Comments on: Do-It-Yourself Projects Save Money

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:59:38 +0000

Jay: Thanks for the concern and info. Fortunately for us, our deck was built in 2005.

By: JayMonster

JayMonster — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:28:26 +0000

It is important to remember if you deck was built earlier than approximately the end of 2004 that the wood used for outdoor decks was treated with CCA, or chromated copper arsenate.

Chromium, copper and arsenic are all carcinogens. If you have a vegetable garden and power wash you deck, you run the risk of contaminated your soil with this. Also that layer of grime that you washed away also removes a barrier between you and the carcinogens in the wood.

If you have a deck like this, make sure you SEAL it with stain and sealers.

I have some links to good sources on preventative steps to take with CCA lumber.

http://tripleventi.com/2007/03/15/picture-perfect-thursday-killer-backyards/

By: Montgomery

Montgomery — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:32:05 +0000

We do this, too. I have a very talented husband who is not afraid to try anything at least once. I would love to see a tally of all the money he has saved us in our 25 years of marriage. The biggest projects in recent years were the installation of a new heat pump (saved about $6000) and hardwood floors.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:47:54 +0000

Yvie: Painting can save you hundreds and thousands of dollars too. I had a friend that paid someone a few thousand dollars to paint the interior of her home. I could hardly believe it.

Fortunately, some home improvement stores offer DIY classes. There is also a wealth of information on the internet as well. Good luck!

By: Yvie

Yvie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:10:13 +0000

I’d like to try DIY. Admittedly, the only thing I can do is paint the walls and do some pretty paintings for our home. Other than that, I think I really need to study a little on DIY ’cause I would love to decorate my own house.