Dad skills

[Gob]

A few days ago, the owners of Homebase announced they are to close a quarter of UK stores because of the reality, they said, of "a generation less skilled in DIY projects”.

Harsh obituary writers were quick to point out that Homebase is overpriced and a bit, well, crap compared to B&Q, but the sobering truth is that the entire DIY sector has taken a hammering in recent years.

Some might argue that the demise of DIY is down to the fact that home ownership on the decline, as more of us are forced to rent, unable to get on the property ladder. (Thought: if Homebase had stocked "property ladders" maybe their fortunes would have improved?)

Yet, undeniably, today’s 20- and 30-somethings don’t seem to possess your traditional “dad skills”. The dismal fact that a mere five per cent of 18-24s would attempt to unblock a sink doesn’t bode well for humanity – unless you’re a plumber.

Although the UK DIY sector is still worth a healthy £7.3 billion per year, that’s its lowest annual worth since 1999, and if it continues to decline at the current rate of 13 per cent per annum, there will be no DIY sector at all by 2040.

By then, Britain will have slowly drowned under the collective ocean of blocked bogs and leaky radiators.

Which is bad enough, before you begin to ask whether the decline in DIY is actually indicative of a deeper malaise in masculinity.

DIY used to make us feel manly. We’d chuck on a tool belt, press our power drill’s trigger – perhaps while even growling – and feel the testosterone course through our veins.

The trouble is, being a man – in the old-fashioned sense – is deeply unfashionable, naff almost, these days.

At some point this century, bombarded by an agonizingly right-on, feminist, PC doctrine through the liberal media, many men decided it was time to stop being men and embrace their inner sister.

Metropolitan, largely office-working men launched a mass PR campaign to win the hearts and minds of women – and their peers. They publicly decried wolf whistling and Page 3 of The Sun - while privately consuming a tidal wave of internet porn (ironically making them do-it-yourselfers in a very different sense).

Men were clamouring over themselves to be seen as anything but sexist.

But as we lost our rough edges and took on more of what had traditionally been regarded as female roles, no one really stopped to question whether equality for women came with a cost for masculinity. If everything overtly “masculine” is dismissed as sexist, what’s left of men is, arguably, sexless.

You see this behavioural androgyny everywhere, from the increasingly corporate and sterile football terraces to the Croc-wearing househusband on the school run.

In an age where we’re expected to Hoover, iron, change nappies, make a woman climax for four hours like Sting and cook like Jamie Oliver, old-fashioned pursuits like DIY have become quaint, self-indulgent and almost shameful.

The result is that many modern men are more like our mothers than our fathers, while the opposite is true for women, who are increasingly wearing the trousers.

Women decry us for not being able to wire a plug like our dads, but can – or would – they cook a cracking apple crumble like their mums?

No, they’d rather watch some bugger else do it on the Great British Bake Off, then go to M&S – just like we’d rather watch Grand Designs, then pay a Polish geezer to do our wallpapering.

Manual labour is increasingly seen as something other people do for us. While 43 per cent of 18-25s would attempt a DIY task, 41 per cent would hire around their own deficiencies – and call in the navvies.

Another depressing fact is that Lloyd’s Bank estimate that some 3.3 million bodged DIY tasks need to be put right by a paid professional, at an average cost of over three grand each time.

A French electrician I once got in told me, “I love British DIYers: 75 per cent of my work is finishing jobs you guys started.” But at least I tried in the first place.

It’s unfashionable to admit, but some men are better at being men when they have traditional roles that they understand. And working with our hands gives us a sense of worth that we can never get from filing our tax return.

There is an additional benefit in doing DIY: you get more sex. A study by sociologists at the University of Washington found that couples who follow traditional gender roles around the house – wives doing the cooking, cleaning and shopping; men doing the DIY and fettling the car – reported greater sexual frequency.

So there you have it: with DIY you’re screwed if you do it, and screwed if you don’t.

I'm happy to admit I'm not particularly "dad skilled". I hung a gate this weekend, that's about it. You?

[wesw]

we face the same situation here.

I can pretty much hold my own in most of the trades

spent the last 20 yrs fabricating structural steel for museums, universities, military installations, schools, and commercial ventures.

the company I worked for took on the most difficult designs that other companies ran away from

[wesw]

...even did work for ft meade, many years ago.

[BoSoxGal]

There is an additional benefit in doing DIY: you get more sex. A study by sociologists at the University of Washington found that couples who follow traditional gender roles around the house – wives doing the cooking, cleaning and shopping; men doing the DIY and fettling the car – reported greater sexual frequency.

I'm very skeptical of this study's results.

A very patriarchal (traditional) relationship often means women engaging in marital sex not out of desire, but out of duty. Sure, if that's all a man wants, I guess the end result is all that matters.

Most of the modern but traditional relationships I've seen (anecdotal, but years of listening to female friends bitch) involve the woman doing the great majority of the housework which is a daily burden, and the man doing the once every three months take the car for an oil change, once a week take out the garbage, once every other week mow the lawn (in season) and the occasional DIY project - although the 'honey do' list is often long and long uncompleted, and a bone of contention in the relationship.

Most of these female friends don't feel very amorous toward their spouses most days.

[Guinevere]

I admit it, I'm attracted to men who have skill with their hands to, er, fix things around the house. My Swede is that intellectual brainy guy who loves mechanical stuff and fixing things - its all a puzzle to him (especially me, of course ). From cars to boats to my heating system (Seriously, I meant my boiler. Wait. My house's boiler).

As for house skills being gender-driver, I call BS on that - at least in the 21st century. I can fix a toilet, install screen doors and thermostats, and do other minor repairs. I wield a mean paint brush when I have the time. It's really about motivation and need, not so much about gender. I'd far prefer to paint than clean, but if I'm busy like this year, I'll hire someone to do both (helping me and the economy). And I'll happily cook, but please please, will someone else do the dishes?

[oldr_n_wsr]

I was raised to be a DIYer and passed those skills on to my son and daughter. When they went away to college they each had a toolkit with commonly needed tools and the know how to use them. They each had to show me they could change a flat tire before they were allowed ot borrow my car. But I agree, we are a dieing breed.

[Lord Jim]

I was really impressed with myself the day I successfully installed a new paper towel rack in the kitchen...

[Gob]

I'm fitting a new handle to the dishwasher today.

That means the dishwasher will be working again in three weeks time.

After we pay someone to repair my repair.

[BoSoxGal]

[oldr_n_wsr]

I'm fitting a new handle to the dishwasher today.

That means the dishwasher will be working again in three weeks time.

After we pay someone to repair my repair.

Depending on the make/model it could entail taking the whole door off.
And be carefull with all the electrinics on the front door.
I would advise going online and typing in the make and model. You can usually pull up the "exploded" view of the dishwasher which will help in disassembling and assembling the unit.
Sears.com has many makes and models in this form.
Good luck

ETA
Remember to unplug the unit before you start taking it apart. Although dishwachers are usually hard wired so you may have to turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse..

I used to repair appliances. worked for Factory Services (owned by Sears) for about 6 months
If you need any help, send me an email or PM

Sometimes, taking pictures during disassembly helps when you have to put it togher again

[Gob]

Thanks mate.

I had the whole door off, took a photo of the old handle (the latch had snapped.)

Reassembled with the new unit.

All working fine!!!














.... so far...

[MajGenl.Meade]

That means the dishwasher I will be working again in three weeks time after recovering from the effort.

Fixed

[Lord Jim]

I'm fitting a new handle to the dishwasher today.

That means the dishwasher will be working again in three weeks time.

After we pay someone to repair my repair.

Depending on the make/model it could entail taking the whole door off.
And be carefull with all the electrinics on the front door.
I would advise going online and typing in the make and model. You can usually pull up the "exploded" view of the dishwasher which will help in disassembling and assembling the unit.
Sears.com has many makes and models in this form.
Good luck

ETA
Remember to unplug the unit before you start taking it apart. Although dishwachers are usually hard wired so you may have to turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse..

I used to repair appliances. worked for Factory Services (owned by Sears) for about 6 months
If you need any help, send me an email or PM

Sometimes, taking pictures during disassembly helps when you have to put it togher again

I'd probably electrocute myself if I attempted something as ambitious as that...

[Joe Guy]

I was really impressed with myself the day I successfully installed a new paper towel rack in the kitchen...

Is that the one you started installing a couple of years ago?

[MajGenl.Meade]

LJ repairs a dishwasher

[Lord Jim]

Is that the one you started installing a couple of years ago?

I successfully installed that, and miraculously it hasn't fallen off...

LJ repairs a dishwasher

Yelling, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" would certainly be appropriate any time I attempt to repair anything with even the slightest explosive potential, (I once had an electric lawnmower explode; another time I got a washing machine to set itself on fire...) but fortunately I no longer even attempt such things...

I now understand the evil powers I possess...