How did you get good at DIY?

Any half decent DIY courses that you might attend nowadays, are invariably going to recommend that you subscribe to certain YouTube channels, or they might suggest other online video sources for watching and learning a type of a particular skill set.

Anyway, why are you so resistant to learning anything from YouTube?

The only other alternative to videos are these big paper things people used to use to learn about how to do stuff . . . I think they were called books.

Learn by doing and don't make the same mistake twice is the basic best advice I can give.

Also, learn how to use a spirit level and a measuring tape, if you are accurate and fussy about both then you are covering a lot of construction work.

And as already said use Youtube videos. I'm 50, have worked construction and maintenance most of my life and still use Youtube for tips, have fixed the washing machine and the tumble dryer in the last year alone by searching Youtube.

The we best way to learn is to practice!!

As you’ve said, if you have a list of things to do, take them one step at a time and at least you have a huge resource on YouTube for whatever job you are doing.

For most DIY stuff, particularly when you don’t do it often, the greatest skills you need are patience and persistence, but when you do get the jobs done, there is a good feeling of satisfaction after.

Don't be afraid to ask for advice in your local DIY shop. V experienced lads working there and won't be shy to offer advice on how to do a particular job

There is nothing wrong with using YouTube. I'm a plumber myself and I know many tradesmen search youtube. Plumbers that trained in the 80s didn’t have heat pumps, wood pellet stoves, solar, qualpex, push in fittings & hundreds of other things that are out now. They may do courses on some things but others they go to youtube

Skillbuilder has a good channel. He can be annoying to listen to but his knowledge is correct. Some of the DIY channels don't give you the best way to do things. I'd prefer watch a qualified tradesperson give instructions.

There are plumbers & electricians always happy to help here on boards on the plumbing and electrical forum. And of course plenty of advice here on the DIY forum

maybe go down to your local

MensShed

they would be more than forthcoming with knowledge

Nobody thought me, except trying it and youtube

When it comes to hanging pictures / shelves start off in a room less used to practice before attempting to put one up in the living room etc...

Always think twice before putting a drill into a wall, is there likely to be a pipe or cable behind etc....

Make sure to get the right fixing for the type of wall (ask in diy shop)

When changing light switches / sockets I always switch off the power etc....

DIY can be fun, just think before you do

Out of interest I went looking for a beginners youtube video on hand tool safety? Didn't find anything that I thought covered the subject very well.

What I was looking for was something that showed a beginner how to use a screwdriver without stabbing themselves in the palm of their hand or a stanley knife with out slashing the muscles just below the thumb - yes I've done both and worse. But there are few basics that youtube seems to be missing out on. I would say that from about 12 years old I knew how to use a knife and chisel safely and the make sure that any slip with a tool wasn't going to impale part of my body - from woodwork lessons at school.

It did occur to me then I thought better of it.

You will actually learn more tips and tricks from YouTube then you will any course.

The only way to get good at anything is to get at it hands on yourself. Think about things and study them. Everyday is a learning day for anyone and when you do something the first time you'll learn a better way of doing it for the next time.

Have faith in your work.

The more you mess up the better you get :)

"Becoming good at DIY" is a very very broad goal. This can cover everything from hanging a picture to installing your own bathroom.

So best to focus on what it is you want to do right now. Start with small jobs that need doing. Practical experience is better than theory when it comes to learning how to DIY.

Lets say you want to properly hang a picture on a wall. Youtube can be a big help here. You might need to remove old picture hook/nails and fill holes in. Touch up paint if needed/possible. Then measure precisely where you want to put the new hook in and figure out how to safely insert that new hook in exactly the right position.

"Measure twice, drill/cut once" is a good motto.

The point been that if you take your time researching how to properly do each job then you become more confident and competent in doing what you want to do.

Some people definitely have a more natural talent when it comes to DIY so its ok to take your time, start small, and get to know your limitations. If you do get a guy in to do some jobs then observe how they go about it.

Youtube is a great resource there is a number of detailed videos on anything you want to do.

Experience is the only way you improve though and I can not stress it enough buy the proper tools. I am always upgrading my tools on every project I take on. You won't cut timber as well with a hand saw as a mitre saw, cheap tools are rarely accurate.

I use B&Q alot for there sheet cutting service, accurate clean cuts that you don't have to set up at home. I have a track saw too for when I'm winging it and have no plans.

I am very handy now, I'll take on anything and I wince when I look at my jobs around the house I did years ago. The splashback I did in my kitchen six years ago is absolute shite, I did one in my mams house recently and it was flawless. You learn as you go

Measure twice, cut once!

Plastering is an art and very difficult to do for a DIYer, you really can't hide a **** job its a trade I'd really consider hiring when it arises. I recently plastered a garage for my dad and it turned out really well I used the roll on method with a speed skim. I still don't think I'd be confident of plastering my living room if needed.

I've done a bit of plumbing and electrical work, I have the electrical stuff checked over by my mate who's qualified. Plumbing I don't like, water has the potential to really ruin your house.

Youtube and making mistakes. I did FAS courses for MIG and TIG welding, I loitered around my cousin in his garage a bit, and when I had to pay a guy to do plastering, I watched him intently. I've had occasion to need to patch up burst water and waste pipes a few times, which was hairy. Keep your nerve, and learn where the off switches for everything are.

I can now do most things from plumbing, electrics, brickwork, carpentry, the only thing I won't touch is gas.

I also have a big Box of Shame where I keep the evidence of work I made for myself or jobs I botched, from the first rounded oil sump nut right up to the floorboard through which I drilled into a heating pipe I wasn't expecting.

The only way to get handy is to get stuck in really, your skills improve as you do more jobs.

My rule of thumb for DIY vs Hiring a Pro has been that if I can get a job done, including buying any tools I may need to get the job done for less than half what the Pro will charge, I'm going DIY. As time goes on, and my tool collection has become larger, that means doing more and more stuff DIY. At this point I'll tackle anything I'm legally allowed to (i.e. I'm not going to run a new spur off the fuse board or go near the gas boiler) or that clearly requires a skill built up over years to do well (i.e. plastering).

My advice would be to start by picking a job you want to do. Research it on Youtube. Post any questions you have about doing it here. Then get your tools & materials together, measure twice and get stuck in. You'll make mistakes, you'll end up back on Youtube / here asking questions and you'll get the job done. Next time that job needs doing, you'll know what to do.

As time goes on, you'll have done lots of jobs and your friends and family will start refering to you as "being handy"... then you'll be on here asking how to get out of doing their jobs too! ;)

I started doing bits of woodwork when I was about 11, around the same time I was making my own dresses. I learned that both woodworking and other DIY and dressmaking require much the same skills - look at the problem, understand what needs to be done, read up on how to actually use the tools and what are the best fixings etc to use, then practise. Plan, figure it out, scribble diagrams, think about it, don't try and cut corners. Its no good having someone else tell you what to do if you don't understand what it is you are doing, so learning by doing - cautiously doing - is much more useful. Buy appropriate tools as you need them, a chisel is not a screwdriver, and a pair of trestles will save you a lot of chairs. 😀

Neither my dad nor my husband had the first clue about diy so I didn't learn from one, nor could I rely on the other, so I did it myself. I learned much more from books and experimenting than I ever did from school sewing and cooking lessons. Mostly they were a waste of time.

Beyond the most basic (wiring a plug, or fixing the ballcock in the toilet cistern for example) I never got involved with electricity or plumbing.

I'm pretty handy at DIY - partly driven by not wasting money.

Tonight I replaced the battery in my wristwatch - and smashed it in the process of closing the back.

I'd had it for years and done this several times before - luckily it wasn't valuable.

You have to accept that things don't always go to plan.

If someone can do it you can do it.

Maybe not changing a nappy on a new born child.

I worked for a shopfitting company when I was in college and used to get stuck into helping in the workshop at every opportunity. I'm not the most taleneted, but I do aim for reasonable quality and it's amazing how much knowledge I gained... While still being very green.

Their is so many different types of DIY jobs, that no course will cover everything. Like everyone else said here, Youtube is great, have fixed my dishwasher earlier this year from a youtube vid (Was about to buy new one, but decided to give it a go, glad I did)..

Built garden walls earlier this year, steep learning curve, but between Youtube and Boards got some good advise.. And their still standing (only 4 months old tho)

Have addressed few issues with car over the years from Youtube vids…

Its the way too go…..

That looks to be an absolutely brilliant beginners course for anyone interested in learning DIY, it covers nearly everything . . and its free!

Good call Woodcutting.

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Donald Trump can do everything.Solve the world's problems in a second.

Even have a quiff worth €1,4.