Lessons Learned

General Lessons

Notes

1. Everything takes longer and costs more.
   
2. Get the inspectors in as soon as you can, pushing the permit final date is foolish.
   
3. Get a house you want to buy inspected by a professional plumber and a professional electrician, then negotiate with the seller.
   
4. The RIGHT tool saves more time than it costs.
   
5. If the local supply warehouse has examples on the walls LOOK AT THEM!
   
6. Check the scheduled classes at the local supply warehouse, GO to them if they are related.

Mistakes

1. Arrange only ONE job at a time.
   
2. Ask questions of the people who give you estimates, make a list ahead of time.
   
3. Make sure the person giving the estimate writes down EXACTLY what you want.
   
4. Save scraps from difficult to buy materials IF AND ONLY IF you MAY have a need for them.

References

Books
The electrical books we bought were NOT up to date. The electrical code changed in 1994 and publishers have not caught up.

Tapes
The Hometime (TM) series of tapes are excellent. "Electrical Installation & Connections" was invaluable and more up to date than the books available. The Technical Help Sheet would have been better in color, but for the money paid at Lowe's it was a bargan.

TV Shows
Watch as many of the DIY shows as you can. Any hint or trick may be valuable.

Tools

Tools We Bought

• Several flat carpenters pencils.
  
• Electrical outlet tester.
  
• Wire stripper.
  
• Large Heavy Linesman's Pliers.
  
• Dead circuit tester. (Buy a good quality one first, it saves in the long run.)
  
• Good Durable flashlites which can be dropped.
  
• More pencils.
• Good high Amp power drill.
  
• Good Electric Screwdriver. With interchangeable rechargeable battery or pack.
  
• More pencils.
• New saw blades.
  
• New drill bits.
  
• If you are assembling furniture with a hex driver, go to NAPA and see if you can get a 1/4" drive socket.
  
• Stapler for round top staples for installing Cat 3 four pair telephone line.
  
• More pencils.
• Good neophrene kneepads with a velcro strap.
  
• Cheap canvas tool aprons, the $3 kind.
  
• More pencils.
  

Tools We Should Have Bought

• Power nailer (electric) if we could have found one for 1 1/4 inch brads to mount paneling over drywall. (I finally got one on sale, to expedite the paneling in the catcave for $89 on sale from $129)
  
• Good 12 Volt or better CORDLESS drill/driver. It's worth the $60. (Actually I went to Walmart for an early bird sale and got a Black and Decker 12 V for $30.)
  
• LARGE wrecking bar. Bigger IS better.
  

Work Contracted

Work We Contracted

• North wall, window and door, residing outside and trimming outside.
  
• Preparing, repairing and painting ceiling, patching walls in office. It was worth it not to lay on back near ceiling.
  
• Carpeting.
  
• Plumber for removal of old gas lines.
  
• Heating and Air contractor for new furnace and ducting.
  
  

Work We Would Have Contracted

Installation of Overhead Ladder. We followed instructions. The manufacturer should be locked in an attic on a VERY HOT DAY trying to follow those instructions..to the letter!

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