Which DIY tasks do Britons leave to the professionals?

There’s no denying that lots of us here in the UK love a good DIY challenge. There’s a certain satisfaction to be had in being the one to solve a problem, and solve it alone. At the same time though, recent trends appear to show that British people are more confident tackling certain tasks more than others. It’s these latter jobs which often require the skills of professionals like electricians, plumbers, painters, decorators and more.

This week, we’re taking a look at the tasks Britons still prefer to leave well enough alone – and if you’re the one who’ll end up tackling it, don’t forget we’ve got a wide range of ladders and access equipment to help you get the job done!

Rewiring jobs

Rewiring jobs for electricians are increasingly being requested by both homeowners and companies with a shortage of power sockets, either on the wall or in the flooring.

With the vastly increased usage of PCs, smartphones and other home electronics today, many older homes suffer from too few places to plug in. This leads to the use of extensions and the risk of ‘daisy chaining’ – where multiple extension leads are linked to each other from a single socket, running the risk of blowing it. Rewiring to add more sockets including ones with USB ports is a particularly frequent request.

Meanwhile, businesses often discover after taking up a new lease that their office lacks sufficient power sockets for all their PCs, printers, monitors and other electronic equipment. Sometimes, the existing places to plug in aren’t conveniently positioned either. Though DIY skills can be useful to an extent, these are jobs that will still likely always require the attention of a professional electrician.

Fixing roofs and unblocking gutters

Bad weather, especially strong winds, can regularly cause damage to roofing materials. This might from tiles being blown directly off the roof or from swaying trees with overhanging branches that do damage of their own, often requiring the use of a roof ladder to access. Unblocking the gutters is another task that involves the use of roof ladders, which many homeowners are particularly wary of using. Autumn is the most popular time to get this call with uncovered gutters near to trees being particularly problematic.
On the other hand, professionals with the knowledge and confidence to effectively use roof ladders will usually have no problem with either job. As well as our range of roof ladders here at Browns, for maximum versatility you may also want to consider opting for a telescopic ladder, so you can transport it either on or inside your van more easily.
While roof replacements only need to be done every 15 years or so, repairs to the roof and the replacement of tiles is far more common.

Painting or hanging wallpaper

Any kind of painting or hanging up wallpaper are tasks that increasingly go to painter/decorators who have experience in getting the right finish. (It’s not uncommon for some professionals to be confronted with a job which is clearly the result of an enthusiastic DIY attempt gone south!) Homeowners with new houses might be significantly wary of doing anything to spoil their new purchase however, so it’s a frequent port of call for painters and decorators.

Whatever your exact trade, you can count on us to have the right ladders and access equipment for you right here at Browns. We’ve got everything from extension ladders to advanced specialist ladders, and everything in between. Feel free to browse our site, or give us a call on 01282 615517 to make an order!