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With more free time on our hands than ever, and most of it spent in the comfort of our homes, people are seizing the opportunity to renovate their houses. But not everything that looks simple, yet splendid on those countless craft videos on YouTube, is so in reality. In fact, oftentimes it goes quite to the contrary.
From renovating and realizing you just removed a load-bearing wall and putting a nice decoration over the toilet only for it to drop all over, to felling cabinets as if there was some meteor shower, these are some of the most “thank god, it’s not me” home improvement efforts.
Have you had some renovation disasters similar to these? Hit us in the comment section below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
When You Live In Svalbard, Norway And Forgot To Close The Window To The Home Office
RELATED:
#2
What Happens When You're Renovating And Remove A Load-Bearing Wall
#3
DIY Fail
There are seemingly an infinite fountain of readily available resources to help do-it-yourselfers, such as books with step-by-step instructions and online how-to videos. In the past five years, the demand for such videos has boomed since most people have realized it’s easy to save some bucks handling cosmetic improvements alone. Those who tried and succeeded have gone on to more complex endeavors like installing tiles or replacing countertops.
And with so much free time on our hands, more and more people are willing to try out and undertake home projects that they feel comfortable with. The last part is crucial, since making a spontaneous decision when you haven’t a single clue on what you’re about to be doing is a red flag that you may be better off without doing it yourself.
#4
Spraying Weed Killer Instead Of Weed N Feed
ThatOneCrazyFanGirl 3 years ago (edited)
ngl, but the pattern is cool (to me, and maybe some others)
#5
Main Water Valve Was Not Shut Off For The Winter In A Cabin
#6
My Wife Said Measure The Door, I Told Her All Doors Are The Same Size...
To avoid renovation disasters that are unfortunately all too common, Bruce Irving, an independent renovation consultant and real estate agent from Cambridge, Massachusetts, suggests not rushing renovations if you just bought a new house. “Learn its flow, where the groceries land, where the laundry wants to go, how the sun hits it, where the choke points are, which way the rain slants, even get a sense of its soul,” he argues.
#7
A Friend Sent Me This Picture Today
"Wife went to get the Christmas tree from the attic. Told her not to step on the drywall. She later admitted she didn't know what drywall was"
Grumble O'Pug 3 years ago
Yeah, it’s her fault. Dry wall really doesn’t hold humans well.
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Royer Potts 3 years ago
I know. Our house when we were stationed in Germany was a block and poured concrete endothermic fortress with foot thick walls. Now we’re back in the US with plastic wrapped twig huts.
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Chyppa Homer 3 years ago
"Oh, look, wife is falling through ceiling ! Quick, let me snap a pic" :D
JessG 3 years ago
I'd be willing to bet she's up there laughing too, I know I would be, lol
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Donkey boi 3 years ago
Drywall isn't a ceiling! The clue is in the name! Please use boards in your loft, it's a lot safer.
Valley Girl 3 years ago
Well, unless where she stepped looked like wet wall, she shouldn't have put her foot there!
CatWoman312 3 years ago
I did this at my grandma’s house when I was a kid. My leg went through the ceiling right over the dinner table. She wasn’t even upset. Told me when my dad was younger his friend came over and fell through the whole ceiling in the same spot. Got up and ran home because he was scared lol
Nadine Debard 3 years ago (edited)
In France we have the same in strong and well-built houses. This place is not meant to store things, it's just for the insulation.
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Bow, I’m a Slytherin 3 years ago
I don’t know what drywall is. If you showed me a photo of it I’d probably recognise it, I’d just have no idea what it was called. In our loft/attic there’s wooden beams and some weird yellow thing, idk.
Donkey boi 3 years ago
Drywall is what Americans call plaster board. In the UK (and most of Europe) we use floorboards in our loft spaces, although a lot of developers of government housing didn't bother, to save cost. The yellow stuff is insulation (Often made from fibreglass so don't touch it without gloves and goggles), keeps the warmth in.
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Marcellus the Third 3 years ago
Yes. Very common construction until 1980s, for pointy-roofed cheap (often 'social') houses.
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Freya the Wanderer 3 years ago
She's in good company! According to my grandmother, my granddad - who should have known better - did this once.
Richard Portman 3 years ago
I hope she didn't get hurt too bad. Lots of people don't know much about dry wall. For sure, she is cautious about stepping on banana peels.
Bardhi's Dad 3 years ago (edited)
Hahahaha. Sorry, but I couldn't resist laughing on that description "She later admitted she didn't know what drywall was"
Jessica Billings 3 years ago
Oddly enough, this is also an iconic scene in Christmas Vacation.
IlovemydogShilo 3 years ago
My dad this 2 days before we moved house. He had to stay behind and wait for someone to come and fix it.
Lori T Wisconsin 3 years ago
Married a not so smart person, eh? Not poor construction, the common unfinished attic does not have flooring over the joists.
Elaine Mattingly 3 years ago
What a dreadful thing to say. She no doubt knows many things you are not familure with.
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Premislaus de Colo 3 years ago
Appartently the woman in the picture above
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Cassie 3 years ago
Many attics do not have a floor. They are not intended to be traversed but intended as an air space to insulate the living space from above. The drywall is the ceiling below the attic. Some people use these types of attic as a storage space, though you're not really supposed to.
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#8
It’s So Hot In Australia, Our Outdoor Lights Melted
The second crucial thing is being realistic about the renovation budget. “If you don’t have the funds,” cautions Irving, “cut the job back. If you happen to beat these projections, then your surprises are happy ones.” A good rule to follow is to always add 20 percent to what you think the project will cost, and make sure that it will very likely take much longer than you initially realize.
#9
The Little Nail That Could And Two Hammers That Couldn't
Ty Stratton-Quirk 3 years ago
The only nail to survive the destruction of Krypton and make it to Earth.
#10
Rude Awakening
Sometimes things are better entrusted to pros. “You are about to spend more than you ever thought possible. It might as well be for a correctly-designed thing,” Irving says. Hiring an interior designer or an architect from the start will prevent you from making bad decisions that will cost you too much to fix.
#11
Went Down To The Basement To Do Laundry...
#12
Wife Bought A New Plant Pot And Put It On The Shelf Over The Toilet. And Hour Later We Heard A Crash...
Here’s another tip. No matter how much we’d like to think we know things best, there are things that we truly have no idea about, and it’s fine. Realizing that asking questions will make the process smoother and more efficient is another simple trick to make your renovation work. Pretending that you know stuff, like reading blueprints, is not an option, especially when it’s you who are paying the money.
#13
Kitchen Cabinets Decided To Yeet Themselves At 4 In The Morning
#14
Lockdown Renovations Look So Easy On Instagram
However, changing things around as you go with remodeling is also a no-go. Sticking to the plan, listening to the pros, and trusting your gut are things that should guide you through the process no matter what. Don’t let yourself get carried away by some way nicer paint for the kitchen walls, because there are always better things out there.
#15
Time To Move, I Guess
#16
A Storm Came Through. The Plastic Furniture Barely Moved But The Grill Blew 30 Ft Into The Pool
#17
I Guess Plumbing Isn’t For Everyone
#18
I Now Remember That Yesterday I Wanted A Cool Soda
#19
My Fire Alarm Caught On Fire
ThatOneCrazyFanGirl 3 years ago
*popcorn kernels start popping* If you don't get it, read "50 Of The Dumbest Life Hacks These People Discovered That Actually Work (New Pics)"
#20
Got Up In The Middle Of The Night To Get A Drink Of Water, And When I Opened The Fridge The Door Fell Off In My Hand
#21
Friend Of Mine Posted This Photo Of The Job Site Today
#22
Slipped In The Shower, Landed On The Toilet
#23
When Your Cabinet Decides It’s Time To Break Lose And Come Crashing Down The Day You Install Your Brand New Glass Top Stove
#24
110+ Mph Derecho Winds Impale House With Lawn Chair, Iowa 8/10
#25
And The Job Went To The Lowest Bidder...
Misty Grage 3 years ago
Contractors did the same thing on my moms house - they did actually cut a hole and then covered it with tar paper and placed the vent elsewhere!
#26
When Your One Piece Sink/Counter Randomly Explodes At 3am
#27
After Losing 1/3rd Of My Weight, I Finally Didn't Feel Too Fat Anymore. The Toilet Disagreed
#28
I Think I’m Going To Need A Bigger Bucket
#29
Saw This On Fb With Someone Asking For A Contractor
#30
Gravity Wins. But I Live To Trip Another Day
#31
Someone In My Town Fell 30’ Down A Well Through The Floor Of Their House They Didn’t Know Existed. Literally A Well That Sucked
#32
Governor Just Ordered All “Non Life Sustaining” Businesses To Close, Including Construction And Contractors. This Is The Current State Of My Only Bathroom...
#33
We Got Our Doors Painted During A Remodel And The Painters Forgot To Put The Plastic Covering On The Ground
#34
Been Waiting 6 Weeks For A Rather Expensive Toilet So We Can Fit It At A Client's House, It Has Finally Arrived
#35
Cabinet Fell Off The Wall While I Was Out. Handmade Dishes I've Collected From Little Shops And Farmers Markets Over The Years, Now Shattered. I Guess It's Fine I Don't Have Dishes Anymore, Since The Cabinet Knocked Open The Fridge Door, Ruining All My Food
#36
Bought A House In July And They Graciously Left Me A Mini Fridge In The Basement, After Moving All My Beer And Alcohol Downstairs I Discovered It Was Infact A Freezer
#37
I Just Broke The Door Handle Of My Appartement And Cut Myself. I'm Also Locked In
#38
A Tree Tipped Over Onto My Apartment
#39
My Roof Caved In Last Night
#40
I Have Two Outlets In My House (Bought 2 Years Ago) That Don't Work. Purchased 2 New Outlets To Replace Them. Turns Out There Are No Wires To Connect Them To!
#41
Fiancé Was Being Thoughtful And Taking The Paint Cans To The Basement. Turns Out He Tried To Carry Too Much At Once...(Also We Just Bought This House And I’m Dying Inside)
#42
Good Morning
#43
Guess I Don’t Actually Own A Queen Size Mattress
#44
My Tenancy Ends Tomorrow After 2 Years In This Flat. Today, While Cleaning And Getting Everything Ready To Move Out, I Hit The Oven's Door And Broke The Glass. Bye Bye Sweet Deposit Money
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What do you think ?
westwing 3 years ago
So today I learned there are a crap load of lousy contractors in this world....
Aunt Messy 3 years ago
And stupid homeowners. Who doesn't check if a wall is load bearing before they start bashinig?
Load More Replies...
Pazuzu 3 years ago
i remember cursing my cat after seeing her little paint covered paw prints all over the floors in my house--i was painting and she had stepped in the container i had the paint in---walking around trying to scrub the paint from floor--cursing her every second----i then turned around to see my own paint covered footprints all over the place---ooops--- ihad a written apology for her the day after
littlesaresare 3 years ago
The house I rent at the moment is a nice house, but very cheaply made. I can already see the GLUE peeling off where the kitchen cabinets are attached. It's only a matter of time before something like this happens and it's terrifying. :|
Evil Little Thing 3 years ago
You might actually be okay, but might want to take your dishes out and check for screws. If I remember correctly, it's not uncommon for installers to use a quick setting tacky glue on the wall to help stabilize the cabinets as they set the screws into the studs.
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Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Surprised to see so many examples of poor construction and wondering if contractors who did those installations can be held accountable in the US. They can in my country, but it usually means a long and extenuating court process.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Yes. They are accountable. In some *states* in the US, it's relatively easy. The hard part is getting their signatures on paper to prove they were ever in your house. (Looking at you L---'s).
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Noez 🇸🇪 3 years ago
Years ago I had a fire alarm that went off in the middle of the night. Obviously I woke up and thought there was a fire, checked everywhere, sniffed everywhere but after two hours I couldn't find anything and went back to sleep. A few days later it happened again, same thing at night without any fire or anything. I changed the battery and thought that it must have been because of that. About a month later I came home from work to find my fire alarm activated - again without any fire. My land lord eventually replaced the fire alarm with a new one and it has been fine since then. That horror from waking up twice in the middle of the night like that was awful.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
The coldest overnight temperatures tend to occur just before 5AM, the extra stress due to thermal cycling (expansion and contraction) can be what sends something over the edge.
Load More Replies... cassiushumanmother 3 years ago
As a kid i did 2 crappy things while home working. Once i was trimming bushes with an electric chainsaw, suddenly it was not working anymore: i had cut the cord of the chainsaw, stuck in the branches. OK! And the one my father is always reminding me at family gatherings is when he was doing plumbing stuff while i was painting a room. I needed some water to rinse a brush, the water was off so i turned it on and heard: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! He took his revenge by dropping a 150/200kg cast iron radiator on my thumb while he was lifting it so i could put the feet under it. I had a pride thumb(every color of the rainbow) for a while and then my nail fell off. And he indirectly electrocuted me when i was maybe 7 because he took off the light switch of the main room for days and i switched it by habit, touching bare wires. Carpeting was a bad trend, but glad this room was carpeted, i was just very shocked and deezy for a while (and my brain have 5G since 1993).
Alexandra Davis 3 years ago
This post has given me an irrational fear that my kitchen units could give up the ghost at 3am and scare me half to death (especially as I live in a bungalow so kitchen is only 1 room away from my bedroom!
Eslamala 3 years ago
Most of these are just poor quality construction. Cheap and crap materials seem to be the norm in the U.S, apparently. I live in a country that's prone to earthquakes (real ones, not those 5-something richter most people freak out about), and during the last one in 2010 (8.8 richter), none of the furniture attached to the walls even moved, even though the house itself was shaking like a fckn blender. So, yeah, all those cabinet /ceiling /floor mishaps are probably due to the crap construction with drywal (wtf???) and the use of some types of glue instead of nails or screws.
Monday 3 years ago
The ceiling ones weren't crap construction though, most of the world agrees that a ceiling shouldn't actually support the weight of a human, that's why there are beams to walk on up there.
Load More Replies... westwing 3 years ago
So today I learned there are a crap load of lousy contractors in this world....
Aunt Messy 3 years ago
And stupid homeowners. Who doesn't check if a wall is load bearing before they start bashinig?
Load More Replies... Pazuzu 3 years ago
i remember cursing my cat after seeing her little paint covered paw prints all over the floors in my house--i was painting and she had stepped in the container i had the paint in---walking around trying to scrub the paint from floor--cursing her every second----i then turned around to see my own paint covered footprints all over the place---ooops--- ihad a written apology for her the day after
littlesaresare 3 years ago
The house I rent at the moment is a nice house, but very cheaply made. I can already see the GLUE peeling off where the kitchen cabinets are attached. It's only a matter of time before something like this happens and it's terrifying. :|
Evil Little Thing 3 years ago
You might actually be okay, but might want to take your dishes out and check for screws. If I remember correctly, it's not uncommon for installers to use a quick setting tacky glue on the wall to help stabilize the cabinets as they set the screws into the studs.
Load More Replies... Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Surprised to see so many examples of poor construction and wondering if contractors who did those installations can be held accountable in the US. They can in my country, but it usually means a long and extenuating court process.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Yes. They are accountable. In some *states* in the US, it's relatively easy. The hard part is getting their signatures on paper to prove they were ever in your house. (Looking at you L---'s).
Load More Replies... Noez 🇸🇪 3 years ago
Years ago I had a fire alarm that went off in the middle of the night. Obviously I woke up and thought there was a fire, checked everywhere, sniffed everywhere but after two hours I couldn't find anything and went back to sleep. A few days later it happened again, same thing at night without any fire or anything. I changed the battery and thought that it must have been because of that. About a month later I came home from work to find my fire alarm activated - again without any fire. My land lord eventually replaced the fire alarm with a new one and it has been fine since then. That horror from waking up twice in the middle of the night like that was awful.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
The coldest overnight temperatures tend to occur just before 5AM, the extra stress due to thermal cycling (expansion and contraction) can be what sends something over the edge.
Load More Replies... cassiushumanmother 3 years ago
As a kid i did 2 crappy things while home working. Once i was trimming bushes with an electric chainsaw, suddenly it was not working anymore: i had cut the cord of the chainsaw, stuck in the branches. OK! And the one my father is always reminding me at family gatherings is when he was doing plumbing stuff while i was painting a room. I needed some water to rinse a brush, the water was off so i turned it on and heard: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! He took his revenge by dropping a 150/200kg cast iron radiator on my thumb while he was lifting it so i could put the feet under it. I had a pride thumb(every color of the rainbow) for a while and then my nail fell off. And he indirectly electrocuted me when i was maybe 7 because he took off the light switch of the main room for days and i switched it by habit, touching bare wires. Carpeting was a bad trend, but glad this room was carpeted, i was just very shocked and deezy for a while (and my brain have 5G since 1993).
Alexandra Davis 3 years ago
This post has given me an irrational fear that my kitchen units could give up the ghost at 3am and scare me half to death (especially as I live in a bungalow so kitchen is only 1 room away from my bedroom!
Eslamala 3 years ago
Most of these are just poor quality construction. Cheap and crap materials seem to be the norm in the U.S, apparently. I live in a country that's prone to earthquakes (real ones, not those 5-something richter most people freak out about), and during the last one in 2010 (8.8 richter), none of the furniture attached to the walls even moved, even though the house itself was shaking like a fckn blender. So, yeah, all those cabinet /ceiling /floor mishaps are probably due to the crap construction with drywal (wtf???) and the use of some types of glue instead of nails or screws.
Monday 3 years ago
The ceiling ones weren't crap construction though, most of the world agrees that a ceiling shouldn't actually support the weight of a human, that's why there are beams to walk on up there.
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