While catching up on my newspaper reading the other evening I came across an article by Amy Hoak of Marketwatch, the title of her piece is “When It’s Best to Go With a Pro”, needless to say it caught my attention. Amy notes that our current economic “situation” has prompted more homeowners to DIY with varying degrees of success. Amy had four points to consider before starting a DIY, When safety is an issue, When water is involved, If the cost of materials or tools is high, last but not least, If the project is too big. We here at Historic Restorations have been offering hands-on classes for the past three years, knowing that the average person in the United States today, has not had a personal relationship with tools and little information about how a building is put together. Yet, when shows on television show a home “makeover” done in a week…it all seems so easy. Basic home maintenance knowledge should be required of everyone because it is the most cost effective way to literally keep the roof over your head. Building an ongoing relationship with a professional builder will help and encourage homeowners to take on the tasks that they can do themselves and knowing when to call in a professional with confidence that all projects on your home will help it to be the castle that it is intended to be.