Sisters are doing it for themselves – even if “it” means driving nails, demolishing walls, laying pipe or wading through sawdust.
According to Lowe’s, more than 80 percent of women perform landscaping and gardening tasks, and more than 90 percent of the women engaged in do-it-yourself projects around the house also make most major purchases and financial decisions for that house.
Faced with increasing home ownership, rising costs of maintaining a home, and the ever-present expectation that the modern woman can and will do for herself, women have become a driving force within the home-improvement industry. These women say that becoming more confident with construction projects provides them with a sense of empowerment that transcends other aspects of their lives.
Even so, attitudes toward the DIY woman tend to be mixed.
“The home improvement industry has been an all-boy’s club for a long time,” says Norma Vally, host of the Discovery Home show “Toolbelt Diva” and author of the book “Chix Can Fix: 100 Home-Improvement Projects and True Tales From the Diva of Do-It-Yourself.” Vally heads up women’s how-to workshops around the country and answers home improvement questions through her website, chixcanfix.com.
“Nobody likes to feel helpless,” she says of the increasing number of handywomen. “Either because of budget or because they’re uncomfortable having a stranger come into their homes to work, women absolutely want to use tools and do projects on their own.”
Vally says that most big-box home improvement stores like Lowe’s and The Home Depot have adjusted their outlooks to accommodate women.
Tool companies, on the other hand, are slower to make the transition. For instance, one manufacturer recently ran a television commercial in which a group of men sat around talking about plans to upgrade their tools to cordless models, then give all of their old tools to their wives.
She also has faced challenges finding partners to produce her forthcoming line of high-end women’s power tools.
“Certain companies feel that if they get behind women’s products, it’s going to work against the image they want to present,” she says. “They think, “How can we put out a pro tool – a man’s man’s tool – and at the same time support women’s tools?’ ”
Online advice columnist and relationships author April Masini hears about the impact the home improvement gender shift is having on couples.
“Women are drawn to the home construction and renovation industry like never before,” says Masini, whose website is AskApril.com. “I get an inordinate number of e-mails from readers asking for relationship help that comes from this trend.”
On the traditional front, Masini says the allure of the handyman persists. Men who work with their hands are sexy, she says, and women like having them around. Meanwhile, women are more financially secure than they used to be. They have more disposable income, and are buying and maintaining their own homes with that money. “They’re nesting with drills, nails and hammers, not just cookie dough and pot holders,” she says.
Upstate New York homeowner Judy Wolf experienced firsthand the stress a renovation project can take on a relationship. She and her then-husband bought an old house and undertook the process of restoring it together.
“I now highly recommend to anyone in a couple that’s thinking about taking on a house-
building project – whether they’re doing the work themselves or acting as their own general contractor – that they talk about their escape plan in case one (or both!) of them can’t handle the pressure, because it can be overwhelming,” says Wolf, 37.
After her divorce, Wolf soldiered on with the renovation because she says she didn’t want to go through her life not knowing how a house worked.
“I’ve met a lot of women who do or have done their own fix-it work,” she says. “The illusion that this is a man’s area of expertise is definitely being shattered.”
She most noticed the shift when The Home Depot started offering workshops developed specifically for women. She says that increasingly, DIY websites show women holding tools and overseeing construction projects, and more and more books are being published for the female fix-its.
Hardware stores feature better signage and lower shelves than they used to, and their personnel increasingly encourage customers to ask questions.
“The deep, dark secret that has been shared with me by many men is that these approaches, ostensibly geared toward women, are actually welcomed by men, as well,” Wolf says. “Because many of them feel like they should know (about home improvement), but they don’t.”
Staff writer Elana Ashanti Jefferson can be reached at 303-954-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com.
“Norma Vally’s Top Ten DIY Diva Do’s and Don’ts”
1. Don’t wear loose clothing while performing home-improvement tasks.
2. Do know where the main shut-off valves for all your utilities are located.
3. Don’t be stymied by lack of upper-body strength. For example, women can gain leverage by extending the length of a wrench, thus requiring less brute strength.
4. Do mark your potential materials before cutting them. The adage goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Norma takes it a step further: Mark instead of measure is even better.
5. Don’t buy cheap tools. Investing in good tools upfront will save you money in the long run since they won’t need to be replaced.
6. Do know which direction to turn screws and other fittings.
7. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help from staff in home-improvement centers and hardware stores.
8. Do organize your work space and keep it clutter free. Clean up as you work to keep the area hazard free.
9. Don’t forget to bring along any old parts that you may be replacing when you go to the hardware store.
10. Do unplug your power tools when you’re adjusting a part or changing a blade.
