Home improvement learning

Submitted by ptt2020kpl t3_10e3knp in rva

Hi! I’m hoping to become a home owner this year and I know nothing about painting, basic wood working, maintenance. Nothing.

I grew up with my grandmother and mother in a city environment; if we needed to paint or fix a drywall we had to call a handyman in to do the work for us.

I want to be more hands on about my own home. I also want to, eventually, do simple home improvement like adding stick on tiles, painting, wall trim work, changing a recess light, changing/replacing outlets, maybe even replacing carpet with laminate.

The thing is, I want to do all these basic home keeping things that I was never able to learn. I also don’t want to depend on a service or even “getting myself a man” (as I have been sadly advised before) to handle basic jobs in my own home.

There is only so much YT can teach you. I know, in theory, how to paint or prep a wall for paint but I have no idea what items I need. Same goes for more involved work like adding wood trims or making a shelf or two. I definitely don’t want to hurt myself by trying to do any of this without proper instruction or practice.

If any of you have any idea where I can get some hands on practice or guidance please let me know.

Thanks so much!

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BowVeganWowWow t1_j4p0l59 wrote

I also looked into this.

The Richmond Adult Technical Center currently has a class for Home Decor and Remodeling. Basically, a class for DIYers.

I couldn't take it this semester but I am hoping that they offer a similar class in the summer.

Definitely look into that.

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BoldlyBaldwin t1_j4pi5cp wrote

Replying to fusion260 (#1,383,157)

Back when I had time to go, I took a few of those Home Depot workshops. They were the best and took a lot of the anxiety out of home ownership. The instructor/employees I had were very detailed and great at explaining and modeling the process, and questions were always welcomed and allowed an amazing discussion amongst all who attended. These are a must! Home ownership has enough stress involved for those of us who aren’t handy, so anything to help relieve it is appreciated!

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RVAisMyHome t1_j4pkkg5 wrote

Best advice is to start small and drive in. Start with painting and small drywall items after watching YT. There is only so much you ca screw up with those items. And if you do screw up don’t worry as at worst you could cal a professional to resolve it.

Build your tools up slowly as well as your confidence.

If you do call professionals observe what they do to get tips and tricks for how they operate. They really have items that make the impossible seam easy.

Good luck.

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i_need_a_lift t1_j4pkr1q wrote

I don't have experience with it myself so I can't say for sure, but I think volunteering at Habitat for Humanity would help you learn some of these skills.

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fl_man_in_rva t1_j4pl166 wrote

Offer to help out if you know someone doing something, or if they can show you how to do things. I've remodeled bathrooms on my own at this point, but it all started by being that extra set of hands.

The other part about doing work yourself, is having the tools to do it. Start with a basic tool kit and build from there. A few places have tool rental programs which can save you a bit of money especially for tools you might only use once or twice. I've used that mainly for automotive tools.

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seaqueef t1_j4pnlkp wrote

YouTube is really the best source and just getting in there when the time comes. I did the same when I bought mine and I've done a lot of home reno projects at this point. I would suggest watching multiple videos on the same subject and review the comments. Some YT stuff is not good info and you'll often see commenters telling them why their way is not safe/good. Good luck with buying!

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geneb0322 t1_j4psfdu wrote

No one ever taught me that kind of stuff as a kid either. Honestly I just searched for tutorials online and otherwise winged it until I figured it out. I'm pretty good at it now, but it did take several years to get there.

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Hawthorne_northside t1_j4psk3k wrote

You already have the most important tool, desire. From there it’s just trying things. Pick a project. Get some wood and just make a box, (bottom, sides maybe a top), then finish it (paint, stain or Polly). Paint the bathroom (it’s probably the smallest room in the house). Get a piece of drywall, punch a hole in it, then patch it. You can do it, don’t be afraid to start.

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goodsam2 t1_j4pxybm wrote

For YouTube watching I would recommend this old house.

A lot of home improvement shows make for unrealistic expectations but this one builds you up and shows how it is possible.

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Asterion7 t1_j4pz5ms wrote

Like others have said. Dive into the small jobs first. YouTube is your friend. Start with low stakes jobs like painting, hanging a shelf, etc. Stay away from electrical and plumbing until you get more confidence. Anything with gas call a pro.

Also make friends with your neighbors to share tools and skills. It's incredibly valuable and makes for good neighbors.

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jodyhighrola t1_j4pzaag wrote

You just have to commit and take on a project. There will be mistakes that you can learn from, and happy victories. This Old House has been on forever and is a pretty great resource to learn the high level version of just about anything. My pro-tip is to always work smarter not harder. Pay a little extra and get yourself the right tools for any job, and with many things DIY, it's all in the prep work.

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DontTouchMyPeePee t1_j4q1odp wrote

"There is only so much YT can teach you" My brother, youtube can teach you everything you need to know. Make sure you read the comments first before diving in, lot's of things are done incorrectly on YT. You are more capable than you think. Just get use to being ok with messing up or it not being perfect. Gas & electric (Unless it's simple stuff) are the only things I won't touch. When you do call a handyman or contractor, be annoying and ask them questions on how/why they are doing things and what products they are using. I also recommend getting the classic "How your house works" book by Charle Wing so you understand how your house functions. That will help you form mental connections when you are working on things because a lot of times what you do, can impact something else.

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geneb0322 t1_j4q1q2s wrote

Replying to jodyhighrola (#1,385,042)

>get yourself the right tools for any job

I can't stress this enough. I'm pretty frugal and back when I didn't have much money I would just make do with whatever tools I had or could fashion from what I had (and I still fight this instinct on every job even though I can afford tools now). Things are so, so, so, so much easier when you have the correct tool.

You don't need to go buying the most expensive high quality tool you can find, though. Harbor freight is great for those tools that aren't used too hard, but you really need. I wouldn't get anything that takes a lot of stress from them, but their stuff is just fine for regular homeowner jobs.

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[deleted] t1_j4q6ww1 wrote

Replying to RVAisMyHome (#1,384,247)

Also, don't buy the expensive tools b/c "I want to buy quality that I can use for a long time!" because you will just end up spending $300 on a nail gun + compressor set that you use twice in a year and not again for 3 years. When the battery powered Ryobi nail gun is not only like 5x cheaper but also lighter and doesn't have an annoying compressor to lug around.

I kept buying what construction workers bought b/c it was quality. I found myself spending way too much money for the projects I was doing to the point where I over-analyzed things and then got very dissuaded and just started hiring people to do the stuff I needed done.

I definitely have become the "pay someone to do it" guy on anything more complicated than what my basic tools can handle. I realized that my time is more precious than anything... and that was BEFORE my child was born. Now especially.

My dollar goes further by not investing 9 hours into a project and pay someone to do it for 3 hours while, at that time, I work extra at my job and in long term it pays off 3x in my professional career over time.

Source: This is an extreme example but I once spent 11 hours fixing my dryer. I went where no licensed man should go. I started a small fire. I learned a lot... then i bought a used dryer for $200 and it's been running for 5 years now lol - Waste of time but a good lesson overall.

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RVAisMyHome t1_j4q7igg wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,385,536)

Honestly, buy quality tools when they are foundations but then either rent from a Home Depot place or buy cheap at Harbor Freight if it is just a once or twice sorta thing.

As for paying, I agree but sometimes the lessons you learn are invaluable doing it yourself. And for some it is a bit of a reach the mountain top high when you tackle something you didn’t know you could do.

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Strikesuit t1_j4q7y3p wrote

Lots of good advice. The most important missing is to wear eye protection. If you are worried about injury, don't start by doing anything with power tools, electricity, springs, or ladders. If you do anything with electricity, turn off the power at the breaker and test that there is no electricity before you stick a screwdriver in there.

There is only so much one YT video can teach you, but watching multiple takes on the same project may yield some results.

As for diving in, that's exactly what you need to do. As you do more and more, you'll find it take less and less time to learn new things. For instance, once you've replaced a valve in a toilet, it becomes that much easier to install an entire toilet next time.

There is no substitute for experience. You can do it yourself. It will take longer, especially at first. But there can be real satisfaction in doing the work yourself. Bonus: I find my work is far superior in quality to most professionals because I care more.

Also, do you have any handy friends or family who would help? Having someone assist who has experience is often invaluable.

Good luck.

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jodyhighrola t1_j4q82qn wrote

Replying to geneb0322 (#1,385,196)

HF is fantastic for the tools you may only need a few times, and for specialty tools you don't want to shell out for. It's wild that a good amount of people have never heard of it and just buy whatever is at Lowes/HD.

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WontArnett t1_j4qhy7g wrote

Refinishing and repairing used furniture is a good way to learn.

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Chaotic-Newt t1_j4qml2s wrote

I think it could be helpful if you started taking and collecting notes, either electronically or by hand (whichever is most efficient for you), and starting your own little master list of stuff you can easily refer to as needed. If you like watching videos, I’d suggest either having 2 windows open for note taking alongside viewing (you could even screenshot/snip frames for visuals that you want to add to your notes as well), or having a notebook handy to jot down stuff as you watch. This way you can have whatever info you need more quickly accessible when you actually need to refer to it.

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gracetw22 t1_j4r7lfh wrote

Look up Mo Karnage on FB, they just were talking about some classes they are teaching on this very topic.

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geekitude t1_j4rhguc wrote

I'm in the midst of some random home maintenance tasks that could use a spare set of hands, if you're into following directions one step at a time.

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nosefur t1_j4stq36 wrote

Volunteer with Habitat For Humanity! I have some experience with home improvements but I volunteered with a bunch of other people that know nothing. They'll teach you how to use tools, techniques, etc. It's really a great experience and in the end you'll have built a house for someone!

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ptt2020kpl OP t1_j4swp0h wrote

Replying to geekitude (#1,388,368)

I’d love to help out and learn if you really don’t mind. I will be a bit useless at first but I’m a quick learn, detail oriented, and great at following instructions. Please dm me details, really appreciate the offer!

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RVAisMyHome t1_j4sxa22 wrote

Replying to ptt2020kpl (#1,391,264)

Another great tool rental place is “the shed” out in goochland. They don’t have as many tools but they are in newer shape than Home Depot. And a bit cheaper I have found as well.

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geneb0322 t1_j4sxhvp wrote

Replying to ptt2020kpl (#1,391,302)

I was too... But I figured if I need to fix it, it's already broken anyway. Worst case scenario I need to fix it a little more.

Nobody would have ever called me handy before I learned to do the stuff. There's no natural skill involved. You just have to start. You'll make mistakes, but there is very little in home improvement that can't be fixed by trying again.

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StarGraz3r84 t1_j4tgrbq wrote

Ohhh man. Get ready to buy some tools, that's for damn sure.

I was in your shoes 10 years ago. There are so many things I wish I had not done that I thought I could do.

I'm not sure how to answer your question either.

Education is expensive.

But I did learn....

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DeannaZone t1_j4u1gou wrote

Youtube and also there is Hack RVA which is really nice place, my husband and I looked into it, there are free tours sometime, not sure if still doing it, usually on a Thursday I think?

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hieronomus_pratt t1_j4uz4kz wrote

Replying to ptt2020kpl (#1,391,267)

This old house on PBS. There are also plenty of books with valuable info at the library. I found some free texts online, which had become public domain, and showed exactly how my home was constructed one-hundred + years ago. YT used to be a better source, but a lot of content providers are going to try and sell you crap you don’t need.

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RVARiverSit t1_j4xnqex wrote

Young House Love https://younghouselove.com/ is a great blog written by a couple who lived in RVA for most of the time they were writing it. They don't create new posts but they maintain what's there. They have lots of how-to posts to search through for whatever your next project is.

Examples:

General painting tips: https://www.younghouselove.com/email-answer-how-to-paint-a-room-yhl-style/

Painting - cutting in the edges. The embedded video (also on their YT channel) is really helpful. https://www.younghouselove.com/how-to-paint-trim-like-a-pro/

Painting - rolling the center of the walls/ceiling. https://www.younghouselove.com/how-we-roll/

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HeronOutrageous1381 t1_j54pbw6 wrote

Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity on a build. You’ll pick up a lot of skills and tricks, and typically the paid staff and/or lead volunteers will be able to give you some guidance.

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