DIY chanel

[Sacramento Dave]

I like to watch the DIY channel now and then there are some decent shows on there, but there are far to many giving bad or just plain wrong advice. I watched part of a show called I think Bathroom Renovation. The host was showing how to tile a bathroom. She called the snap cutter a Tile Cracker and when you push down on the lever your breaking the tile. Then the first coarse of tile She says put the cut edge up then she did a part way decent plumbing job it would work. But I think I would of approached it a little deferent ( but I'm just a plumber) Then there is ED THE PLUMBER I watched glue some ABS. I would of been fired gluing it like he did besides that every time I hear his voice I want put a dirty sock in his mouth.But the worst thing about these shows the make it all look so easy. What about the Tool cost and the real time for a novice to do a job. These shows just leave out to much, it's real easy to get in over your head. I'm all for doing things for yourself and think you should give it a try, but there is a reality factor to consider.

[RicodJour]

Some of the shows, like Flip This House and Dream House type shows, do frequently show the problems involved. The network would lose viewers, advertisers and revenue if they dissuaded people from DIYing. They'd have to change the name of the channel at the very least - Are You Sure You Know What You're Doing? channel - doesn't have the same ring to it. Besides, people should be encouraged to do more work themselves.

I agree 100% with your viewpoint on the questionable practices they all too frequently pass off as recommended techniques.

R

[evodawg]

I love the fact that most don't have a clue and when they try and don't get it right, I get to come in and charge twice what it would have if they just called me in the beginning. The DIY Channel keeps me busy!!!

Some guys should stay away from tools. They don't work well when you don't have opposing thumbs and jello for brains. It's like the stupid homeowner in the Dremel commercial planing a door with their crap tool. Or the Black and Decker Tape Measure that runs out with the touch of a button. What a bunch of crap. I laugh everytime I see those commercials and think of the idiots that buy it and keep lousy tool makers in business.

Have a good day

[Keith]

OTOH, I've tiled two bathrooms (one to go), a laundry, and two closets. I repaired a leaking pipe in a bathroom wall (some idiot plumber left a nail in the copper pipe) and replaced the subflooring (rotted out because of said leaking pipe). We just did about 700sq.ft. of bamboo flooring, though I hired a carpenter and watched. ;-) I'm thinking about doing a couple more rooms myself, come spring. I've also done a fair amount of electrical work. Oh, and built the garage (26'x27') in my last house.

...but what do I know? I'm not a plumber, just an engineer.

[evodawg]

Oh no, not one of them! This guy knows everything, least he thinks he does, cause that's what he was told in school. hahahaha

[Robertm]

Then what excuse is there for the contractors who come in and don't do a good job? Maybe they learned by watching the TV shows?

Bob

[Sacramento Dave]

Engineer how cool. Whets the most cars you have pulled, over 100 ?

[Keith]

"know" everything, no. We're trained to be able to *learn* anything. Most home-owner type "trades" are pretty simple. Only crappy tradesmen are worried about homeowners.

[Keith]

None. Though I had a '70 Gremlin that I had to push often.

You fools are missing the point. People *can* (and will) do your jobs when you price yourselves out of the market. Too bad.

[Sacramento Dave]

So your the one that bought the Gremlin My point was not about cost but about these shows making it sound easier than it is, there nothing to it attitude.

[siralfred]

It's said that free legal advice is worth every penny you pay for it, and this goes for many other types of advice too. If you want to get free advice from commercial television or magazine's you're only going to get whatever helps their advertisers sell their product. So if they don't make it look way easier than it really is, HD, Sears, B&D etc will pull their spots and put the crappy cable channels out of business. Check out "This Old House" on PBS or get some books from Amazon or your local public library for a more realistic view.

"you can do it, we can help" - yeah, right...

[trader4]

"You fools are missing the point. People *can* (and will) do your jobs

when you price yourselves out of the market. Too bad. "

Many times it's not even the price. It's having to take time off from work to wait for a contractor that doesn't show. Or trying to find one that is competent and honest. Or figuring out what to do after he starts the job and disappears for 2 weeks. Many times, it's just easier to DIY.

[Keith]

^^^^ you're

Not quite. My FIL (one who really should have never been alowed to buy a hammer) bought it.

Do these same people think being a surgeon is easy because they've watched General Hospital? Actually, I've found that most home-owner type work is fairly simple, though far more time-consuming than I first thought.

[ameijers]

Snort. This Old House, realistic? Million Dollar 'fixer uppers'? Glossing over doing total gut jobs on interior framing, because it was worse than they thought when they opened it up? Decorating jobs that cost more than most people's entire houses? Ten thousand dollar home TV rooms? TOH, in the early years, had projects normal people could relate to. Now it's just a yuppie wet dream. The companion show, Ask TOH, still has some useful stuff at times.

aem sends...

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[siralfred]

That's what I mean. TOH shows professionals getting professional results for lots of money when they tackle the projects most DIYers should stay away from. I could never afford it though, but that's totally realistic.

[siralfred]

...and I also stopped watching it years ago. HGTV has more low-budget projects for middleclass homeowners, but it's very little DIY.

[No]

Anyone from Philly? Was Ed the son of the Green Grocer on chanel 6 news? I remember the name Ed Delgrandi (?spelling?) from way back. His som may have even done the segment for a bit. Am I dreaming?

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