As a female how good are you at DIY?

[chickenriceorspud]

I'm very impressed at all these fabulous woman that can do their own DIY. I need to learn more.

How handy are you?

Not very good but miles better than dh! I would like to do a course as I need to learn by doing rather than videos.

My mother used to do all the DIY when I was young, because my father is useless.

I can fill holes, paint, decorate and wallpaper, put up shelves, hang pictures, assemble flat pack furniture, replace phone sockets, have put up a curtain rail in a very uneven bay window and have replaced ceiling roses that were wired in a way that would have had an electrician muttering darkly about cowboys. Woodwork depends on whether I have the room and the equipment, but the trellis I put up about 10 years ago is still sound, so I think I'll do. Plumbing, no thank you.

You should stop driving then. These are weekly checks you should be doing.

yes my dh does it for me

weekly is a bit much though

I've never learnt really
Leave it those who know what they are doing

Reasonable, we are poor and have been for a while so I have done:

Filling and sanding
Painting/gloss work
Wallpaper (actually lining paper, I suspect decorative wallpaper would be a little trickier)
Tiling
Laid carpets and lino flooring

My dad was a plasterer and painter/decorator so mostly I just winged it with a little bit of background knowledge and the occasional phone calls for advice

I also know how to fix the minor issues with our (oil, not gas) boiler, had to learn that as our landlords plumber is a bit crap

I can also do things like change bulbs and the battery on my car, I even renewed the seals on the fuel injectors when they went. I would love to do more like my own oil changes and under the car repairs but I don't have a driveway or space to store ramps

I've worked in Construction for 40yrs and DIY everything myself. There's nothing I won't try when it comes to DIY. I'm a strong believer that woman are more than capable in tackling their own DIY Home Renovations 🙌

I can do painting, wallpapering and basic electrics. Can't abide sanding down woodwork, or all the endless preparation and moving furniture about though.

I’ve painted, wallpapered, laid flooring ( for some bizarre reason I decided to cork tile a floor many years ago) demolished walls enclosing a built in cupboard, rewired sockets and light switches over the years.

I do think it’s important for women to try doing stuff, so many good YouTube videos.

I'm a good decorator, always done all that myself and this is house number 14 so lots of practice. I'm a good designer and project manager, can grout tiles etc and used to scheduling trades, designing floor plans/wiring plans, working out finished floor levels etc.

But my exh is v practical (he's an antique restorer in a specialist field) and had every tool in the world. For 25 years he did all the jobs that needed tools or any element of carpentry. I've learned a lot of theory through watching him, but can't afford my own tools atm. New dh has always rented and hasn't a clue (or any tools).

We have a brilliant handyman who comes for a day now and then and gets SO much done, wayyyy more than we ever could. He has a permanent and ever evolving list on the fridge. We're at the tail end of a renovation project, so it's bit by bit when we've saved enough for the next stage.

Hopeless. Would not know where to start. Wish I had learnt from my dad!

Terrible, I have dyspraxia and hypermobility (weak wrists so not very good at cutting stuff/holding it in place).

I can be trusted to paint walls though and I can sew enough to fix things like cuddly toys or cushions.

I’m not good and don’t enjoy that kind of work at all!

I have had to learn the hard way because a year ago I bought an old house that needs a lot of work...

So far I have done things like: removing wall paper; painting all the walls, kitchen cupboards, fences and shed; replacing the shed windows; removing all the carpets and painting the old floorboards; sanding/painting the staircase; removing old shelves; upcycling furniture (sanding & painting); making curtains; creating a pond in the garden.

I would love to learn about plumbing and how to do electrical stuff. I wish there were DIY evening courses for women in my area!

There are independent trade skills colleges where you can do intensive courses. One locally offers 1 week intensives in handyman-level skills aimed at those who want to improve their DIY, work as a handyman, or sample different trades before committing to a longer course. They offer plumbing, carpentry, plastering decorating and tiling, all as separate stand-alone 1 week courses. It was all hands-on practical stuff. The tutor said we covered the same amount of practical skills in a week that he used to teach on a local authority tech college on a 3 month course. It was brilliant. People travel quite a distance to do these courses but I've seen similar elsewhere. In 1 week of basic plumbing we learned to do several types of soldered joints and compression & plastic joints, fit a bath, basin and WC, hang a radiator, change a thermostatic radiator valve, and understand the basics of a domestic hot water and heating system, repressurise boiler etc - and to know the limits of our competence and when to call a pro! The courses I did were 80-90% male, but that wasn't an issue.

@Cornucopia55 thank you! I am definitely going to look for one of these courses.

Or learn how and be the one that knows? It's very rewarding to be able to do things for yourself.

I'm good at DIY it's cheaper and quicker to do it myself. Well can be, having children makes everything take a lot longer.

I've had lots of comments over the years telling me I'm brave. Yet they wouldn't say that to a man. Last time I checked, there aren't any power tools or techniques that require a penis.

We have renovated houses over the years, so I've just tried everything to save money. Most jobs are really not that hard, and now more than ever, it's a lot easier with what they sell now. Things likes ready made panelling and shower panels you can easily get a professional finish.

Reasonably good. I think it's because fundamentally I don't think there is any reason why DIY should be considered a "man's job". My heart falls every time I hear a woman say that, or hear that the distribution of the jobs in the house is "well, I do all the laundry and the cooking and the childcare and the house admin because he does the DIY" which usually equates to him doing a couple of hours a month and her doing a gazillion hours a month.

Better than my husband! In my day I've painted and wallpapered and built furniture, wired plugs and fixed a toilet. I'm a bit scared of power tools. I've never changed a tire.
I think reviving home economics in school with basic DIY skills as part of it would be a great idea. Along with budgeting, cooking and first aid course.

Excellent.

It’s all in the tools and YouTube.

I’m a badass restorer too.

I suppose people are so incredibly impressed when "males" manage the most basic of stereotypically "pink" jobs that maybe women capable of wiring a plug should be described as fabulous.....

Really shit at it, I don't know where to start.

I'd love to do a DIY course for women. FE colleges used to do them years ago, but I looked at my local college and they don't do it.

Yes, of course I could do a mixed course, but I really liked the idea of learning in a group of women.