DIY - The Lazy Man's Way

In every man’s life, there are a few things that they are depended on to do. Bring home the bacon, remove spiders from baths and are just a few examples. DIY is one of these all important things men are meant to be good at. And if you’re not handy with a hammer, you may feel that little bit less of a man. So, for those of you who aren’t so great with a drill, and would rather sit down with a cold beer and the football, here’s your go-to guide for taxing tasks.

Putting up a Shelf.

The main problem you face when putting up a shelf is getting it in the right position. So, instead of doing it yourself, get whoever is making you do DIY to help you. After all, they know where they want it and they have a great view. One really useful tool for this task is a level, so the shelf isn’t askew. Floating shelves seem like the simplest to put up, and they look pretty good too, so everyone is happy. For best results, get your resident helper to read the instructions and relay you the basics. This will take less time and cause fewer arguments.

Useful tools include: Hammer/drill, screwdriver, spirit level, pencil (for those all important nail marks)

Changing lightbulbs

This is a pretty simple undertaking, and we’re sure that most of you are capable of doing this. But, for those of you who are more than a little accident prone, there are a few golden rules to light-bulb changing:

Use a step-ladder. Using the right equipment means that you won’t be falling off a chair and hurting yourself. Breaking bones should not be in the job description.

Get someone to help. Why? I hear your incredulously cry. Because that way, you don’t need to worry about taking the light-bulbs up there with you. No light-bulb confusion saves time and energy, which means more football for you. Win.

Make sure you’ve got the right light-bulb before you do anything. Again, this saves precious minutes that can be spent doing lazier things. Your other half/ mum/ home owner will love you more when the light-bulb you choose doesn’t cause unsightly bulb overhang.

Painting and Decorating

We think this a pretty difficult skill to master. In fact, it’s more of a woman thing to do. However, if you’ve been roped in to doing this mission of a chore, then we have some pretty good pointers for you.

The single most important thing you could ever do when you try painting and decorating, is putting a dust sheet over the floor, the furniture, everything. If you’re undertaking a makeover of epic proportions, we propose you clear out all the furniture completely so it leaves you with a little more working space.

The next preparation is chiefly to do with the miracle device known as masking tape. Put it along the edges of your coving, door handles, light switches and then you don’t have to worry about ‘cutting in’ (painting that straight line at the edge of your coving etc by hand).

Of course, you should always remember to read the instructions for wallpapering, as it can be mighty difficult to do when you have no clue.

We hope you gain something from this handy DIY guide, but if you didn’t really get it, there are some websites that may help you out too:

www.diydoctor.org.uk

www.lets-do-diy.com

www.homebase.co.uk

www.diy.com



This article was written for a men's magazine as part of my Magazine Journalism course, I hope you all liked it and will give me some advice/ criticism/ praise in your comments. Thank you.