How many women tackle DIY?

[fastdave]

What a strange bundle of sexist comments.
Women are physically different from men - just in case you hadn't noticed - and thank goodness - there are not a lot of my sex 'wot I fancy!
Therefore their habits are different, their thought processes are different, whether environmental or genetic, thus we can all have functions in procreation.
I am a man with no interest in football, but I can outdo most fellow men in the brains r' us department.
My wife is a superb mother, enjoys kitbuilding, is a motorcyclist, cyclist and gardner - not at all inferior.
My daughter is superbly technical, career minded - not at all inferior.
What was your complaint?
Perhaps women chose to do what they do, as men do???

 

[moggridgeplumbing]

I actively encourage my wife to do any diy, gardening, even washing the car if she wants - Just what any loving husband should do, share! I cook, wash up, but I can't iron, shame, just can't get the hang of it somehow!

 

[Monkeh]

Women are physically different from men - just in case you hadn't noticed - and thank goodness - there are not a lot of my sex 'wot I fancy!

So, you admit there are men you fancy?

 

[LadyHomeLover]

I know four women in my town who are full-time professional painters and decorators.

I'm not in the building trade but have, as a complete amateur homeowner, knocked through from living room to kitchen with a kango demolition hammer, decorated at least seven properties top to bottom, and hand-built a welsh dresser from planks of pine. I've used an electric chop saw and mitre saw, a router and an electric plane.

I currently have a full power tool kit including palm sander, drill, jigsaw, cordless screwdriver etc and know how to use them.

 

[steveshapiro]

How many women tackle DIY, including assembling flat pack furniture?

Is there anything you won't have a go at and would rather pay or persuade someone else to get the job done?

My wife has been an avid DIYer for her entire adult life, and could probably put most men to shame! She's installed drywall, fixed appliances... Anything and everything you can think of. At the end of the day, it's know your gender that matters, it's whether or not you know what you're doing

 

[RedHerring2]

At the end of the day, it's know your gender that matters, it's whether or not you know what you're doing

It helps also, if you don't get your wucking mords fixed up!

 

[Donkmeister]

I currently have a full power tool kit including palm sander, drill, jigsaw, cordless screwdriver etc and know how to use them.

Is that another name for a pummace stone? I want to say "Good on you!" but that just sounds condescending in the context!

Let's face it, actual DIY ability seldom has any influence over one's decision to do DIY, otherwise the forums here wouldn't be full of threads and photos starting with "Look what the idiot who used to own my house did!". The keys to DIY ability are being prepared to sit down and research and plan the jobs you wish to do, being prepared to buy the right materials and tools to do the job, being prepared to spend enough time on it, and knowing when to stop and reconsider your approach. Regardless of whether one was born ovarianly-replete or testicularly-replete.

For reasons that are possibly cultural, those born ovarianly-replete are less likely to pursue a career and hobbies in things that involve doing maths and getting mucky. That doesn't mean they can't smack s**t with a hammer and drill holes if they have the inclination, but the laws of Physics will still hold their weight and strength to account when they start chiselling with a 6kg SDS.

In my student days, discussions with friends in other departments revealed the following:

Physics, 85% male
Mechanical Engineering, 90% male
Electronic and Electrical Engineering, 98% male
Medicine, 60% female
Biology, 80% female, and for some reason the guys didn't seem quite so bothered about the gender gap as those in electronic engineering

 

[thatbloke]

My Mrs gets stuck in with the work on the cottage, shes well clued up about older buildings and the materials and techniques used in repairing them, shes clued up on conservation, regs , well basically every aspect of this project. And shes only little.

 

[Mickymoody]

I chose Physics as my choice subject at school, as well as English Lit, but found a lot of my time doing sewing, and cookery. Possibly because I thought it might be fun to stick a hammer into a grinder to see sparks, and was caught, in woodwork lesson, dunno why I was banned from metalwork, recall having detention, forced to clean all the metalwork machines out in my lunchhour, maybe because of bending pennies in the vices, and one may have shot off into the ether?

So I'm dextrous, and can cook, but drill a hole, fit a rawl plug, install screw, install picture? NO. Hammer screw into wall. Note screw, not nail, as my nail insertion results in 90 degree nails, and black numb thumbs.

 

[Ibanez29]

My friend, a male, is painting a Women's Tec, where they teach women building skills including painting. Kind of defeats the purpose?

 

[betti]

. The breast charity run, only women are allowed, men can get breast cancer, but not allowed to participate. Female comics talk about genatalia, but a no no for male comics. Sexism against men.

A male only race would be banned, but ladies are allowed a female only race?

Why don't you try setting up a men only race for testicular cancer?

B

 

[CookEe01]

I did up a flat on my own (only decorating) and am in the process of doing up a house. It's hard work but worth it when you see the end result.

It's only worth bothering if you're going to do it properly so it's taken me weeks just to prepare the house. I'm happy to do a bit of plastering, putting up shelves, painting (no problem). I find if you have the proper tools and take your time most jobs are achievable.

Obviously, I wouldn't build my own extension.....although I have helped people who have done this!

Flatpack is not a problem, it's just the blummin weight of stuff sometimes. I remember lugging a flat pack table and chairs up two flights of stairs in the flat. After that, putting it together was no problem!

I enjoy DIY but know my limitations. After viewing a lot of houses, I think other people should also recognise their limitations too......

 

[mypetearthling]

I've just finished tiling the kitchen which my partner and I fitted. We're ripping out the bathroom next week, so I'll be back on tiling duty then...
We have replaced sections of floor, plastered some walls, I've researched building a stud partition wall (we haven't started that yet though)
My motto is: anything he can do, I can do better, quicker and with less mess

 

[EngStudent]

Electronic and Electrical Engineering, 98% male

I'd just like to point out that this probably hasn't changed. How long ago were you there?

As for women & DIY, personally (and in my experience) I think physical size limits a lot of women. Painting, wallpapering, etc fine. Building walls, installing kitchens, not so much. Also men often help their dads with DIY as kids, whereas women tend not to.

Having said that my girlfriend spent a week painting over the bright pink paint on her bedroom walls with cream paint. "You could still see the pink", she said. 8 coats

 

[sparkybird]

I've been an electrician for getting on 7 years now and there's defo been an increase in female trades since I started out - and not just decorators - I know many plumbers, gas engineers, plasterers (well just the one!), chippies and sparks of course.

I enjoy my job and of course I can be limited by my strength a little, but can't say it's really held me back. In fact I rent out my 'lady hands' by the hour to my male spark mates for fishing tricky cables when they can only get a few fingers into the down light holes!

waits for comments on lady hands to follow....

SB