DIY disasters

Not had the best of weekends. Decided to save the cost of buying a new bath by resurfacing the existing avocado job in white, and doing it myself. Thought it would take maybe a couple of hours, but spent the whole weekend farting around with it. I was just applying the finishing touches with the foam roller that had been supplied with the paint, when the foam completely crumbled, leaving the surface of the bath stippled with little bits of rubber.

Next weekend I am going out to buy a new bath.

Anyone care to make me feel better by sharing their DIY disasters?

I once took a small chunk of chipboard filling out of an upright as I put together an IKEA bookcase and banged a nail in slightly off-centre.

Traumatic.

Quote: Aaron @ January 11 2009, 11:18 PM GMT

I once took a small chunk of chipboard filling out of an upright as I put together an IKEA bookcase and banged a nail in slightly off-centre.

Traumatic.

View original

I was once building a scale model of the Titanic and Leonardo DiCaprio stood on it. Does that count?

Quote: Aaron @ January 11 2009, 11:18 PM GMT

I once took a small chunk of chipboard filling out of an upright as I put together an IKEA bookcase and banged a nail in slightly off-centre.

Traumatic.

View original

Have you considered counselling?

I used to live in a Victorian terrace and I was stripping the wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom and ended up opening up the fireplace that had been blocked off for at least 20 years.

I just sat with a brick in my hand looking at the space wondering if I'd dreamt it.

I have one. Last summer I could not find a chimney man that would re-line my chimneys in time for winter. (plus none wanted to go on my high roof)

I decided I would take a ladder on the porch roof and do it myself.

This roof here without snow.

I bought two ladders one 10 foot and one 24 extension

I ordered the liners and the filling compound from here

http://www.chimneylinerinc.com/red_chimney.htm?gclid=CPGEu6fhh5gCFSbCDAodfDA4DQ

Up the roof I went with ropes and such to pull the things up with.

It was horrid. I froze in fear for a good half minutes of an hour.

Once I got all the supplies up to the roof I tied myself to the chimney. Only to drop the tools to the ground. One thing after another failed.

The 24 extension ladder slipped down and I was stuck by the chimney.

My neighbor came and called the fire department and I was sooooooooooo embarrassed.

They came and got me down and the fire chief man gave me a number of his brother to hire to do the job. He came that day and did it.

Classic.

Quote: Timbo @ January 12 2009, 11:05 AM GMT

Classic.

View original

It was a moment in time that made me know I am not all that.

When he was young, my friend's dad was showing him how to get 'free' leccy. He asked what would happen if his dad put the wire into the other socket. His dad tried out of curiosity and was blown off the ladder and through a door. He hit the shut door with such force, it tore the catchment out of the jambs (if that's the right word). My friend learned a valuable lesson... I hope.

My worst DIY disaster, drilling through a water pipe concealed in a wall. Hmm. I wasn't best pleased.

A man came to put a TV aerial in the kitchen and drilled through a gas pipe. He stood there with his finger in the hole until we eventually answered his hesitant cries for help.

Another time I and various family members were sat in the living room listening to a weird banging for about 10 minutes, before we realised it was the tiling guy stuck on the roof 'cos his ladder had blown down.

They are not *my* DIY disasters, but I then I don't Do It Myself. I get a man in.

Quote: zooo @ January 12 2009, 8:47 PM GMT

but I then I don't Do It Myself. I get a man in.

View original

Yikes, I hear the circling of double-entendre vultures.

Quote: SlagA @ January 12 2009, 8:20 PM GMT

My worst DIY disaster, drilling through a water pipe concealed in a wall. Hmm. I wasn't best pleased.

View original

Quite a few years ago me dad did that, drilling holes for a shelf.
My favourite was when he was bleeding a radiator and mum emptied the bucket down the sink. Then we realised the little stopper had come out and she'd just chucked it down the drain. We were there continuously emptying buckets for about an hour whilst he went shopping for a new one.
Another includes one v cold Christmas when the heating packed in. The plumber had just left, dad tried to put a cover back on one of the radiator pipes (come to think of it don't know what he was doing). Just remember a jet of blackish water shooting up, hitting him in the face, the ceiling and squirting all over the newish, rather white carpet.

I hasten to add, he's generally pretty capable at DIY, despite the above evidence.

Not quite DIY, when I was a toddler we were having an extension built, and I tripped over a step and fell face first into wet concrete.

On a recent DIY success story, last week a curtain rail partly fell down at home, a couple of days before parents got back from hols . Some polyfiller and screws, and it's still looking good

I spent all Saturday this weekend searching for an L shaped bracket that I needed to complete my new DVD shelf I bought from IKEA.
My fiancee was out with the car and there is a bus strike so I couldn't get to a store to buy one.
So I roamed the same room around and around growing angrier and angrier.
I finally found it. It had somehow slipped into my Black Books box set.

YOWSER!!! >_<

Quote: Griff @ January 12 2009, 9:45 PM GMT

My aged and eccentric uncle once arranged for NTL to install Internet at his house.

They came, accidentally drilled a hole in his gas pipe, covered it up with gaffer tape, finished the job, and left.

View original

Jesus, I have had my share of issues with NTL, but at least they have not yet tried to kill me.