Learn More About Your Home’s Structure Before You Renovate
When I bought my first house, I was twenty-eight and full of confidence. I figured I could figure out anything with a few YouTube videos and a weekend. Six months in, I decided to knock down a non-load-bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room. I checked the attic, saw no massive beams above it, and started swinging a sledgehammer. Two swings in, I hit a gas line that fed the stove. The whole house smelled like mercaptan for three days, and the fire department made me