Modern men have no idea how to carry out basic DIY jobs around the home – with millions unable to change a light bulb, a study revealed yesterday (Thurs).
Laziness and hectic lifestyles have turned British men into a nation of DIY dunces who would rather call in professional help than carry out the work themselves.
The poll of 3,000 men aged 50 or under found that 15 per cent – the equivalent of 2.1 million British blokes – would shy away from changing a light bulb, while 26 per cent would struggle if they had to rewire a plug.
A quarter of men admit they find it difficult to put up shelves and the same number don’t know how to bleed a radiator.
Even hanging a picture on the wall would leave one in six men scratching their heads in wonderment.
Other simple tasks which leave men struggling include changing a fuse, building flatpack furniture and stopping a leaking tap.
Bal Mattu (double corr), founder of tradesman marketplace website Comcero.com, which commissioned the research, said: ”There was a time when you could rely on almost any man when it came to DIY jobs in the home.
”But it seems to be a sign of the times that nowadays, even the most basic of jobs like changing a light bulb or replacing a fuse are too difficult for some men.
”Whereas our dads and granddads would have done most of the DIY themselves, it seems you might now have more luck just calling in a professional straight away.
”However, calling in the professionals earlier can not only help your bank balance, but also help you win some brownie points in your relationship.”
The study revealed that one in five men were happy to admit they can’t do the most basic DIY jobs, rating their skills as poor – compared to just one in ten of those aged over the age of 50.
But while a quarter of older men claim to be excellent around the home and doing jobs most would call in a professional for, only 15 per cent of the younger generation could say the same.
And more than 37 per cent of men under 50 years old said they weren’t at all handy to have around the home, with more than three quarters saying their dad or granddad had much better DIY skills than they did.
Researchers also found that 58 per cent of men have messed up a DIY job in their home because they didn’t really know what they were doing.
And another 31 per cent have had to call in a professional after starting a job in their home, despite having no idea how to do it.
But while one in five put their poor DIY skills down to laziness, another 22 per cent claimed they were simply too busy to do the jobs themselves.
The survey found almost half said they just don’t enjoy trying their hand at DIY jobs.
The same number said they have got DIY jobs on the go which they haven’t finished, with almost a quarter of those admitting they probably won’t ever get around to completing them.
And a third said their lack of DIY skills had caused arguments in their relationship.

DIY TASK                              % WHO CAN’T DO IT
1. Put in a kitchen                            55
2. Tile a bathroom                            47
3. Lay flooring                    43
4. Wallpapering                 41
5. Stop a leaking tap        39
6. Replace a door                             38
7. Fit a lock                          35
8. Replace a plug socket                34
9. Grouting                         32
10. Rewire a plug                              26
11. Bleed a radiator                         25
12. Put up some shelves               24
13. Fit a curtain rail                           21
14. Unblock a sink                            17
15. Fill in crack/hole in a wall        17
16. Build flatpack furniture           16
17. Change a fuse                            16
18. Hang a picture up      16
19. Change a light bulb   15
20. Paint a wall                  14
Research conducted by global market research company www.onepoll.com