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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder if there’s a need for basic home maintenance training

218 replies

butterybiscuitbasic · 27/10/2019 10:35

Ok this is inspired by another thread, but there seems to be a basic lack of knowledge when it comes to basic home maintenance. Things like bleeding radiators, draining washing machines, preventing damp and the like.

I know when I moved into my first home it was my dad who showed me this type of stuff, so perhaps as we become more a nation of knowledge type workers these skills are being lost, or we are just more likely to assume problems and call someone in.

However I think it would be useful if these “skills” were perhaps covered in school, or even if letting agents/mortgage providers offered some sort of basic online training or manuals.

OP posts:
Missillusioned · 27/10/2019 14:02

I am late 40s and my parents didn't teach me much DIY as when I was growing up it was still seen as a man's role by my family. It was assumed my dad would do it for me, then I would marry and my husband would do it.

Following my divorce, my dad now dead, I attempted to find some DIY evening classes. I was prepared to pay. But there's nothing in my area. I can change light bulbs and simple stuff like that, but I would like someone to actually physically teach me stuff like how to put up shelving on different wall types and stand alongside me to guide when I attempt it myself. Because I would like the confidence that would give me. YouTube can't do that.

NotMeNoNo · 27/10/2019 14:12

I agree there has been a cultural shift. Perhaps a generation wanted to get away from all the make do and mend stuff and it's just dropped away. It became a sign of affluence not to need to know how to shorten trousers or attach something to the wall, but "get a man in". To just replace broken stuff rather than mend it.

I've got to say I feel this aspirational uselessness will come back and bite us.

Baguetteaboutit · 27/10/2019 14:23

Maybe it could be sponsored by someone like B&Q? They could use school halls to talk through some basic home maintenance. They could even recommend that you can came and talk to one of their advisors before you embark on a DIY project, by way of a kick back. They could advertise b&q tutorials on YouTube to cover everything they bring up. Great opportunity for brand awareness, no obligation for teachers to do anything.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/10/2019 15:41

"My mum cooked a lot and I would have seen her switching on the extractor fan but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. "

I've not had an extractor fan on the cooker in most places I've lived and didn't have one growing up. I also thought it was for the smell.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/10/2019 15:45

"I usually have been given a heating manual and whatever manuals go with appliances when I have moved in somewhere"

Oh I see. I thought people were talking about manuals for the home in general, but it looks like you're talking about ones for appliances. I got one for the new washing machine, but not for anything else because they're not new and I presume the manuals were lost by previous tenants.
I thought we were talking about a 'how to live in the home' manual.

DNR · 27/10/2019 15:45

Would love to go on a course for basic DIY, decorating and so on. Have never found anything locally. Could be a potential hobby job for a retired tradesperson. I would be prepared to pay well and would think a few of my friends would too.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/10/2019 15:47

"
that's exactly my point, that should be 2 hours A DAY!"

Two hours of school sports a day. What torture! And that's two hours taken off everything else. Physical activity should be part of daily life i.e. walk to school rather than scrap other lessons for extra PE classes.
With obesity, what we need is more physical activity, not more sports. If you're not sporty you don't get a chance to move around in sports lessons anyway.

ThatMuppetShow · 27/10/2019 16:20

Two hours of school sports a day. What torture! And that's two hours taken off everything else.

taken off what? Watching tv or playing video game?
School activity doesn't need to mean competitive team sport.

I think we agree on the point, but not on the way to encourage it. Even a trip to the park with the kids to pick up conkers would be better than nothing, for those schools which hasn't got any outdoor space.
I did say I think school days should be longer, not that academic learning should take a step back.

All after-school clubs here include outdoors games and sport, but of course not all children attend.

BackforGood · 27/10/2019 16:39

I agree with you @butterybiscuitbasic

When I was a young adult, and bought my first property, someone gave me the Readers Digest DIY Manual - it really was / is superb.

When I was a young adult as well, "night school" or "Evening classes" were a popular thing - you could sign up to learn all sorts of things, from car maintenance to decorating, from floristry to cookery. They were great, but sadly seem to have gone by the way somewhere over the years. My sister went to a term's course on car maintenance and I did a short course on decorating. Both really useful.

No good people chorusing 'your parents should teach you' if your parents don't know either.

Camomila · 27/10/2019 16:43

I think as we become more environmentally aware people will go back to wanting to know how to do things themselves. My parents are/were hippies and I grew up seeing them fix/upcycle stuff rather than throw it away.

I'll probably always be rubbish at DIY (dyspraxia, no spatial awareness!) but I can do basic sewing/repairs and am good at making meals out of random leftovers.

ThatMuppetShow · 27/10/2019 16:46

Nothing stops people from restarting such courses.

I am not being goady, there are volunteers who run "mobile phone" and "VERY basic IT" courses at my local libraries, for retired people but not only.

nothing stops someone from becoming part of a neighbourhood or town group and start putting courses together, or contacting Homebase and B&Q to suggest similar - both head office and your local branch.

It's all well and good to have ideas and interesting points, but a bit of waste if you only discuss them on a forum and go no further. (not a waste to post here, there are some good ideas, but is it enough?)

One of the worst things in this country is the apathy and the idea that "someone else" should take charge and deal with everything.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/10/2019 16:49

Cammila - there has been a move towards more repairing, there's a free repairs workshop where I live for example. Good if the thing that needs repairing is easily transportable.

The skills we need do change though. We don't need to know how to fix plugs any more, for example and I've been told that people aren't encouraged to change their own tyres either.

Gwenhwyfar · 27/10/2019 16:50

"car maintenance to decorating, from floristry to cookery. "

That's good, but there are so many other things I'd like to learn if I had the time that I don't think I'd every get around to it.

ThatMuppetShow · 27/10/2019 16:52

e don't need to know how to fix plugs any more
shame, quit useful to change a continental plug from a UK plug Grin

Passthecherrycoke · 27/10/2019 17:27

“I've got to say I feel this aspirational uselessness will come back and bite us.”

Do you think? How do you think it will come back and bite us?

I think people also have to remember that things are more mechanical and much harder to fix now also. My dad always fixed cars, and up until about 15 years ago I could fix my own old cars. Now cars are really difficult to fix yourself, they are too mechanical and the car companies put top many barriers in the way of DIY’ers such as being diagnostics

6 years ago I fixed my washing machine when it jammed from youtube. Last year my brand new, Bosch washing machine failed and all it did was lock itself up and display error E8 or similar. I had to have an engineer out because without the right release codes etc the machine wouldn’t do anything.

SafetyAdvice0FeedWhenAgitated · 27/10/2019 17:38

I agree with @Passthecherrycoke about many things being too difficult to repair now.
But I think some simpler thing should really be somehow taught or at least encouraged. Like changing a lock. Or what to do when your toilet doesn't flush.

And god. Absolutely agree with the condensation thing! Air and heat, air and heat... So many people don't open windows between October and March. I get that heating is not cheap, but simple 10 min proper air out can do wonders.

Shalom23 · 27/10/2019 17:43

I've focused on my passions which are academic and nature led. I've focused on earning enough to pay people to do the jobs I have no interest in including diy

Original poster
butterybiscuitbasic · 27/10/2019 17:53

@shalom I pay people to do diy. However I maintain my home properly so that I don’t need to pay more than I need to.

Again - the damp is an example. Would you rather properly air your home, or spend thousands on repairing it?

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 27/10/2019 17:58

But the example of damp is still a 5 minute google or conversation with someone. I can totally see why people dont know- often we grow up in larger family homes were Damp isn’t an issue so it can come as a surprise in your first flat- but it doesn’t take much intelligence or training to google condensation or mould on my windows or whatever, If you have no one to ask (when I first started living Alone I simply called my parents for such things: you soon learn)

Original poster
butterybiscuitbasic · 27/10/2019 18:01

@pass - but the google is once the damp has appeared... not before

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 27/10/2019 18:02

But that’s ok isn’t it? A bit of condensation or mould doesn’t cause Damp
Problems that need treating, they can easily be washed off and start again with ventilation. You don’t get structural damp that quickly!

GreenTulips · 27/10/2019 18:04

I've got to say I feel this aspirational uselessness will come back and bite us

I agree - we can include basic food growing and sewing, cooking - so many jars and tubs when ingredients are cheaper and easily available.

Friend wouldn’t even unscrew an outlet pipe to clean in, instead paid £80 to a plumber to do it for her!!

aquashiv · 27/10/2019 18:05

I fix loads off stuff by you tubing or at least pretend I know whst I'm talking about before I call a professional...
I've always liked to try znd fix things myself most stuff is common sense and trial and error like life

Original poster
butterybiscuitbasic · 27/10/2019 18:05

It depends - your own home and you care and sort it... not so much. If your a landlord and it’s a succession of tenants - yes it does.

(And I’m a tenant before someone again accuses me of being a landlord).

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 27/10/2019 18:08

I would hope a landlord wouldn’t be so clueless they didn’t know what damp was.

I don’t understand why people need to know how to grow food or sew. It’s not the good life. There are much more important things to learn now, and it’s human nature that you can’t learn it all