Performing DIY emerged as one of the chief coping mechanisms of the lockdown in force earlier this year. However, those with little experience in DIY – and none of the equipment they required to perform the jobs they had planned – found it difficult to know where to start in creating a new item of furniture, or slowly pottering around their home fixing long-broken appliances and interior features. In this piece, we provide a short guide for those looking to get stuck into their first DIY project, offering tips to help you get your very first minor construction job off the ground.
Equipment
The equipment that you need for DIY – and this ranges from a hammer to some high-powered tools that might cost several hundred dollars – should be seen as a lifelong investment. If you believe you’re likely to continue with your hobby of DIY after this first job, it might be worth investing in high-quality gear – bought cheaply online – so that you have the right tools for a number of different jobs. If you’re concerned about the overhead costs of getting hold of equipment, send out a social media post to your friends and family asking if they’ll lend you the equipment you need to perform your first job.
Materials
The other side of your material requirements concerns the nuts, bolts, and planks that you’re likely to require to build your item of furniture or to meet your other DIY ambitions. You’re going to look online again for these materials – saving you a trip to the stores that would expose you to potential infection by COVID-19. Happily, you can find cheap bolts and nuts sold online and express delivered to your home, as well as the other, larger materials – like planks and insulation – which are sold by specialist suppliers in your area.
Planning
Now that you have the materials and tools in place, it’s time to take a step back from your project and to plan how you’ll be able to practically make your ambitions into a reality. For those with minimal experience with practical skills – and that comprises a fair portion of the population – this stage is all about looking for tips online. YouTube tutorials are especially useful in this phase, as you’ll be able to learn how builders use their tools by sight, instead of reading manuals and looking at still images.
Doing DIY
Some people really take to DIY as a hobby, while others find it frustrating and infuriating. Whether you expect to love or loathe the process of completing your project, it’s important that you’re able to find the patience to deal with mishaps you’ll encounter along the way. Let yourself off the hook for mistakes and errors – these are part and parcel of the learning process. Concentrate whenever you’re using your tools, as one clumsy move could be dangerous. And, finally, take pleasure in a hole well drilled, or a surface well-sanded – as these are small milestones toward the successful completion of your project.
DIY is a wonderful and cost-effective way to spend your time this winter – and the tips outlined above will help you to indulge in this new passion as 2020 draws to a close.
