The What-Not-To-Do List
For DIY Home Renovations

Some home renovation jobs are a lot harder than they look. Here are five standard DIY projects that inexperienced renovators routinely mess up, and some tips from the pros.

The Job: LAYING BRICK PATHS

The Pitfalls: If the foundation under your pavers isn't hard and level, within six months and after enough rain, your path may look more like an old, crooked, cobble-stone street.

The Pros Say: Unless you're going for the old, crooked, cobble-stone street look, stick with spaced out, individual stones. They are a little less formal, "so you can get away with not having the foundation as straight and solid," says Brad Little, president of Case Handyman and Remodeling Services in Charlotte, N.C.

The Job: REMOVING WALLPAPER

The Pitfalls: Removing part of the drywall along with it, resulting in pitted walls that need to be repaired or even replaced.

The Pros Say: If the wallpaper was put on incorrectly in the first place, drywall holes may be unavoidable when you try to remove it, says Lou Alvarado, owner of Handy Husband in Atlanta, Ga. Try to soften the glue behind the paper first with a steamer or a wallpaper removal product such as Diff. If the paper doesn't come off easily, you're probably just asking for trouble. Leave it on and prep for painting over it instead.

The Job: REMOVING "POPCORN" CEILINGS

The Problem: Getting rid off the tacky ceiling texture, popular in the 1970s and 1980s, can be a messy, dirty, back-breaking process that results in ceiling gouges or worse--some of the stuff just won't come off.

The Pros Say: Never scrape a dry ceiling. Wet it first with a garden sprayer and then scrape with a putty knife, says Mr. Little. The texture should come off in neater clumps. And there's less risk of ceiling holes.

The Job: PATCHING DRYWALL

The Pitfalls: Inexperienced fixer-uppers routinely fill holes in sheet rock with too much joint compound and use the wrong-width knives. The result can be bumpy walls that look a lot like a rough, textured ceiling, says contractor David Wise of Mini Jobs in Atlanta.

The Pros Say: Use a six-inch knife to smooth the first coat of joint compound and eight-inch and ten-inch knives for the following two coats. For an even smoother surface, try using less compound for each application and apply four or five extra-thin coats instead of just three coats.

The Job: BUILDING A DECK

The Pitfalls: Bolting the deck right onto your roof or house frame without putting a layer of metal flashing in between. That can lead to leaks and water damage, says John Schmitt, owner of Kingston Custom Builders in Fairfax Station, Va. Also, DIY decks often wind up with frames and railings that aren't up to code or are crooked and saggy, thanks to too shallow or improper foundations.

The Pros Say: Inexperienced renovators, don't try this at home. Leave it to experienced contractors.

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