Three things: knowledge, skill, and guts.
Knowledge: the know-how; the familiarity with a subject. Before I started, I knew shingles were floppy, gritty and needed to be nailed. I understood the simple concept of layering them but had no knowledge of how to start a row, how to cut, how to adhere. I had to seek others to help me grasp what was missing. You Tube to the rescue. Multiple videos reviewed the supply list, the techniques, the pitfalls and the pro tips for a nicely finished product. I watched several videos, took tips from them all and made a plan. I took my shopping list to Home Depot and chatted with a pro in building supply and he confirmed my approach. I was armed with knowledge and supplies. But did I have the skill set?
Skill: competence in performance. Skill comes over time with practice. I needed some pretty basic skills for this roof project: ladder safety, use of a hammer and utility knife and good balance! If you are new to DIY projects start small, grow your skill set and be forgiving if it isn’t just perfect. Practice on extra materials before you tackle the real thing. The first two shingles I cut were terribly crooked and I even sliced through my wheelbarrow with the circular saw. Stuff happens! Guts: courage; nerve; determination. The most challenging part of taking on something new, around the house or in life is having confidence to try. Yes, I knew I had the skills to shingle the roof, I sought the knowledge that I lacked. I did have the confidence to climb up there with tools in tow. Confidence comes from accomplishing the small stuff along the way. Remember being gutsy never means ignoring safety and common sense! As I say in my workshops, if you can finish college, survive a divorce, or raise a teenager, you can handle a broken toilet or a floppy shingle. Plus the pros are out there if you need to throw up your white flag of DIY surrender. At the beginning of my DIY journey, I started small, too. Today, I am fearless and smart and as I stood upon my finished roof, I felt like queen of the world, well at least queen of my own back yard!
