There is no doubt a certain mystique that surrounds the person who is intent on doing all their home renovation projects themselves, and then go on to actually do it. Neighbors look out their kitchen windows and stare from the car as they drive past, wondering how it is that Brad continues to donate every weekend to one repair job or another, how he keeps finding people to help him, and how he can keep finding things to fix.

The fact of the matter is that each one of us would love to be like Brad to some extent. After all, people who can wield a hammer can do other things well, too, can’t they? The DIY-er certainly seems more capable. But then you come upon the internet listicle “Top 33 DIY fails. What was #17 thinking?!” and realization begins to dawn: for every one person who takes joy in spending all their free time doing a home repair project and is actually good at it, there are legions of other people who respect the expertise of professionals who have installed so much siding that they can complete the job in a third of the time and virtually never make a mistake.

Wisdom, Not Weakness

What makes DIY such a tricky business? Isn’t there a video tutorial about everything? The fact of the matter is that completing a job as involved as installing siding — especially in Utah where the weather will always be a factor, both on the day and forevermore — one must have the proper tools, manpower, competency with measuring, and confidence in themselves since what they are attempting will be around for many years to come.

Recognizing that the money spent on a professional is as much about peace of mind as anything else, calling a team like ours at Burbach Exteriors to handle your siding is not an admission of defeat but of expediency. Other benefits of hiring someone instead of stumbling around alone includes:

• Builders understand local codes: A home renovation project is usually a big enough undertaking that one should be familiar with the local building and zoning codes to ensure they’re staying compliant. Local professionals already know them all by heart.

• Builders have a reputation to keep: It is in the interest of every professional team to be quick, courteous, and as mistake-free as possible, or else a bad reputation will likely hamstring them from getting hired again.

• Builders have seen it all before: Installing siding in Utah is not as easy as it may seem. Doing things DIY-style may save a person money, but it also may not — not if there are unforeseen setbacks that will require a postponement or, at worst, a restart of the project altogether. At Burbach, there is nothing that we haven’t seen and no problem that we haven’t developed a shorthand to solve. 

A Grueling Education

While learning new things is fun, it can often be equally as frustrating. Installing siding isn’t simply a matter of cutting the right length of vinyl and nailing it to the side of the house; there are elements like soffit and fascia to consider, as well as tools like a circular saw to maneuver. Knowing when to cut, how hard to hammer, where to measure, and what to do if something goes wrong are lessons that can be hard for people to learn just by searching for answers on their own. And there are yet still more variations of siding other than vinyl.

If you are considering a home renovation, specifically installing new siding, try calling a professional before picking up the hammer yourself for a DIY job. We promise that it won’t be a waste of time or money.