What D.I.Y. skills should everyone know?

Jason

I noticed a story published in the Daily Mail earlier in the week in which Bunnings D.I.Y. expert Graham Ireland shared the most important D.I.Y. skills everyone should know by the time they reach 30.

The list was:

Hang a picture
Pot a plant
Clean your grout
Set up a smart home
Restore a piece of furniture
Paint a wall
Clean the gutters
Remove a carpet stain
Compost your kitchen scraps

Do you think Graham missed any crucial D.I.Y. skills that everyone should know? What are the D.I.Y. skills you think you use the most often?

Let us know by replying below.

Jason

Prof

The problem with this generation is that they are basically lazy and too interested in their social media..
Their attitude is "the guy will fix it" and are not interested enough to even learn about it..
The spirit of "get up and go" has gone unfortunately..

woodenwookie

I don't buy that millenials are lazy. The reason Millenials seem lazy is because their freaking parents did everything for them in case they hurt themselves or some other PC bollocks.

It's not the kid's fault it's the parent's fault. Because my dad was a shift worker we had a lot of time with him and hardly any time with him depending on what shift he was on. I never really got taught anything but I messed around with stuff. But I'm GenX and we lived in a different time. As soon as health and safety and the anti-smacking law became a thing here in NZ parents ended up wrapping their kids in cotton wool because they were afraid of getting in trouble if their kids got hurt. As such the kids didn't learn a thing. It's only now that people are starting to realise the error of their ways.

My little one is 2 1/2 and he often potters in the workshop with me. He often hurts himself but I cuddle him and let him know it'll be alright and then he keeps pottering. One day he will learn but that's because I let him try stuff out. If the millenials had that when they were young then the Baby Boomers wouldn't be having a go at them despite the fact it's the Baby Boomers that raised the Millenials.

But this is why we NEED things like the Men's Shed and other like minded organisations to undo what the BBs did to their kids. Places like here on Workshop are needed as well. Instead of railing on millenials for their social media usage use that usage to their advantage. Hell, since I started my social media profile to try and learn new things regarding wood working I've come leaps and bounds.

The fact that there are stuff all organisations where millenials and others looking to improve their skills exist offline is a travesty of the highest order. We complain they don't know anything and yet we don't bother trying to teach them because we've written them off already. No wonder they don't want to try. What's the point when someone else can do it for them because that's what they've been taught their entire lives? It's up to us to help them.

gippslandhome

Have to agree with @woodenwookie the statement @Prof made was to be honest a fairly degrading comment to all those on this community who are younger and who have worked dam hard in whatever feild they have.

I joined this community to encourage and to be encouraged.

To take advice and give advice.

Not to listen to some narrow minded comment that takes in a whole generation as being lazy. What on earth is that all about.

I've been in the construction industry for 27 years and I have employed some dam hard working talented generation who have gone on to become successful business people.

This community would have to give testimony to that fact of the talent we see in posts and advice given by the generation being refered to in the comment made.

I don't thing these comments should be made on this community whether they be true or not

Jason

Many thanks for your comments.

This is a good opportunity to remind everyone about our Rules of participation. The most important thing is to show respect to all. This is a friendly, encouraging place and we want to ensure it stays a fun, positive and accepting environment for everyone.

Let's get back on topic now - what D.I.Y. skills do you think everyone should know? And how would you recommend people go about learning them?

Thanks again,

Jason

gippslandhome

Thank you @Jason for your friendly reminder.

Taken aboard.

Kind regards Rob 👍

TheGreendalePom

There are so many useful, easy to pickup skills that everyone should know, that creating a list of them all would be difficult. I think the list could be narrowed down to a few softer skills, that in my experience have taught me a lot over the past few years:

1. Know who/where to ask for help (a tradie friend, a neighbour, one of the many ex-tradies at bunnings, YouTube DIY videos, forums like these)
2. Having the confidence to just give it a go. If you break down a big job into smaller steps, it's not as scary.

Being 33 I guess I fall into the millennial category (depending who you ask), and I was in the perfect storm of cluelessness, having moved over from UK I had no tools (was renting, didn't need them), it was also my first home here so first time I've needed to worry about fixing things. Also having no family here meant that when things around the house needed fixing, it was down to me.

I started off using tradies, but quickly found that *if* they did turn up, they'd either do such a bad job (plumber severing my phone line, splitting 2 stormwater pipes and kicking the dirt back over them, she'll be right) or would be so expensive I couldn't afford them back, or both. Don't get me wrong, they're not all bad, we've had a few good tradies, but for the most part, it hasn't been a good experience.

That's when I decided to start learning for myself. I needed to fix some cracked PVC pipe for my underground rainwater collection system. I dug out around it, took some photos, then went to my local hardware store and started asking around, "whats the best way to fix this". I also checked with a few neighbours as they have similar systems. Then it was just having the confidence to get stuck in make the first cuts. If I got it wrong it doesn't matter, I'd just have another go.

I've done several jobs around the place now; painting/decorating, fixing/sealing decking, tiling, putting cabinets up, small plumbing jobs, landscaping, making lots of stuff out of pallets etc. I've just been buying the tools I need as I go, I got gifted a cigwelder recently, I have no idea how to use it, but I'll watch YouTube and practice on some scrap I have laying around.

Bit of a long winded post, but just wanted to share my experience as a useless millennial who's tried to change that by learning and just saying I'll give it a go!

gippslandhome

Well spoken about your d.i.y. experience especially moving to a new country as a younger person.

Great you have given so many things a go and have the confidence to keep going.

All the best with the Cig Welder. Great tool to master.

As a tradie myself I know the frustration of another tradie not turning up or making big mistakes. Unfortunately it does happen but thankfully not that often.

Great work though