Should TikTok Hacks be taken seriously?

The DIY hacks you see on TikTok may be entertaining to watch, but do you really want to take the risk of following them?

TikTok is awash with amateur handymen and women handing out tips, but just how practical and accurate is their advice?

When confused.com asked an expert handyman to rate the quality of DIY videos on TikTok, he deemed 39% of the content to be ‘rubbish’ or ‘poor’.

Meanwhile, Toolstation surveyed 100 experts, including professional plumbers, carpenters, painters and the like – who also raised eyebrows about the standard of the advice on offer.

They warned that copying what you see online could cause untold damage to your property. Plus, even if the outcome isn’t quite that disastrous, it’ll probably look so awful that you’ll wish you hadn’t bothered.

Here are some of the crazy DIY hacks found on TikTok.

Hanging wallpaper with tape

What do you do if your landlord won’t let you put up wallpaper? One TikToker suggests grabbing some heavy-duty double-sided tape, and a bunch of nails and going for it anyway.

She recommends arranging the tape in a criss-cross pattern across your walls before laying the wallpaper on top and banging in the nails.

Aside from the fact that the finish would be poor, experts say the tape, when removed, would mark the walls. Expect to spend a lot of time at the end of your tenancy making good the walls if you pursue this one and potentially losing some or all of your deposit.

Removing the flow restrictor from your showerhead

When the water coming from your showerhead is more of a trickle than a refreshing downpour, you might be tempted to turn to social media for a solution – but beware.

A video on TikTok (viewed by millions) recommends that you unscrew the showerhead and remove the flow restrictor to improve the water pressure.

However, removing the flow restrictor could result in unexpected temperature changes and scalding. Tampering with your showerhead will also void any warranty you have on the product.

Sock painting

No one’s going to get hurt with this one, but it strikes us as a bit bizarre.

The idea is that instead of using brushes to paint woodwork, you put a pair of socks on your hands, dip them in paint and start smearing.

The Toolstation pros were adamant that the final finish would be patchy and that the socks would absorb a lot of paint, meaning you’d get through more than you need to.

We won’t be throwing out our paintbrushes anytime soon.

Conclusion

If you’re going to carry out DIY work at home, we suggest getting expert advice first or better still call in a professional.

Thanks for reading. Meanwhile, if we can be of assistance with the sale of your home, please contact Nick or Teresa at Quarters Residential Estate Agents on 0118 466 0292 (call or WhatsApp) – we’re here to help!