D.I.Y from a female view...what is the most extreme you have tackled.

You have my undying admiration, bikergran! I can just about wire a plug!

Respect! Will you come and live at my house?

Mine too biker, what a handy woman to have around! I will have a go at taking things to bits, dismantled a kitchen once, not so good at putting things together. (Years ago, possibly a Play for Today so that long, there was one play about a woman who installed her own central heating. Cannot remember too much about it but the admiration I had for her stayed with me.). I think that if I had been born thirty years later I would have liked to go into a trade, there is so much more choice nowadays.

Tiling (badly!) Painting a staircase, which wasnt hard but carrying the scaffolding up two flights of stairs in order to do it! We need to do some decorating but just the thought of it fills me with horses!

Is there a smiley for bowing down in respect? I’m in awe bikergran

Sadly the best I can come up with is wallpapering and paining a room or two. In my home that’s what my mum did, dad did the harder stuff (not that he did much) and I’m ashamed to say the gender division message stayed with me. I did buy a sander last summer with good intentions but it’s still in the box. I regret not learning how do so many things - OH is even less inclined than me and we spend a fortune on paying other people to do stuff.

Can do a bit of painting. Tiled behind a wash basin once. Tried wallpapering but it slowly peeled away from wall. I leave DIY to other half as he thinks it's a "manly" thing to do ?. But seriously I'm full of admiration bikergran. Well done you !

Horses ! That sounds wonderful grannysyb.

I've only once papered a room. A good square room at that! I did it for DS when he was about 10, as his bedroom was desperately in need of new wallpaper. I hated every minute of it, but once it was up, I was quite proud of myself. DH is rubbish at DIY! He has dyslexia and sees everything back to front. We usually get a man in for home improvements and larger repairs.

bikergran what a clever woman you are. And I'm sure any job is done properly not like some tradesmans idea of a good job.
Me personally can fit a plug, in the past have fixed a new diaphragm on a toilet and can build flat pack furniture.
Don't paint as I'm allergic to any paint (pass out). So when it's time for decorating I go and stay with mum.

I get a man in.

I am an expert wallpaper hanger. I have tackled everything from tiny loos to huge stair cases.

I'm so impressed with all the skills you have, in the past I've decorated my house, put up a garden shed with OH but nowadays it's a bit beyond me I'm afraid I did enjoy it .

I’m hopeless. Lucky for me, DH is a very good DIYer. That said, when I lived alone between marriages, I was very proud of myself for putting together some flatpack bedroom furniture.

I have done nothing in your league Bikergran! Respect to you! I have done only simple things like decorating, tiling, fitting new ballcock, arm and handle to loo cistern, replacing motor in bathroom ceiling extractor, building a foot high wall.

I have always dreamed of being a brickie and building a 'barley sugar' twisted chimney stack. As I suffer from vertigo it will never happen!

Oh dear. My best project was tiling my kitchen splashbacks. However when it comes to cutting bits out im lost so i have bits of grout in funny places. I can put a strip of plain wallpaper on and paint a wall but not much else

bikergran I am very impressed indeed!
DH is great at DIY and I have never tackled anything on my own apart from painting - however, I've always been roped in as 'righthand-woman' so together we've tackled many large jobs in various houses including refitting kitchens, bathrooms etc.

Golly gosh!!

My h has all his tools in the garage, he is going to give them to our nephew, only keeping the saw and his electric drill.
Downing tools now.

Good for,you bikergran. I grew up in a DIY house and so learned to do basic decorating and car maintenance, was taught how to fix things. Now I do much less, often involved in preparation and painting, help with things like shed erection, but that’s about it. I guess I could do more but I’m happier out in the garden tackling everything other than the digging there.

Bikergran, what a woman, wow. I used to love doing bits of DIY, as DH is not at all a handyman. My Dad was great and I learned a lot from watching him, but nothing in your league. R-e_s-p-e-c-t.

Can you come and help me with a dripping tap? I know what to do, I just haven't the muscle to undo the flaming thing!

I once plumbed in a washing machine - and then didn't dare use it till I had called out a plumber to make check I had done everything correctly (which I had!).Never tried that again.......................

Forty odd years ago we built our own house. Well, FIL built it and DH, MIL and I were the labourers. I've shifted at least 32,000 bricks and 16 tons of roof tiles, all by hand. Dug drainage soakaways, helped erect the roof trusses, done some bricklaying, helped with tiling the roof, balanced on the most precarious scaffolding you've ever seen, laid floorboards, mixed cement and done general decorating and painting. I was also chief tea maker.
I can't wallpaper to save my life though!

bikergran, you have my respect and envy. Thought I was doing well decorating this house from top to bottom (has taken me 18 months) but nothing too technical was involved. I'm a little bit guilty of not liking dirty hands - but I do garden avidly - and the body likes lots of rest periods these days. Well done you but, I'll pass, thanks.