Framing and sheathing. These tasks are enjoyable if you can swing a hammer accurately and work with someone more experienced to explain how to raise walls. If you use a power nailer to speed up the job, read the operation manual carefully. Hard hats and eye protection are a must.
Hanging windows and doors. A well-framed rough opening (RO) makes the job a lot easier. You’ll need patience to plumb, level, and center the pre-cased unit in the RO, adjusting and readjusting shims till everything’s perfect.
Installing flooring. To get a good floor, make sure underlayment is level and solidly attached, measure and cut flooring carefully, and use appropriate fasteners or adhesives.
Plastering. This is difficult for the novice.
Plaster consistency and technique and the room’s temperature are all crucial. The skill of plastering takes time to master.
Refinishing floors. Take your time doing this, especially with power sanders. Be conscientious about vacuuming and sanding lightly between finish coats. Use a respirator mask with filters.
Installing pre-built cabinets. Like hanging doors, this job takes careful planning, accurate measurement, and lots of patience. Shimming the bottoms of base cabinets is the key to leveling cabinets and aligning them with one another.
Installing interior trim. This takes patience, careful measurements, and a quality miter saw.
Installing exterior trim and siding. You need patience and a good miter saw. Be sure to caulk and weatherize carefully.
Stripping a roof. This is miserable work and dangerous. Don’t do it. Instead, hire an insured tear-off crew.
Reroofing. Hire pros if the roof pitch is steep. Keys to a good job: correctly flashing and aligning the shingle courses. This work is inherently unsafe, however, because you’re high up on a sloping surface without a net to catch you.
Running ductwork. Cutting and running ducts isn’t difficult, but balancing the heat output to all rooms takes skill. Consider hiring a pro.
Plumbing and electrical wiring. You could learn a lot by working with a licensed pro for a day or two, but local codes may prohibit you from doing your own work. The work is enjoyable, steady, and logical—and requires close attention to detail. Don’t do it if you’re not fastidious. Either trade requires specialized tools.
Framing stairs and complex roofs. Many angles need to be reckoned with to do these jobs.
Masonry. Each masonry unit—whether brick or block—must be placed exactly. This takes strength, dexterity, patience, and a sure eye.
Changing bearing walls. Be sure to obtain the guidance of a structural engineer or a seasoned contractor.
Adjusting the furnace. Other than basic maintenance tasks, leave this to an HVAC pro.
Tiling in fresh mortar. It takes years to learn how to prep the surface correctly, mix the “mud” to the right consistency, trowel it on, and then screed it off until the plane is flat. Hire a pro to create the mud bed. Then you can concentrate on tiling.
