Do-it-yourself skills almost a lost art, says B&Q survey

HALF OF all people in the UK believe DIY and basic household maintenance skills are being lost in a generation.

Wiring plugs, bleeding radiators, wallpapering, filling cracks in walls and hanging curtains or blinds are all skills that are in danger of being forgotten, acc­ording to a survey by B&Q,

While 76 per cent of those aged 50 and older feel confident in completing the relatively easy task of wiring a plug, only 37 per cent of those aged 18-35 believe that they have the ability to do so.

Fewer than half (46 per cent) of 18-35 year-olds are able to hang curtains or blinds, compared with three quarters of the 50+ generation.

Hanging wallpaper is a doddle for 60 per cent of the older generation, whereas only 32 per cent of younger adults are able to do so.

Significantly, four in ten of those surveyed believe that youngsters should be learning DIY skills at school, despite it not being part of the Curriculum.

However, three in ten feel that organisations such as Scouts are the best place for young people to gain such skills.

Research by Aviva found that less than two-fifths of young people know how to conduct basic repairs such as changing a fuse or putting up a shelf.

Botched DIY jobs cost an annual average of £138.70 per household – the equivalent of more than £3 billion across the UK.