People embarking on ambitious DIY projects should ensure that they know what they are doing and the insurance risks involved, according to home improvement experts.Advice from the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) centred on the need for DIY enthusiasts to be aware that when fitting a new kitchen sink, waste disposal unit or even new shelving, they could fall short on insurance claims.Andrew Leech, technical consultant to the NHIC, said that people needed to weigh up how competent they were and decide whether to seek professional help, with its insurance guarantees.If you knocked a wall out and you werent competent, you hadnt put the right beams in to support what was above, your insurance company would look very seriously at that as being your fault.On the other hand, if you get a person in to do it for you, then he would have to have insurance to cover that sort of thing. So if there was any disaster it wouldnt touch your household insurance, Mr Leech added.For many, however, the enjoyment and satisfaction of personally carrying out a kitchen re-design or floorboard renovation may outweigh the risks outlined by the NHIC.