The British love a good Bank Holiday DIY project, but are the savings worth it? Here we explore the true cost of DIY and how our clumsy approach may cause more harm than good…
April has been a month of national holidays for us Brits, but how did you spend yours? Were you part of the population basking in the beautiful weather and sharing the jubilation of the Royal Wedding or did you don your tool belt and get to work around the house?
For many people, a Bank Holiday will always be reserved for special DIY projects; the perfect opportunity to get those shelves up, gutters cleared, and light fixtures fitted.
A recent survey by TV Channel, Home, showed what the average yearly household spends on simple DIY assignments was about £220 and a staggering national spend of over five billion a year! What’s more, a huge 80% of households have a toolbox with contents worth about £340, but only a small majority knew the purpose of every tool stored.
Despite our best efforts to do it ourselves, the needle-nose pliers, nut splitters, and crescent wenches remain in their pristine condition and gathering dust as 70% of us choose to get a professional in to finish even the simplest tasks.
A rather large statistic, yes; but perhaps this is the best approach to take?
Every year we hammer and drill, but every year hospitals receive an influx of casualty admissions, with annual injury stats standing at 200,000!
According to The Department of Trade and Injury, the main culprits are 30 to 39-year-olds. So we must ask ourselves if we really are cut out for DIY.
Most common DIY injuries:
Falls from ladders the improper use of a ladder is always going to be a recipe for disaster. Most accidents involve men painting, repairing cladding, or cleaning out gutters.
Sharp blades; knives, chisels, axes, saws, if it’s sharp, your chances of a laceration are greatly increased.
Power tools; might be the answer to getting the job done quicker but careless use can lead to shocks, hand injuries, and in some cases, amputation. Angle grinders and power saws are the worst offenders.
Lawnmowers; might seem like an innocent household essential, but in the wrong hands, a lawnmower is a deadly weapon. Most injuries are caused by people mowing their own feet or putting their hands under the lawnmower while the blades are still in motion.
The next time you decide to take a trip to a home improvements store, maybe stop and ask yourself it would be more cost-effective (and safer) to invest in the skills of a professional.