DIY courses for women

Sisters are doing it for themselves with courses around the UK on how to plaster and plumb, tile and tool-handle

Tired of tradesmen's extortionate rates for simple household jobs? Or worse still, will your other half just not finish a job he started six months ago? Help is at hand when it comes to DIY. Today's women are literally doing it themselves with women-friendly and women-only courses throughout the UK. There's a course to suit everyone - during the day, in the evening, even specially tailored weekends with accommodation thrown in. So get busy with the brushes and serious with the sanding - here's our guide to the best courses.

Staunch and Flow plumbing courses
This London course aims not only to teach novices how to perform basic plumbing tasks but also to educate them about the plumbers' jargon, what jobs you need expert help on and the politics of water pressure (we're not kidding). Half-day courses (£65 including VAT) are fast-paced and you'll start off learning about the hot-water system in your home before going on to some hands-on action with spanners and taps. Best of all, the instructor encourages participants to come with questions about their particular problems, so it's like having your own personal plumbing consultant.

Some of the skills covered:

  • Clearing a blocked drain
  • Fixing a toilet
  • Solving basic radiator problems
  • Troubleshooting water heating issues
  • Installing a dishwasher or washing machine

Staunch and Flow
211 Piccadilly
London
W1J 9HF
0207 666 5566
www.staunchandflow.co.uk

Home maintenance for women
Trade Skills 4U runs a highly successful women-only weekend course at their Gatwick workshops. A two-day home maintenance course costs £150 and teaches pupils to:

  • Wire a plug and simple light fitting (the course will clear up any confusion regarding new legislation on what you can and can't do in your own home. It is legal, for example, to replace a light fitting but not to install circuits, sockets or wiring in kitchens and bathrooms).
  • Use a variety of tools
  • Select drill bits and screwdriver heads
  • Put up curtains, blinds and shelves
  • Saw wood, metal and plastic
  • Remove a radiator
  • Repair holes in walls, sand and prepare to decorate
  • Tackle basic painting and decorating jobs.
Students travel from all over the country to brush up their DIY skills. And specialist courses in tiling, plumbing and bricklaying are available for those wanting more in-depth knowledge.

Home Maintenance courses are held on the last weekend of every month. They'll even organise accommodation and local pickups for you. It's a great girly weekend, but with benefits that last longer than a manicure.

Tracey Bennett, Training Co-ordinator on 01293 529777
Trade Skills 4U
Unit 3
Metana House
Priestley Way
Crawley
RH10 9NT
www.tradeskills4u.co.uk

PITT tiling and plumbing courses
PITT runs specialist two-day weekend courses for women. The unique selling point lies in its free 24-hour helpline available to all students after the course finishes. If tricky tiling or plumbing situations trip you up, you can phone the experts.

The tiling course covers:

  • Tile types and cutting
  • Setting out, adhesive, fixing, tools
  • Grouts, sealants and finishing.

And the plumbing course covers:

  • Fittings, domestic systems and pipes
  • Soldering, fitting radiators, installing dishwashers and washing machines
  • Replacing tap washers, fitting vales and maintaining systems.
Dates are determined by demand and content can be flexible. Some students choose to skip the basics and go straight to the five-day intensive. After completing the plumbing course, one of the girls in the PITT office installed her own bathroom - saving a fortune and not a builder's bum in sight. A weekend course including one overnight, tea, coffee and lunch costs £245.

Call Sharon or Angela, 7 days a week 8am to 9pm 01782 566 166
PITT (Professional Independent Training Techniques)
62 Brick Kiln Lane
Parkhouse Ind Est
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 7AS
Or an online tour is available via the website: www.professional-itt.com

DIY for women
A short course designed to introduce basic DIY skills and dispel the myths surrounding the construction industry. A hands-on evening class aimed at women of all ages; no previous experience is necessary.

The course covers basic:

  • Plumbing (how to drain a radiator, fix a dripping tap)
  • Bricklaying (culminating in building your own barbeque)
  • Tiling (including cutting, shaping and planning)
  • Metalwork (inscribing signs)
Classes run on a Monday evening for twelve weeks from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Costs are around £30 plus £20 for materials - great value. The tutors pride themselves on creating a fun environment and students should complete the course with good DIY knowledge as well as the confidence to deal with professional tradesmen.

Upper Bann Institute
Portadown Campus
36 Lurgan Road
Co Armagh
N Ireland
BT63 5BL
0 28 3839 7777
Website: www.ubi.ac.uk

The Trade Skill Centre DIY courses
This outfit runs a variety of women-only classes covering all aspects of DIY. They began in 2004 to meet the demand for short-term courses in the Cardiff area. Aimed at anyone over sixteen, the courses appeal to those wanting a career change or to learn DIY skills for personal use. Students travel from far and wide to attend the bi-monthly, women-only classes. Courses, content and prices are flexible and discounts can be given for group bookings. The next scheduled dates are: June 12th-16th - Plastering/rendering - Price: £350.00 + VAT
June 12th-15th - Bricklaying - Price: £280.00 + VAT
June 12th-13th - Carpentry - Price: £170.00 + VAT
June 19th-21st - Plumbing - Price: £250.00 + VAT
June 19th-21st - Tiling - Price: £250.00 + VAT
June 21st - Dry-Lining/Studding - Price: £140.00 + VAT

The Trade Skills Centre
Unit 6 Withey Duffryn Court,
Duffryn Business Park,
Ystrad Mynach,
Hengoed
Caerphilly
CF82 7EP
Tel: 01443 813411
Email: enquiries@tradeskillscentre.com
Website: www.tradeskillscentre.com

DIY skill for women
Women Builders offers evening classes in a multitude of serious skills. Students are encouraged to be hands-on and places are limited to 12 per course. Undertake this lot and you'll be building your own house before you know it. Women Builders tailors not just the classes for women, but the workwear too, with specially designed bib and braces.

Courses include:
Brickwork Basics - 6 weeks £180
Painting and Decorating - 6 weeks £180
Woodworking Skills - 6 weeks £200
Essential Plumbing - 4 weeks £180
Plastering Techniques - 8 weeks £240
Tiling and Grouting - 4 weeks £120

Women Builders - Construction Training Ltd
25 First Avenue
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
Bucks
MK1 1DX
Tel: 01908 374455
Email: training@womenbuilders.co.uk
Website: www.womenbuilders.co.uk

Introductory course for women in construction
Carpentry, joinery and plumbing are just some of the subjects covered at Bradford College. Ideal for women looking to gain DIY skills for personal or professional use, courses run during term-time with family-friendly hours. Open to women aged 16 to 60, no qualifications are needed, just an enthusiasm to learn. Full-time courses run for 16 hours a week covering six skills (decorating, carpentry, brickwork, construction, personal development and IT) and part-time for one day a week, covering a single subject.

Courses cost around £100 and there's no charge if you're unemployed. Funded by the Learning Skills Council, the next ones begin in September.

BRADFORD COLLEGE/LET'S TWIST
Jeanette McMurdo, Curriculum Co-ordinator
Bradford College
Great Horton Road
Bradford
BD7 1AY
Tel: 01274 438 978
Email: j.mcmurdo@bradfordcollege.ac.uk
Website: www.letstwist.bradfordcollege.ac.uk