. Luckily, this tenant found out that their landlord took cockroaches seriously and had placed quite a few traps around the apartment. Unluckily, they also decided to kill two roaches with one stone and used the traps to hold up the runners for their kitchen drawers. Keep in mind that roach traps are only secured by a thin glue sealant, so they’re hanging on by a thread here. It’s easy to see where screws should have been placed when the cabinets were installed, but these drawers are living on a dream. It’s a miracle they didn’t collapse in on themselves. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

A Lot of Effort for a Mediocre Window

While this isn’t an interior DIY, it was too good to pass up. Was this guy in a hurry to get somewhere that absolutely required a car window? There’s definitely a story behind what happened to the window in the first place, but the solution is both creative and horrifying. It takes a lot of effort to find a home window that would fit (or come close to it) and then use spray foam to mount it. It’s not pretty, but it probably got the job done until the owner of the vehicle got made fun of enough times for desperation to kick in. He ended up posting on Facebook for an auto glass expert. The price on a window installation will definitely go up, since they’ll have to remove this mess before they can get started. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

They Looked at This Problem from Several Different Angles

At first, it’s hard to tell what exactly is going on here. But take a close look and you’ll see that, at one point, this staircase was outdoors. Before the homeowner decided they wanted it enclosed. This is a choice many people go with for convenience, age, or simply personal preference. An enclosed staircase to the home provides shelter from the weather and safety. But the homeowner took several different approaches to this project, and there’s a whole lot happening. Plywood is used under the stairs themselves and along the walls to protect from drafts. The ceiling is made of siding and includes a window that the Reddit user noted looks up at… a wall. Additionally, the two windows in the walls themselves are completely different sizes and really throw things off. It’d be hard to run up these stairs and not lose your balance from the Dali-esque solution to this problem. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

When “So Close” is Too Close

The quality of the photo isn’t great, but it’s clear what’s going on here. Somehow, someone managed to install a ceiling fan on their own…about four inches too close to the wall. If you think about it, the situation is mindboggling. How exactly did they manage to install and run it without realizing it was in direct contact with the drywall? How long was the fan on for it to create grooves that deep? Hopefully, the homeowners don’t try and fix the drywall themselves once they remove the fan. But the odds that they’ve learned their lesson are slim. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Held Together by a Thread

Have you ever lived next to “those” neighbors? The ones who are constantly trying to fix things themselves or just not upkeeping their property? This Reddit poster got to experience their neighbor’s genius first-hand when a fence started falling apart at the posts. If you look closely, there are quite a few things happening in this photo. For starters, it looks like the fence broke previously and, on the far right, was fixed with two black zip ties. Can’t really complain since zip ties have a great reputation for strength and stability! But when the second break happened, at a main post, the neighbor didn’t even have any rope handy to make the fix. Instead, they grabbed an extension cord, cut it to size, and tied the fence together. Creative, to say the least… [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Painted Himself into a Corner

The older generations have a lot of DIY experience and it’s not surprising to find a boomer with the know-how to get a project done at a surprisingly expert level. Their hands-on, hard-labor approach can be both exasperating an impressive, as this man exemplifies. He’s painting the floor of a barn or outbuilding and doing a great job of it. Everything looks evenly coated, he’s got on a jumpsuit, and there’s minimal mess. But I think all of us – including him – are wondering how exactly he’s going to get out of the room. His wide smile gives off a worry-free air, but it might be quite a while until that floor is dry enough to walk across. [via Facebook]

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Facebook

Just Need Those Final Touches…

They were so close with this project. So, so close. Tiling is never easy, which is why it’s considered a professional-level trade. It takes the right equipment, safety, and math know-how to install a tile floor properly despite how simple the end product appears. In this case, it looks like the homeowner did everything right initially. The tiles are only slightly off in terms of spacing and the grout isn’t horrible… But then, they forgot about the drain. Tiles need to tilt down toward a drain for the system to work properly. When they realized their mistake, whoever DIY-ed this project was over it. They took a hammer to the tiles nearest the drain and broke them up enough to create that tilt. It’s a mess you can’t quite look away from, but it probably gets the job done, too. [via Facebook]

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Facebook

It’s the Thought That Counts… Right?

For a few years there, hand-painted murals on bedroom, living room or nursery walls were all the rage. And some of them were pretty cute and creative! Having art made specifically for or by you can make a house feel like home. But, not everyone is meant to be an artist – or you should at least put in a bit of practice before going at your bedroom wall with a paintbrush. The photo on the right of the DIY mural isn’t horrible by any means, and is interesting in its own way. But if they were aiming for something like the mural on the left, then the homeowner was probably mildly disappointed. Just goes to show why artists should be taken seriously and compensated for their work! They’re professionals, too. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

These Steps Look Like a Glitch in the Universe

Imagine running home in a rush and needing to get upstairs quickly – only to find that you have to navigate this monstrosity of a staircase. Does a tightrope walker live here? There are so many questions behind the construction of these stairs. Are they really safe, bolted into the wall? What’s the load limit here? Do the wires (and lack of a railing…) serve any function? How many times has a small child fallen through the many, many gaps? Really, this is just an accident waiting to happen. It might look cool at first glance in a minimalist kind of way, but when it comes to function, these stairs defy reality. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

The Great Garden Wall of China

Gardens are the perfect place to get in a little DIY with minimal impact. If a DIY project happens outside, you can easily overlook it and don’t need to live with it every single day. Gardens are also a great place for cute little displays of statues, bird houses, stepping stones and more. You can really let your personality shine through. Or get rid of your old dishware when you’re finally able to buy a new set. That’s apparently what this homeowner did when they realized they needed a way to edge the garden. While this is a slightly tacky fix, it’s also a little bit whimsical. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Boredom Leads to Bad Choices

Obviously, the person who posted this on Facebook was satisfied with and proud of their DIY project. We’ve heard of pregnancy hormones leading to weird cravings, but do they lead to bad DIY choices as well? The chunky shells lining this sink definitely give off a “cringe” reaction, reminiscent of incredibly cheap and run-down beachside motels. Just keep in mind that any project inspired by the dollar store likely won’t turn out great. If she was going for a beach-y vibe, it’s going to require a lot more than some shells and hot glue. Let’s just hope those shells come off easily when she realizes just how unrealistic this DIY is in terms of function. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Why Be Classy When You Have Glitter Glue?

There are just so many reasons this DIY project is a “no.” These days, tiles and grout come in so many shapes, sizes and colors. Why would you need to resort to dollar store glitter glue to “class” up your grout? Not only does this look like a time-consuming DIY project, it’s also an unsustainable one. Heavy traffic in this area will definitely wear that glue away quickly. As a side note, can we just talk about how the silver-blue glitter doesn’t even complement the beige and orange tile? [via Reddit]

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Reddit

Breaking the Rules… the Right Way?

Air ducts are meant to either cool off or heat up your home, depending on the system. Apparently these tenants decided the basement (or attic?) needed to be warmer and found a quick solution by cutting a hole in the heat duct. Did it solve the problem? Yes. Was it necessary? Maybe? After all, pipes can often freeze in basements…but if that was the case, a discussion with the landlord was in order, not a DIY fix. Either way, they did a surprisingly good job. They could have just left an open hole, but were smart enough to create a hood that directs the heat into the room. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

When Dad Gets a New Christmas Present

Dads are known for loving tools and using them to “fix” or “update” anything, at any chance. In this case, the homeowner must have been gifted a jigsaw and decided that some DIY stairs would really give the home some character. They’re going to give someone a twisted ankle, too. Here are a few scenarios where wavy steps are likely to lead to accidents: early morning; late at night; after a few beers. We can only hope that no one got seriously hurt before they realized this interesting, but dangerous design needed to be switched up. There’s a reason stairs haven’t changed in terms of design for centuries. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Bringing Denim Back

Have you ever seen a Canadian tuxedo for a staircase? These stairs are reminiscent of Britney Spears’ 2001 American Music Awards denim dress. You can’t quite look away, but boy, do you want to. Using fabric on stairs isn’t unheard of – but it’s usually in the form of carpeting or runners. We have so many questions. How many pairs of pants did it take to complete this project? Did the homeowner suddenly decide they had a better use for their jeans? Was this a thrift store solution that they thought might take the internet by storm? Just imagine the feel of all those seams and pockets on your bare feet as you run up to your denim-themed bedroom. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Looking for A Little Privacy? Too Bad.

Bathrooms can be tricky to renovate on your own. They’re so small that many homeowners decide to tackle a renovation as a DIY project. It’s not always a disaster, but when one little thing goes wrong, it can definitely cause an inconvenience. Chances are, if you’re running to the bathroom, an inconvenience is the last thing you want to deal with. That’s the case with this bathroom which, at first glance, appears totally normal. Until you realize that there’s absolutely no way the door will close, which throws privacy out the window. There are other fixes for this situation, like pocket or rolling doors, but cheap DIYs lead to consequences. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Nature Lover or Lazy DIY-er?

Building a fence is no easy feat. They’re great for privacy if you have neighbors nearby or for keeping children and pets in an enclosed area. However, getting a fence installed by a professional company can get pricey fast – which is perhaps why this homeowner decided to DIY. Their choice of wood is beautiful, though not necessarily outdoor-proof. But our biggest question here is, why not just move the rocks? Instead, the fence was built to accommodate the rocks, leaving an odd geometric spike. This is a quick fix if you’ve got a steady hand and a Sawzall, but the issue could’ve been avoided entirely by a little labor. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Maybe No One Will Notice?

Unfortunately, another tiling DIY makes our list with this atrocity. Aside from the fact that they skipped quite a few steps – like spacing the tiles evenly – it seems the homeowner couldn’t decide on a design. And went for both. Using hexagon and rectangle tiles together isn’t common, and there’s an obvious reason why when you look at this design. They literally don’t fit together…at all. It’s unclear what the homeowner was thinking when they decided to go for this look. Did they run out of hexagonal tiles? Did they want a design with a little bit of character to draw the eye? Whatever their intention, it’s glaringly obvious that this would bring the value of any home down. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

When You Want the Aesthetic, but Not the Function

When this homeowner moved into their new digs, they couldn’t figure out why the lighting in the bathroom wasn’t working. A nightmare situation if you have to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and all-around confusing. The owner did quite a bit of poking around before giving up and deciding to take the light fixture down to replace it – only to find out that it wasn’t even connected to anything! Whoever owned and “renovated” this home before was going for a certain look, but unworried about function, apparently, as they skipped any kind of electrical hookup. They even painted around the base of the fixture for a quick installation. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

Paint Over Your Problems

Chances are, if you’ve lived in an apartment before, you’ve experienced some horror stories with landlords. It’s hard to find a landlord who is not only a decent person, but also takes care of their real estate. While we’re pretty sure Dr. Mac Arthur is most likely a funny persona, this picture is no joke. It shows how one landlord painted over and over both an electrical socket and light switch, to the point where you can barely tell what they are anymore. Only a few more coats and they would have disappeared into the wall. Our initial guess was that floor lamps were being used for lighting for obvious reasons, but…where would they even get plugged in? [via Reddit]

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Reddit

We Can’t Even Tell What This Is. Seriously.

What exactly is going on here? Your guess is as good as ours. It’s obviously some kind of plumbing solution where, for whatever reason, they were unable to find a pipe joint. It takes a whole different level of creativity to not only think of a blender, but then outfit it for this purpose. Wouldn’t it have been quicker to just drive down to the nearest home improvement store? Judging from the state of the blender and the surrounding cabinet, they’ve had quite a few issues in the plumbing department before. You can tell from the erosion of the cabinet base that leaks have happened in the past, and there seems to be gunk and mildew all over their DIY solution. Whatever happened here, some lucky plumber will get a good laugh when they’re called to finally replace it. [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Dad’s Favorite Thermostat

This looks like another landlord DIY, although the intentions behind it are questionable. Hopefully, the tenant did a quick check of all appliances and fixtures shortly after moving in and discovered this issue. It would be a huge problem if they made it all the way to winter only to find out their heat didn’t work and/or couldn’t be controlled. It makes us wonder just what the landlord was thinking – surely they didn’t believe they’d get away with hanging a disconnected thermostat on the wall? [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Those Half-Baths Keep Getting Smaller and Smaller…

Was this homeowner looking for a place to store their shampoo and a solution for holding up that pesky showerhead at the same time? Honestly, we feel their pain. Finding storage space in the shower, especially for large families, is never easy. But, you know, they make things for that. Like shelves or shower organizers. Apparently, for this homeowner, the easiest way to get the job done was to install a cabinet in the shower itself. It’s unclear how exactly this will work since wood doesn’t do well with long term exposure to moisture, but we wish them well! [via Reddit]

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Reddit

An Adult Slip n’ Slide, with Consequences

Installing stairs of any size and shape is no joke, as this homeowner likely learned when they DIY-ed an outdoor set of steps. It’s unclear what the aesthetic here is, as there are at least four different types and colors of stone going on. But the real focus of our worries is on the steps themselves, which are noticeably tilted downward. Imagine trying to rush into the house on a rainy day and taking a dive on that slick, slight incline. Luckily there’s even more stone to break your fall! [via Reddit]

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Reddit

Functional Furniture for Friend Groups!

Recently, the double couch has been making the rounds in the DIY (or DIWHY) communities. An amateur-made contraption, double couches essentially act as theater seats for large families or groups of friends. This homeowner went above and beyond in making sure everyone had a seat, and built a triple-decker couch complete with wheels for easy maneuvering and storage. Honestly, this is an impressive solution – even if we’re cringing at the expectation of one of those 2x4s snapping under the weight of the movie night crew. [via Reddit]

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Reddit

For Times When Feeling Supported Truly Matters

Of all the appliances in your home, toilets are the ones you shouldn’t mess around with. Unless you know what you’re doing. We’re not quite sure what happened here, but it looks like after the installation, someone realized that toilets need to be caulked. Caulking a toilet in place so it doesn’t shift is done almost exclusively around the base. What could have been happening in this home for the owner to feel that the toilet needed to be doubly secured at the top as well as the bottom? And how do they plan on removing the lid if they ever need to access other features, like the float or flapper? At least they’re mindful of their bathroom etiquette, judging by that scented spray! [via Reddit]

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Facebook

Trying Too Hard to Impress Guests

If you only saw the top portion of this photo, you might be impressed. It appears to show a flat screen TV installed professionally in a living room wall. Nice set up, looks a little pricey and classy – what more could you ask for? And chances are, this TV will impress guests, unless they get a look at the room behind the living room. The bottom photo reveals just how the installation happened, and it’s no magic trick. This is actually a full-sized box television mounted into a wall, with the back end hanging out in someone unfortunate person’s room. The installation looks like it was a bit of a mess, too, with drywall scraps littering the rug and a mess of wires spread out under the television. But, hey, as long as no one ever discovers their secret, it just might work out. [via Facebook]

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Reddit

Your Best Guess Probably Beats Ours

Home improvement experts have carried on long discussions about what this contraption could possibly be for. It’s been referred to as a “redneck water heater”, but what are the chances this thing can heat enough water for a whole house? The fascinating thing is, it looks like someone at least partially knew what they were doing. The PVC piping is well-jointed and there doesn’t appear to be any leaking. Plus, you’d need to understand how hot water delivery systems work to even think of involving a tea kettle. But how, exactly, does it work? And what does it do? [via Reddit]

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