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Laying tile. I know by the fifth job, I'd be getting great results, but the problem is I don't have four jobs to learn and practice on.
Roofing - yeah, I'll get up there and patch something, but doing a whole roof? Nope, I pay young men to get up there and heave those bundles around when it's 105 in the shade and the roof's about the same as the surface of the sun.
Hanging wallpaper - see laying tile.
Sanding and refinishing wood floors - see laying tile. Leave that big drum sander in one place just a skosh too long and you've got a permanent dip. My luck, it'll be right where every time I sit in my favorite chair the light hits it just right and it stands out beyond ignoring.
Anything involving heavy lifting, heavy manual digging. I ruined both shoulders some 25 years ago digging out a big stump because I was too stubborn and cheap to hire a strong young 20 year old to do the job. I have, however, gotten really good at figuring out how to move heavy stuff with minimal personal exertion. Levers, ramps, hydraulic cylinders - it's the way old farts do it.
Anything involving extended periods in an attic in the summer. Not up for heat stroke, thank you very much.
Fortunately, electrics, plumbing, structural don't scare me, I understand the principles and materials. I'm a lot slower than a pro but can do the work just fine - except as noted, when the physical demands call for a skinny 20 year old not a pudgy 60 year old (say, crawl space work).
Anything that requires repeated trips up and down ladders OR requires climbing a ladder more than 6 feet off the ground/floor.
Birthdays and arthritis have finally caught up with me.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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In our 30 years at this house, there have been only 4 jobs that I paid to have done:
1. Replace a skylight after a tree branch went through it
2. Replace the roof (twice)
3. Replace all of the windows
4. Install quartz countertops
I have replaced a window with French doors, done a lot of painting, remodeled bathrooms and kitchen, replaced many light fixtures, switches and outlets, replaced damaged drywall, replaced flooring, built a deck. In all 3,000 sf I stripped off the popcorn ceilings and spray textured. Now at 71 I'm slower but spent the last 3 day weekend remodeling another bathroom. I was sore for 3 days after that.
Last edited by Hemlock140; 01-24-2024 at 08:41 AM..
I've done minor plumbing jobs in the past. I figure plumbing can't kill me. Electricity can, so no electrical work. I've uprooted trees, cleared fence lines, rototilled garden plots, installed floor and wall tiles, stripped paint from woodwork, interior and exterior painting. No roofing. No ladders higher than 6 feet, and even that gives me vertigo these days. Getting old sucks.
I can certainly feel your pain!
My ratio is just over 1-1. One day of fairly physical work around the house requires at least one day of recovery- but a day of work on the boat is definitely 2days of sun and margaritas!!!
I can certainly feel your pain!
My ratio is just over 1-1. One day of fairly physical work around the house requires at least one day of recovery- but a day of work on the boat is definitely 2days of sun and margaritas!!!
I've drilled a hole into my roof to install a bath fan, I wired up my furnace and I've done simple plumbing. I would NEVER re-roof my house though. I know very little about roofing and the nuances of flashing and how things are laid are something you really need to learn from a veteran of the trade. I don't trust youtube to tell me correctly how to install a roof if I ever needed one. Same goes with siding, basically anything that needs to be water proofed.
I would roof my shed though if I ever wanted to try!
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