Memorial Day weekend in New Hampshire means three things: cookouts, traffic at the dump, and homeowners confidently saying, “How hard could it be?”

For many homeowners, the long weekend feels like the perfect time to tackle those “quick” home maintenance projects. Replace a deck board. Clean the gutters. Fix that loose stair. Maybe even rewire something after watching a seven-minute tutorial narrated by a guy named “ToolDad420.”

What could possibly go wrong?

As a home inspector in New Hampshire, I can confirm: plenty.

The Memorial Day DIY Starter Pack

Every year, homeowners across New Hampshire begin ambitious projects with:

• One trip to the hardware store
• Three missing screws
• Four return trips to the hardware store
• A growing sense of regret
• And at least one sentence that starts with, “Don’t tell my spouse…”

By Tuesday morning, many projects are sitting half-finished beside a pile of lumber slowly absorbing rainwater.

“I Just Needed to Replace One Board…”

Famous last words.

What begins as replacing a single deck board often turns into discovering:

• Rot everywhere
• Missing flashing
• Joists held together by hope
• Railings attached with two drywall screws and positive thinking

In New Hampshire, harsh winters and moisture take a serious toll on decks. Unfortunately, DIY repairs sometimes make things worse instead of better.

A common home inspection finding:

“Improper deck repairs observed. Structural components appeared to be secured using an exciting combination of deck screws, framing nails, and determination.”

The Ladder Confidence Curve

There is a direct relationship between how many burgers someone ate at the cookout and how confident they suddenly become on a ladder.

Memorial Day weekend is prime time for:

• Gutter cleaning
• Roof patching
• Tree trimming
• Hanging flags in places no flag actually needs to be

This is also when homeowners discover:

• Gutters can detach
• Roof shingles are slippery
• Hornets hold grudges
• And extension ladders are not emotionally supportive devices

The “Simple Electrical Project”

There are few phrases more terrifying to a home inspector than:

“I did the electrical work myself.”

Look, replacing a light fixture is one thing.

But somewhere between changing an outlet and “adding a few circuits,” things escalate quickly.

During home inspections in New Hampshire, it’s not uncommon to find:

• Double-tapped breakers
• Open splices
• Reversed polarity
• Extension cords functioning as permanent wiring
• Mystery switches that activate absolutely nothing

Or worse:

A junction box buried behind freshly installed drywall because “it looked cleaner.”

Pressure Washing: The Gateway to Chaos

Pressure washers are amazing tools.

They are also incredibly effective at:

• Removing paint
• Damaging siding
• Forcing water behind trim
• Etching concrete
• And accidentally stripping the homeowner’s dignity in front of neighbors

Every Memorial Day weekend, somewhere in New Hampshire, a homeowner starts cleaning mildew and accidentally gives their deck the texture of shredded wheat.

The “Temporary” Repair That Lives Forever

Homeowners love temporary fixes.

Home inspectors love finding them 17 years later.

Examples include:

• Duct tape on plumbing
• Extension cords through walls
• Bricks supporting deck posts
• Tar smeared over roof leaks
• A stick holding up a basement beam “until next weekend”

Spoiler alert:
There is no “next weekend.” The repair becomes part of the house’s personality.

Memorial Day Is Also a Great Time for Preventive Maintenance

Not every DIY project ends in disaster.

Some smart Memorial Day maintenance tasks include:

• Cleaning gutters
• Checking exterior caulking
• Testing exterior GFCI outlets
• Trimming vegetation away from siding
• Replacing HVAC filters
• Checking for loose deck railings
• Looking for signs of water intrusion in basements and attics

The key is knowing when a project is safely DIY… and when it’s time to call a professional before your “small project” ends up featured in a future home inspection report.

Final Thoughts from a New Hampshire Home Inspector

Memorial Day weekend should involve hamburgers and relaxation — not emergency trips to the hardware store while covered in insulation and regret.

If you’re tackling home maintenance projects this weekend:

• Work safely
• Know your limits
• Turn the power off first
• And remember:
  Just because the internet said it takes “15 minutes” does not mean it will only take 15 minutes.

Especially in New Hampshire.

Because around here, every “quick repair” is only one hidden water stain away from becoming a full-blown renovation.