DIY and home insurance: what you need to know
Today, DIY and interior decoration are an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it is to give a personal touch to our interior or simply to take on a creative challenge, DIY (Do It Yourself) is attracting more and more fans. Among the popular projects, lamp making attracts the eye with its many possibilities. From unique designs to recycled materials, this type of DIY gives free rein to the imagination. However, Handling electricity involves risks which should not be neglected, both for one's safety and to be covered by one's home insurance . We explain everything to you.
What does your home insurance say about DIY lighting?
When you do work in your home, it is possible to do some of it yourself, such as painting the walls or putting up wallpaper, for example.
DIY and do-it-yourself renovation work can pose certain risks when it comes to home insurance. It is therefore important to understand the implications before taking the plunge.
First of all, most standard home insurance policies cover damage caused accidentally by the owner or his household during small DIY jobs. However, as the work becomes more important or complex, it is generally necessary subscribe to a specific warranty extension .
While making DIY lamps may seem like a trivial project, you should still be careful about insurance issues. Indeed, any work on your home's electrical network, even minor, involves certain risks if handled incorrectly. A short circuit or the start of a fire related to a faulty installation of a homemade light fixture may not be covered. Check with your insurer, you will probably have to subscribe to a standard contractual guarantee: Fire guarantee . So, in the event of a fire, your insurer will reimburse you for the damage regardless of the cause. If it is due to a defect in the components purchased for your DIY, the insurance will take action against the suppliers and if it is your fault, you will be reimbursed.
Be aware that even if you have this Fire option, if a fire breaks out because of your DIY work on the light fixtures, Once your insurer has reimbursed you, it is almost certain that they will do everything to exclude you! Either by increasing the annual contribution very significantly, or by breaking your contract (and that is their right). In this case, you will have a statement of information stipulating the damage and few insurers will agree to insure you!
It is therefore essential to respect electrical safety rules, to use only suitable and approved materials, and ideally to call on a professional. Furthermore, if your lamp manufacturing work involves changes to the building such as drilling holes in walls or transforming a room, It would be wise to notify your insurer who will be able to advise you on a possible warranty extension.
Finally, if you plan to market your creations, professional liability insurance is necessary to cover any damage caused by your sold lamps.
DIY to create lamps
Benefits of DIY
You have just bought a house and you want to decorate it at a lower cost? Take the example of lamps, it is quite possible to create your own lamps starting from tutorials (Scandinavian suspension, driftwood light suspension), looking for inspiration on Pinterest or even via the practical workshops of certain DIY brands. You can thus personalize your interior decoration according to your tastes.
The use of recycled materials ( upcycling Or upcycling ) and transforming existing objects into lamps can help you reduce the production cost of your lighting fixture. This ecological aspect with the reuse of materials is an important aspect in DIY to minimize their production costs.
Be aware, however, that making DIY light fixtures is no cheaper than suspension lights HOOPZI.
Risks associated with DIY
Electrical hazards
When practicing DIY on lamps, certain risks exist and are significant so they should not be minimized. To begin with, who says lamp, says electricity, so there is therefore a electrical risk . When working with the various electrical wires and changing certain connections, there is a danger of short circuits or even fire.
So it is essential to follow the standard NF C15-100 (electrical safety standard) when you manufacture your lamp. Please note: electrical damage caused by a manufacturing defect or non-conformity of the device will, most often, be excluded from the guarantees offered by insurers.
The NF C 15-100 standard includes protection against electric shock, the use of non-flammable materials and CE marking of components. To ensure safety, also ensure that connections are properly insulated and protected, and that your home's electrical installation has appropriate circuit breakers and differential protections.
Risks related to materials
The risk associated with materials exists, but is often forgotten. However, when using certain materials, it is important to consider the fact that they may be flammable or toxic . To avoid material risk, one must think and consider the durability and safety of the materials used.
When you use wood , it will probably need to be treated, pay attention to the product then used. The same goes for paints, accessories or other things to decorate the lampshades, be careful and check the different types of use of the products.
Steps to make a DIY lamp
Have you chosen the model you want to create in DIY? Depending on the list of supplies needed to create your lamp, you must choose materials such as a light bulb for a pendant light, electrical wires, driftwood or jars for example. You will also need tools to be able to work: scissors, glue, etc.
To be able to enjoy your creation, one thing is certain, you must follow the different stages of manufacturing with the assembly and assembly of the materials together.So, by following the instructions, your driftwood can be transformed into a lamp base with a lighting cable wrapped around it, it then becomes an ideal decorative piece in your living room to recall the sea and the beaches.
Be careful before you start your DIY lamp, follow the safety instructions carefully during manufacturing. Take your time to make your creation, on the one hand to avoid hurting yourself and on the other hand, with the rush, it is possible to forget connections or other things that will put you at risk later when using the lamp.
DIY Trends
If you don't feel like spending a fortune on lighting fixtures, you can look for inspiration or tutorials to create your own lamps at a lower cost. Some DIYs are quite trendy with quite popular styles like vintage, industrial, minimalist, etc.
For DIY in a vintage style , you just need to find old light fixtures in flea markets for example and restore them to your taste by working on the lampshade for example or you can repaint the base of the lamp.
For a more industrial style , it will be a question here of using rather black materials and associating them with materials such as linen rope, wood or even old jars. By mixing, it is three points, you can then obtain a suspension with several lights.
For a minimalist side , your lamp must be discreet, in light tones. You can work the material with papier-mâché, self-hardening clay. Be careful though, these materials are fragile, it is better not to position this DIY in frequent passages at the risk of breaking your creation.
Hoopzi Solutions
With Hoopzi, you also have the possibility to create your own kit. You first choose your HANG suspension light . You decide the material, the number of threads ( 3-lamp pendant light Or 5 bulbs for example) and the color. Then you move on to choosing the bulb: globe-shaped, with filaments, amber. You choose the LED bulb which will best match your decoration and the DIY you want to do. Finally, to complete your kit, you can complete it with a lampshade from our wide range.
By switching to Hoopzi, you ensure that you have products optimized for your DIY, which limit electrical risks and will not impact your home insurance: All Hoopzi electrical products have a DEKRA certificate of conformity:
Conclusion
Ultimately, creating your own DIY lighting fixtures is an attractive activity in more ways than one. A source of personal fulfillment, it allows you to give free rein to your creativity. However, Handling electricity and certain materials is not without risk.It is therefore crucial to take all necessary precautions and to get information from your insurer before starting. An extended warranty or specific insurance may be essential depending on the scale of the work planned. With the right advice and a minimum of caution, your light creations will shine even more!
