Cut a support beam during a kitchen reno in Phoenix last year

I was demoing a wall in a 1950s house and accidentally notched into a load bearing beam with my sawzall. Had to call a structural engineer for a $400 fix and now I always check with a stud finder before cutting anything.

2 comments

2 Comments

iris_rivera441d ago

That "had to call a structural engineer" part really hit home for me. It's funny how we think we can eyeball things in our own homes (like, I've definitely assumed a wall was just decorative) but one wrong cut and suddenly you're paying for a professional to come save the day. This whole thing reminds me of how people assume they can fix their own plumbing or electrical work without checking codes first, and then they end up with a bigger mess than if they'd just asked for help from the start. Mistakes are fine, but the real learning is knowing when to admit you don't know something, you know?

baker.ben1d ago

Man that's such a good point about how we never think to check codes first. I wonder how many houses are out there with totally unsafe DIY fixes that nobody ever finds out about until something goes really wrong.