Female Journalist Praises Practical Courses
A Daily Telegraph journalist has written about the practical and financial benefits of taking DIY courses.
Lifestyle writer Cherry Maslen enrolled on a female-focused course aiming to teach women about the benefits of DIY, which was hosted by original Big Brother winner and television handyman Craig Phillips.
Cherry Maslen explained that taking practical courses targeted at beginners was beneficial because no one felt awkward asking simple questions which might seem obvious to more experienced DIYers.
Craig Phillips told the class: "Good morning ladies. Has anyone done any DIY before? Ask me anything, it doesn't matter how daft you think your question is. If there's something you want to do at home, now's the time to tell us."
The roving reporter started with painting and decorating courses which involved learning how to paint a large wall and how to hang wallpaper like an expert.
After studying a demonstration and taking tips from the tutors, Maslen and her partner managed to succeed admirably in their efforts.
"Amazingly, with the help of a spirit level and plenty of encouragement, we stood back to admire our finished 'wall'. It was beautiful; pattern matching up pretty well and no air bubbles," wrote Maslen in the Telegraph.
The following day concentrated on tiling courses where Philips explained that significant savings can be made by utilising DIY skills rather than employing an expensive professional.
"You can hire most tools but you can get a tile cutter for 22, and remember, if you're doing your own tiling, you might be saving 400-500 on labour," the reality TV star told Maslen.
Maslen wrote that her fellow students were intent on putting the skills they learned on the tiling courses and carpentry courses into action as soon as they got home.
One student was eager to use knowledge learned on the decorating courses to transform her hallway and another wanted to apply the abilities gained from the carpentry courses to help her assemble a desk.
Ali, who recently moved into a new property with her boyfriend, explained that the tiling courses would help her update her house without having to hire professional tradesmen.
She told Maslen: "The tiling is going to come in handy for me."
Research by thecaliforniacompany.co.uk discovered that an increasing number of women feel confident doing DIY jobs around the house.
The online shutter company found that nine out of ten women claimed they own a power tool and 67 per cent said they did the DIY themselves.
by: Martin Hofschroer