DIY mistakes we've made (so you don't have to)

Vamoose, varmint

In animal behavior, "philopatric" describes a critter that knows how to find its way home. Like a woodchuck, for instance. I trapped one in my yard, deposited it in a park a half-mile away — and then repeated the process four times. I spoke with a wildlife official and discovered three things.

Lessons learned:

1. The meaning of the word philopatric.
2. It's illegal to relocate woodchucks in many states, so check the law before you move one.
3. A half-mile is a laughably short distance for woodchuck relocation. For me, five miles did the trick.

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D'oh!

I fumbled a sheet of plywood and crushed my big toe.

Lesson learned: Your average half-inch, 4-by-8-foot piece of plywood weighs 50 pounds. Get a grip on it by using a tightened C-clamp as a handle. Oh, and for good measure, buy a pair of steel-toe boots.

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What a tool

I rolled the drum floor sander into the room, plugged it in — and it took off like a crazed robot. I gave chase as it bashed a hole in the wall and raced into the next room.

Lessons learned:

1. Make sure the machine is switched off before you plug it in.
2. If you forget the first lesson, never chase a runaway floor sander. Instead, pull the plug.

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Code red

Before driving a single nail to build my wood deck, I had the plans approved by the building department. I was proud of the design, which featured horizontal rail spindles — a code violation, as I would discover. After the job was completed, an inspector visited and described a scenario in which a child might climb the spindles as if they were a ladder and tumble to the ground.

Lesson learned: Read codes carefully; meeting them is the homeowner's responsibility, and just because a plan is approved doesn't mean the project meets code. Also, get the work inspected early, in case you need to change direction.

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Solo no-no

I had no trouble unhinging the heavy vintage front door of my house. But with the sun setting and the paint job still unfinished, rehanging the door was another story. I finally recruited a neighbor to steady it while I lined up the knuckles and replaced the hinge pins. Like many do-it-yourselfers, I pride myself on being self-reliant, so I felt embarrassed, to say the least.

Lesson learned: Overestimate every aspect of a job, including how long it will take, and envision it to the finish. Remember: Removing heavy objects such as doors or cabinets is easier than replacing them.

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Bird in the hand

When joining a pair of 2-by-4s with a framing nailer, it's common practice even among experienced carpenters to squeeze the boards together with one hand while pulling the trigger with the other hand. Notice I said "common practice," not "a good idea." Imagine my horror as I watched a colleague impale an index finger with a gas-fueled nailer, then marvel at the clean, pinprick entrance and exit punctures for about a second before the blood gushed forth like Texas tea from a freshly tapped well.

Lesson learned: Keep the free hand clear of the muzzle and don't underestimate the distance an errant 3-inch nail can travel when fired from any nailer, either pneumatic or gas-fueled.

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Child's play

My 1-year-old daughter thinks latex paint is delicious.

Lesson learned: Young children and interior painting don't mix.

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Kissed off

A "granite kiss" sounds romantic, but it can inflict a lot of pain: It refers to a finger or hand being crushed between stones while building a rock wall. After getting a granite kiss on an index finger, we called Kevin Gardner, author of the book by the same name.

Lesson learned: "Gloves don't help," Gardner says. "They give a false sense of security." Roll a stone on the ground to find the center of gravity (the heavy side). Place the stone with the center of gravity snug. "Don't cradle your hand beneath it. You can manipulate stones from the top."

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Grass 101

I love my new, ground-level wood deck, but I don't love the grass growing between the boards.

Lesson learned: Nail landscape fabric over the soil beneath the deck before you build.

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Glass 101

Antique rippled-glass windows, like those in my living room, are lovely, but old panes scratch easily. I wish I'd known before I prepped to paint around mine.

Lesson Learned: When sanding a muntin, tape the pane's edges and use a light touch.

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Hue and cry

I was careful to cover every inch of the wall with the new paint, even though I took a couple of breaks. The new shade was darker, and the coverage looked good — until the paint dried, revealing a zebra pattern wherever I'd stopped and restarted.

Lesson learned: Paint the whole wall without stopping. Repeat.

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All wet

I was psyched to see how fast old paint came off my house with the pressure washer. I was going to scrape and sand, but the power-tool option seemed great — until I saw I had not only cleaned the clapboards but also deeply scored them.

Lesson learned: Test the pressure and nozzle size on a small portion of the surface. In most cases, the 15-degree nozzle works well for paint prep. The zero-degree beam I used is a weapon, not a tool.

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Get on track

While installing a garden path in my backyard, I tried to roll a wheelbarrow full of crushed stones down four steps. On the second step, everything went wrong.

Lesson learned: To avoid dumping your load, place a 2-by-10 down the center of the stairs, carefully set the wheel onto the board and ease the wheelbarrow down the track.

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Attic antics

While laying insulation in my attic, I slipped while balancing between joists and put my boot through the bedroom ceiling. I felt pretty foolish, but that didn't stop my neighbor from having a good laugh at my expense before giving me some advice.

Lesson learned: "Just use a couple of plywood scraps as movable platforms," the neighbor said.

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