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This might be profoundly naive on my part but with books like How To Build A House and the knowledge at youtube university I'm not convinced most builders do a

This might be profoundly naive on my part but with books like How To Build A House and the knowledge at youtube university I'm not convinced most builders do a better job than individuals would building their own house, where incentives are aligned. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5367666-habitat-for-humanity-how-to-build-a-house https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5367666-habitat-for-huma...

OJFord 6y ago
I really enjoy DIY, and it's 'always' been my dream to build my own house (actually build, not spec and pay) but there are definitely things that do just take practice/experience. For example, skimming a wall. Not hard to learn what you need to do, but when you actually do it... It's a lot harder than it looks. You can think it's perfectly flat and then step back or the light hits it a bit differently and it's just am obvious nasty blob. I've only patched a few holes (from 'chasing' cables) - if I did the whole plasterboard join it'd be a mess, I'm sure. It's such an aesthetic difference that if I built that house I might pay someone to finish the walls. It's not a graceful did-it-myself charm of an error, like one cupboard door that opens the other way or something. Wallpapering I suspect is similarly hard, and just takes practice, but I've not tried. There are books and videos on software engineering too - and we know that people do self-teach - but our employers pay us because we've already learnt and gained some experience.
- CalRobert 6y ago
  I replastered my daughter's room and you're right, I could never get it flat. I ended up just embracing the bumps on the underlying stone, which suits a classic cottage anyway. Looking at fibre cement cladding for the exterior on an extension for just the reasons you say- plastering is an art and easy to screw up (cracks show up for one thing). similarly I'd use a mason for block walls, if we were doing blocks.
- kls 6y ago
  When you are finished with you joint compound, take a wet sponge and lightly wipe over the compound to level it, you will be amazed at how level you can get it, it's much easier than sanding after the fact.
- Jolter 6y ago
  Wallpaper is fairly easy. It takes time, and it takes care, but it’s not difficult.

OJFord 6y ago

I really enjoy DIY, and it's 'always' been my dream to build my own house (actually build, not spec and pay) but there are definitely things that do just take practice/experience. For example, skimming a wall. Not hard to learn what you need to do, but when you actually do it... It's a lot harder than it looks. You can think it's perfectly flat and then step back or the light hits it a bit differently and it's just am obvious nasty blob. I've only patched a few holes (from 'chasing' cables) - if I did the whole plasterboard join it'd be a mess, I'm sure. It's such an aesthetic difference that if I built that house I might pay someone to finish the walls. It's not a graceful did-it-myself charm of an error, like one cupboard door that opens the other way or something. Wallpapering I suspect is similarly hard, and just takes practice, but I've not tried. There are books and videos on software engineering too - and we know that people do self-teach - but our employers pay us because we've already learnt and gained some experience.

CalRobert 6y ago
I replastered my daughter's room and you're right, I could never get it flat. I ended up just embracing the bumps on the underlying stone, which suits a classic cottage anyway. Looking at fibre cement cladding for the exterior on an extension for just the reasons you say- plastering is an art and easy to screw up (cracks show up for one thing). similarly I'd use a mason for block walls, if we were doing blocks.
kls 6y ago
When you are finished with you joint compound, take a wet sponge and lightly wipe over the compound to level it, you will be amazed at how level you can get it, it's much easier than sanding after the fact.
Jolter 6y ago
Wallpaper is fairly easy. It takes time, and it takes care, but it’s not difficult.