DIY For Women Only!
Posted: Thursday, June 08, 2006
by JayJay Martin
Wrinkled-Raisin-Reruns Crafts
What do they do when a pipe breaks, the car stops working or you get a flat tire, a piece of furniture was broken by one of the kids, or a door was been broken off it’s hinges (again from the kids who think it’s a good climbing device)?
We’ve known for years that if you had a “husband" who was handy with fixing things, he could pretty much figure out how to fix just about anything that broke. And it saved you, as a couple, a ton of service fees and repair costs.
So the natural thought that follows with a lot of women: “If he could learn it, so could I!" Thus has been born the new marketing efforts stores are implementing geared towards advertising tools and how-tos to the female market.
Having been one of those single moms, I have on more than one occasion, done home repair jobs. Leaking toilets and faucets (really not as hard as you think). Repairing cupboard doors...yes my kid was one of those who used it to swing on! Replacing window screens, doorknobs, electrical outlets, and I’ve even done a little drywall work (quickly learned it wasn’t one of my favorite things to do).
They also are starting to make “good" power tools that are lighter weight so that a woman’s hand and arms don’t get as fatigued as when they are using the typical off-the-shelf man’s power tool. They currently have a woman’s drill out that has a power pack that clips to your waist instead of clipping to the drill itself. That cuts over half the weight off the drill! Why didn’t I think of that?!!
Some hand tools have also been re-designed for a woman’s grip.... careful here though, that you’re not being lured into buying one of those little cheap sets (they don’t work, or at least not for long).
Once you step into this realm of DIY, you are going to find out just how much you can do, and really feel the satisfaction from doing it yourself!
The first order of business is to make sure you have some basic tools. There is nothing more frustrating than starting to work on a DIY project and having to make 3 or 4 trips to the hardware store because you didn’t have the right screwdriver or thing-a-ma-bob!
If it’s not in your budget, ask for a tool set for your birthday or Christmas. Once you have it, guard it (the kids will naturally think they need things out of it...and they’re never returned).
In the last few years I have received a jigsaw, circular saw, electric stapler/brad nailer, power sander, roto tool, and drill. I’ve used them all! “No one" gets into my tools without asking me first!
Once you have your tools, start tackling some of those small projects yourself. You’ll learn quickly which ones you can handle and which ones you’ll need to hire someone else to do because you just don’t have the patience.
For instance: I tackled the job of replacing the pipes under my kitchen sink because they had rotted (galvanized pipes that were 40 years old). It was something that the local friendly hardware store told me I could accomplish. I just needed to bring in the old pipes and they would give me what I needed to replace them. Sounds simple right?
Well it took me two days to get everything to fit right so that there were no leaks! Frustrating for me.... you bet! That’s one job I’ll hire out if it ever needs to be done again!
My daughter, on the other hand, has tackled a few of her own plumbing jobs (under the kitchen sink and replacing pipes leading to the shower) and fared well. I’m proud of her! She obviously doesn’t get as frustrated as I do when something doesn’t go right the third or fourth time. She does, by the way, have a husband but he’s not a DIYer AT ALL.
She has also tackled car repairs when he has been working long hours. No one was more amazed than I was when she replaced a carburetor on her own!
The point is, don’t tackle any complicated or big jobs to begin with. Start on the small things like replacing doorknobs, broken cabinet doors, a dripping faucet (not the pipes). You’ll soon find yourself tackling the bigger jobs because you will become more accustomed to the tools and how they're used.
Keep an eye on your local home builders store and see what classes they are offering. Perhaps at sometime in the future you want to add a tiled back-splash to your kitchen sink area.
By attending the class you’ll learn what tools/supplies you’ll have to budget for, how to measure the area, and approximately how much time it’s going to take you to complete the project based on the size of the area. It will be time well spent and most classes only last 30-45 minutes.
And the best benefit of all? You’re going to save a TON of money!
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)I agree whole-heartedly. That is our motto from TomboyTools, empowering women, and its really taking the nation by storm. Its about time! Hooray for us! Leslie Johnson, Cutlerville MI
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