What is it with Brits, bank holidays and DIY? Half of us are scared of do-it-yourself, yet over the Easter and royal wedding weekends, millions of us will strap on our tool-belts and trek to the local DIY store to stock up.
But just how many of us actually know what we’re doing with paint, plaster and power-tools?
According to a recent B&Q poll, 66% of homeowners have unfinished DIY jobs around the home with over half saying that they don’t know how to finish them off. So it looks like we’re keen to tackle jobs, but our lack of DIY knowledge often means they don’t get finished!
Easy jobs can go wrong
As I know to my cost, even something seemingly easy – like drilling a hole – needs care and attention to do it right and to get the best out of your drill.
When I first hung a curtain rail I broke the first two drill-bits in the process – I learnt that day that drilling holes in a concrete lintel with a 10v drill-driver just won’t work.
Another report by AA Home Emergency Response, which Patrick Steen discussed in a recent Conversation, suggests that DIY is a dying art. Apparently, many fathers aren’t passing skills down to their sons, never mind their daughters.
Top drilling tips
So how exactly should you use a drill without damaging it and the wall in the process? DIY expert Roger Bisby from selfbuilder.net has ten top drilling tips – such as looking for hidden pipes and cables and avoiding drill ‘jamming’.
If you’re lost already, check out the video Roger filmed for Which?, which explains how to look for hidden cables and pipes, how hammer-drilling works and how to stop your drill from jamming. And if you don’t know your chucks from your torque-settings, he also gives us a video-tour of his drill to explain all the key-features.
Are bank holidays a DIY-fest in your house? Have you got any DIY hints and tips that Roger hasn’t covered – or have you got any half-finished DIY jobs that you wish you hadn’t started?
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