My mom's DIY garden bench snapped in half when my aunt sat down.

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Yikes, that sounds awful! I always figured DIY projects were solid if you took your time, but this totally proves me wrong. It's crazy how one weak joint or wrong piece of wood can just give out like that. Your story has me side-eyeing my own backyard bench now, no joke. I guess sometimes buying something made in a factory is worth it for the peace of mind.

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grant.skyler7mo ago

Totally get what you mean about the peace of mind, iris175. My buddy built this really nice looking coffee table, used all the right joinery and everything. Looked solid as a rock until his kid leaned on it one day and a whole leg just snapped off clean. Turns out the wood had some hidden rot he never spotted. Sometimes you just can't beat the stress testing that factory stuff gets, even if the DIY version looks nicer on day one.

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jake_owens7mo ago

My uncle's deck collapsed from the same hidden rot issue. Factories have moisture meters and x-ray scanners hobbyists just don't. That extra step in quality control is why mass-produced stuff often lasts.

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