Women doing home repairs

For me it wouldn't be so much about what you teach as how you do it.

A local diy chain here had a special " ladies" tool kit out a few years ago . The case was pink with lilac handles and all the tools had lilac coloured grips. I mean treat us like idiots why not?

I can change a sink trap, hang a light fixture, even vent the radiators.
We taught our boys to iron and cook and our daughter to use a drill and electric saw. So learning new skills would be nice but not if Im treated like some blonde bimbo..

Thanks Glenn, it will be great if can do this but isn't it better to leave it in the hands of a professionals when it comes to electrical, wiring, recessed, installation...For example, I can change a light bulb but definitely can't install a chandelier or an additional electrical outlet. Plumbing is also another animals. I know the shut off valves and probably changing outlets but the rest should go to professionals.

I get that some women are uncomfortable inviting strangers into their homes. Paying someone to do things we could do ourselves seems counter-intuitive. There are many factors that go into determining whether we want to hire a professional...time, money, age, type of job, etc. There are some things I did when I was younger that I would have no problem paying someone to do today.

That is why hubby and I go with well-known, reputable contractors who have all been been doing business locally as long as I can remember. Such businesses won't tolerate employees who are unprofessional or have a history of running afoul of the law. We're not so much concerned with our safety as we are with the quality of work performed. Sure, we pay a bit more for their services vs. a qualified lone handyman who might perform just as well, but a well-established local contractor is our preference.

Hubby and I have replaced light fixtures and switches/dimmers ourselves. My ex and I had no problem replacing the water heater a couple of times...which required permits and passed the PPRBD inspections. We were young and "poor," and he was more handy than current hubby. Now that hubby and I are older and have more money, we pay others to do that for us. (Our time is worth money, too.) Plus, we don't have to buy and store all those tools and leftover supplies in the garage. That will surely end up biting one in one's @$$, as hubby and I are well aware...we're in the process of clearing out our garage to replace the floor.

So, follow your gut, Glenn.  Make those videos...to help the world, not just women.  It might be a good idea to see what's out there on YouTube, and if you think you can improve on it, go for it.  Your wife and daughter would be a good barometers of women's understanding of the presentations.

I wish you the best of luck.

Absolutely agree with the above. A great way to give basic information would be to start with a clear list of the tools needed for a job and difficulty rating and an average time.

(You get this in cook books)

Technical terms get people confused. So simple name check with a clear image of the tools /equipment goes a long way to help.
Im a bit biased, my husband is by trade and HVAC engineer he had his own company and when we were first married I used to work with him as a plumbers mate.
My son is a car mechanic. With thse two around the house tradesmen dont get a look in, we are used to doing it ourselves. Like yourself both my husband and son talk their way through a job which is really educational.
Ive picked up a lot that way.

But I would also say that a little knowldge is great and empowering,, when I passed my drivng test my husband bought me a brand new British Leyland mini.. Advice was that after x amount of miles or 4 months you should get the tracking /wheel balancing checked. So I took it to a local well known tyre place, they put it on a ramp and the mechanic came out and walked round it.

He tutted and shook his head then walked over to me.. Oh dear oh dear .. Your car is in a bit of a mess he told me.

You see how flat your tyres are ? ( they were low profiles) well thats because the steel wall has collapsed and they are about to blow out.. You need 4 new tyres,, and do you feel a tremble when you drive especially over like 40mph?
( the wheel balancing and check on tracking) well, he said thats because your power steering is leaking and the suspension is too.
Minis at that time had no power steering and the suspension was solid rubber cones.

I looked shocked and asked for a written estimate of the repairs because I said my husband would have to ok such a big expenditure,

He did it I drove straight to another garage for the necessary checks and asked them to look through the points mentioned. Of course they gave my 4 month old car the all clear and then I drove to the offices of trading standards and put in a complaint.


As my dad used to say knowledge is power. But its common for women to get ripped off this way.

In your videos , it would be an idea to not only say when its time to call in a professional but give a rough idea of costs.. Tell people about the pit falls and common cons being used. Banging radiations are air in the pipes not a huge boiler problem for instance.

Avoiding being ripped off is almost as good advice as how to do it yourself.

Simple plumbing like changing the tap or shower mixer is easy. Apart from any of that, I wouldn't dare to touch because if something happens, house insurance wouldn't shoulder it. With electrical, my (engineer) husband is pretty handy and very good in troubleshooting. Though, work that needs certification, we call in the registered electrician to do.


Very true! Finding honest contractors/tradesmen are hard to find. It took me 4 quotes in my plumbing work before I found the one that gave me a reasonable price and got the job done well. Now, he's my go to and I have another one in case he's not available.

Cherry, what are the odds??

I searched the internet and found a picture of it.

imgur.com/khfHlpL

It's a simple solution with central heating pipes. You turn on the heating, and feel the wall. If it's hot, you don't drill.

I've never tried, or even had occasion to, but it may be that with something like a stethescope for listening you could get someone to whack a nearby radiator and detect the sound transmitted along the pipes too. It's a bit like the engineer checking his bearings using a long rod in the engines in the original 'Das Boot' film. Maybe a long rod could replace the stethescope? lol

Yeah, but sometimes they are hit or miss. Often, the knock-knock technique is more reliable in finding studs. You have to make sure that you are using a new battery or else, it diminishes the accuracy. I like that my gadget is detecting live wire though. 

I find mine works on metal. Much less reliable on anything else. 

I always test mine first. I open a socket and see which way the wire is running. If the kit agrees with that, then I will use it.

Anyone wanna diagnose my boiler?

It's a condenser boiler, and the central heating side seems to work fine. It's the hot water that causes problems.

It often runs tepid. To make it hot again, I just have to turn the temperature up on the boiler, or turn it down. Either way, it then runs runs nce and hot for a while.