We’ve been doing tonnes of work behind the scenes transforming our old lounge/dining area into our dream kitchen diner/bar and I’m almost at a point where I can start sharing progress with you guys. I’ve learned a whole lot, mostly that things take so much longer than you think and that what seems like an easy job is actually bloody hard work!
There’s a lot of everyday sexism in renovation and DIY and even though I make a joke of it, I’m sick of hearing about how much our Dad’s “can teach Stu” about working on the house, despite being clearly more interested in learning stuff than he is.
At the moment Stu is limited somewhat due to some medical issues, but my Dad was adamant that Stu should be climbing some steps to put some filler around the ceiling, despite medically not being allowed, rather than me do it. Even the guys at the local tip treated me like some sort of lesser being when I was taking an old lawn mower to throw in the skip. “Oh I’m sorry love, I though you’d have someone with you.” It’s frustrating for sure!
Slater Gordon asked me to share their infographic about the dangers of DIY with you guys and it’s actually so interesting and useful (so many aren’t!) if you’re a DIYer or about to embark on a project at home, even if it is really simple! Thanks for doing the research for us Slater Gordon, I’ll definitely be more careful with MDF as I had no idea it was a health risk!
I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that only 5% of women would tackle the electrics or plumbing. There’s not enough encouragement or education for women to learn to do these kind of jobs in their own homes and I think fear of the dangers of DIY has a lot to do with it.
I was shocked that only 4% of people think it’s extremely risky to replace an old shed or garage. When we had our home buyers report done before we bought the house we were told there was a high risk that the garage roof was made of asbestos and you honestly can’t tell by looking at it that it could be incredibly dangerous!
If you are working on a project at home, always make sure you know exactly what materials you are cutting into, what’s behind the walls and turn the electric off before going anywhere near sockets, switches and cables. Wear gloves for almost all jobs and invest in a couple of goggles and face masks to be extra safe – a few times I have been so thankful for my glasses when something has flicked off the wall towards my eye!
The risks of DIY definitely don’t put me off, but as a woman I do wish there were more chances to learn about the art of renovating your home.
Have you got plans to do any projects at home this year? Make sure you double check the dangers of DIY and if you’re unsure, always give it a quick Google!
Loves x xx
