Jun 11, 2009 11:17 pm US/Eastern
More Taking On Risky Home Improvement Projects
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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As the economy took a dive, more homeowners are taking on projects all by themselves, which can prove to be risky business.
WBZ
When money is tight, every homeowner knows when the deck railing is about to fall off, it will be a whole lot cheaper to roll up their sleeves and fix it on their own.
In this tough economy, fewer people have the money to call in a pro. But as homeowners take on more complicated projects, they are finding out the hard way that it's not quite as easy as those home improvement shows make it look.
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Just ask Jimmy Matthews of Shirley. He ended up with 17 stitches and nerve damage when he sliced his fingers last year on a table saw.
"I was cutting an old board with a nail it. The blade caught the nail and pulled my fingers right in," he explained while pointing out the scars on his fingers.
But that injury isn't stopping Jimmy from planning a new master suite. He will do nearly half of the work himself.
"I'll do all the finish work, put up the sheet rock and build a shower," he explained.
"The economy is different, people are trying to do more stuff on their own," said Dr. Mark DeMatteo, an emergency department physician at Jordan Hospital.
That means more people are putting themselves at risk for serious injury.
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"Injuries from nail guns have increased over 200 percent according to the CDC," he said.
The real danger according to Dr. DeMatteo is falls, usually from ladders.
"Falls are the real killers," he said.
Emergency rooms see 150,000 patients a year because of falls from ladders.
"It can range from working on the roof, to cleaning their gutters, even indoor jobs," he said.
Injuries are not the only problem weekend warriors face. Experts say if you try to take on a major project, you could have another problem on your hands.
Paul Bletzer, owner of Household Helpers in Brighton says a lot of homeowners get in way over their heads.
"I have to come in and finish it for them," he said.
That could add hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to the project.
"They don't realize it takes more than an episode to get it done," he said.
Bletzer said in most cases it would be best to hire a pro at the start.
But Jimmy Matthews said if he couldn't do the work himself, it would take him years to finish the project.
"I only had so much money in the budget," he said.
He did hire contractor Tony Razzaboni to help him frame the addition, for the rest, he says he's not worried.
"Just do it. If you get hurt, you get hurt," he said.
If you are thinking about taking on a project, check with your local hardware store, they usually have experts that will help you figure out if you are in over your head.
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