Share your War Stories

15 years ago

jenswren posted about her recent injury while DIYing her kitchen, which required extensive medical attention. I'll bet there are lots of us here who have close-call, injury, or damage stories to tell. Please share!

Accidents happen, even when you are not diying. We had an electrician come through a ceiling (he was working in the attic). As fate would have it, my then-13 y.o. daughter was standing directly below him holding our very expensive camera.

The electrician had stepped on a 2x4 crossbrace, which gave way and hit my daughter on the head and arm before knocking the camera out of her hands. The 2x4 was only about 2 feet long but was spiked with many nails.

And the poor electrician was left hanging out of our ceiling above my daughter. I had to get a ladder to help him get back up into the attic. Fortunatley, neither of them were seriously hurt or required more than a few bandages (and probably an ice pack for the electrician, but he would not admit that) It was crazy!!

The framing crew that did the first phase of our remodel was the actual crew that had built our home in 1993. They told me all kinds of stories about the building of our house, including one of the framers falling from the peak of our home while putting on the roof deck. He landed in the center of what is now our living room...a 13 foot free-fall apparently. He got a bit of time off of work from it, according to the. I'm actually surprised he survived!

Who else has scary stories to tell? Maybe they can remind us all about the importance of vigilance and safety consciousness.

Sandy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

jterrilynn
15 years ago
My last hazard was during what I foolishly thought was a one week project with husbandÂbuilding concrete/stuccoed columns with lights on each side of a wide driveway to accommodate two large tall arched double gates. Long story short, beware of HomeDepotÂs floor help doing a "Run Forest Run" to the other side of the store when they see a woman with a trolley headed to the concrete and block section. Months of pain, tests, meds, sciatica, herniated disk, Arthritis attack and prolonged exposure to supplies trigged my fibromyalgia. But, everything turned out beautiful!!! Next is the kitchen and IÂm dreading the DIY work but this is the only way we can get everything on the "DO" listÂI hope I survive.
busybme
Original Author
15 years ago
omg, jterrilynn! I agree that the big burley employees never seem to be around when you need them. Guess we gotta learn to ask for help, don't we?

Hope your pain has gone and I'm glad to hear that your columns turned out great. Any pictures of them?

Sandy
Related Professionals
Baltimore Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · King of Prussia Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Lockport Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Plainview Bathroom Remodelers · Citrus Park Bathroom Remodelers · 93927 Bathroom Remodelers · Cocoa Beach Bathroom Remodelers · Deerfield Beach Bathroom Remodelers · Martha Lake Bathroom Remodelers · South Jordan Bathroom Remodelers · North Chicago Bathroom Remodelers · Pendleton Tile and Stone Contractors · Spartanburg Tile and Stone Contractors · Bell Design-Build Firms · Oak Hills Design-Build Firms
jterrilynn
15 years ago
Here ya go busybme, itÂs been a while since that project, grass instead of dirt now. Looks easy enough doesnÂt it? It took forever and those babies are several feet down. Did get help with stucco banding though as I had never done that before. But now I know. http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af170/jterrilynn/house%20pictures/?action=view&current=P1010071.jpg"; target="_blank">
busybme
Original Author
15 years ago
jteriilynn, your gates are lovely! Our property would look fabulous with something like that...sigh...

(Lord, please help me be happy with what I have and not covet every good design element that I see)

Sandy
needsometips08
15 years ago
We didn't have anything more than a few scratches, thank God!

Well, maybe the worst of it was when our neighbor went to strike the flooring nailer and missed and pounded a HUGE black, purple, and red bruise right into his lower shin with the mallet. It was probably a little bigger than a tennis ball! I didn't even hear any screaming and cussing. I guess he's one tough cookie.