Are we less practical these days ? which of these would you do yourself ?

Neil

Never had the need to change a screen on an ipad or a double glazed unit but I expect it's pretty easy.

Brake pads?
Done them many times.

Shed roof?
Funnily enough ours was damaged in high winds last winter and as it is a big shed and needed to be sat upon to refelt the roof I sent the wife up there.

She was as happy as larry cutting and using clout nails while I stood at the bottom overseeing the job.

She actually fixed our washing machine once when it flooded.

Roland

Front pads are down to the metal on the car, need a new set fitted ?  Could do my wife's car, but wouldn't touch mine because of the electronics

Wind has ripped the felt of the shed roof, needs re-felting before it rains again ?  Yes, did my son's last year.

Daughter has smashed the screen on her iPad, needs a new one fitted ?    Could do, but there a man nearby who will do it for less than I can buy the parts for.

Bathroom tap drips and needs a new washer ?   Alway. I've also replaced taps and moved pipes.

Living room double glazed window has fogged, needs a new unit fitted ?  Could do. I've replaced single glazing, but never needed to do a sealed unit. 

I like doing this type of thing. Two years ago I built and glazed our greenhouse. This year I put together a workbench and rewired the workshop.  Next year I plan to make a garden gate

Sambostar

Rewire the garden gate, that way nothing will get nicked from your workshop

ICBM

Danny1969 said:

Front pads are down to the metal on the car, need a new set fitted ?

Pro. Modern cars are too difficult to work on and there are safety implications. (Ten years ago, I would do it but I had simpler cars then.)

Wind has ripped the felt of the shed roof, needs re-felting before it rains again ?

Me.

Daughter has smashed the screen on her iPad, needs a new one fitted ?

Pro. I wouldn't know where to start. Oldest daughter can sort it out herself anyway if she broke it, not my problem!

Bathroom tap drips and needs a new washer ?

Me. Although last time, shutting off the water at the loft tank involved fixing that as well and half a day's stress and aggravation, because the stop valve (which hadn't been turned in at least ten years) broke…

Living room double glazed window has fogged, needs a new unit fitted ?

Probably pro. They have all the kit to do a really fast and good job, and the proper ones give you a guarantee. I just had a Velux roof window replaced and after pricing the parts and asking a joiner friend to help me do it (two person job), the pros were no more expensive. They did the whole job in a morning, and took a potentially serious problem which would have caused a lot of bother for me totally in their stride, almost as if they do this sort of thing for a living…

Nitefly

How come no-one is sending for Emp?

Danny1969

 Nitefly said:

How come no-one is sending for Emp?

Yeah I should have included "laying a laminate floor"  

NervousJohn

I'd tackle any of the listed jobs and more - cars in particular you look at the apprentices who do the spannering and frankly I'm more capable. I know it'll be done right for one.

The only things I don't touch are the innards of the boiler and stuff covered by part P of the electrical regs.

stickyfiddle

Danny1969 said:

stickyfiddle said:

Brake pads on something old, not a problem. My current car is under warranty and servicing so I'm covered there. 

I could do a tap washer but there are maintenance chaps in the building who would do it for £10 so I'd happily let them. 

Windows... I'm on the 42nd floor so a bit of a stretch I reckon. That said, even at home I'd get a man in. 

Shed roof no problem (if I had one)

iPad screen not a big deal in theory, but aren't the new ones bonded and way harder to replace?

The units fitted from the inside dude

All Ipad digitizers are bonded, all I ever do is gently heat and go round with a plectrum 

Lol, yeah, I know that, but 42 floors up I still wouldn't fancy it! Doesn't help that our windows are 7' x 4' either... Can't imagine it's a job I'll need to do in this place!

strumjoughlamps

plumbed, fitted, installed our bathroom and kitchen so no probs with those sort of jobs.

I have replaced screens on psps and old phones and have modded consoles; I have not replaced any touchscreen device screens though but would happily have a go if it meant not losing much money if I bodged it.

I have a haynes manual for our current car(old s reg pug 106) but would prefer to leave for a garage to do, I have tinkered around with my motorbike though which has led to the conclusion mechanics isn't that scary but again quite happy to pay a garage.

I have friends/family in the window fitting trade so would call on them if needed, my understanding is some windows are a simple bang the panel out put new panel in but some of the older DG(which ours is) need a bit more work.

shed roof no problem, same with laminate laying, tiling etc... I am not saying I have all the professional finishing touches down but I do a decent job.

stimpsonslostson

Like many others, I'd probably leave the car and window alone. I don't doubt that I COULD manage it, but I lack the tools & also the consequence of a bad screw up are probably a bit more severe on those two.

I consider myself to be pretty handy- If something is broken, I almost always have a go. Why not, it isn't going to get worse! I've stripped & rebuilt my Hoover, washing machine, bike, several of my daughters toys & my iMac recently. All are fine now.

I run a research lab for a living and regularly need to build equipment & bastardise things to do something novel- I think it's more about mindset than actual ability. (People seem impressed by my inventiveness, until I go into details about the "how's & whys" suddenly they're happier to try it for themselves).

Modern manufacturing processes seem to discourage having a go & many items that COULD be considered fixable are instead considered disposal.

mike_l

Nitefly said:

How come no-one is sending for Emp?

We did, he'll get back when he's decided to do the jobs in question.

And had a nap.

axisus

I was fortunate in that my dad is amazing at everything so I learned a lot. My bro didn't though, he is less practical than me.

Front pads are down to the metal on the car, need a new set fitted ?

No problem. I've done every job imaginable on older cars. Fitted new disks to my last car. Rebuilt and modded mini engines, fitted a secondary fuel tank, modded the bodywork etc.

Wind has ripped the felt of the shed roof, needs re-felting before it rains again ?
I'd do it myself, not done it before but it doesn't look like rocket science

Daughter has smashed the screen on her iPad, needs a new one fitted ?
Dismantled a few iPhones in my time. I'd tackle an older iPad but wouldn't want to accidentally kill a fairly new one.

Bathroom tap drips and needs a new washer ?
Easy. 

Living room double glazed window has fogged, needs a new unit fitted ?
Don't know what this involves? I'd probably have a go!

Phil_aka_Pip

Danny1969 said:

Front pads are down to the metal on the car, need a new set fitted ? I would if it were a bike but sod bleeding brakes on a car/van, get the friendly neighbourhood mechanic to do it

Wind has ripped the felt of the shed roof, needs re-felting before it rains again ? I've not done it before but I'd give it a go

Daughter has smashed the screen on her iPad, needs a new one fitted ? I'd tell her to buy another one or find someone else to fix it

Bathroom tap drips and needs a new washer ? Yes I'd do that.

Living room double glazed window has fogged, needs a new unit fitted ? No, I'd call out a window fixer to do that

Gassage

No but I'm a whizz at colour co-ordination and canape design.

Nunogilberto

Just the pads for me - I can work on work on cars all day but I'm useless at DIY around the home. Didn't help that my parents would ask me to help them with DIY as a kid/teen, only to then say I was getting in the way and wasn't much help...

ESBlonde

Not do iberry devices but have done a phone screen after a YouTube help. I have done all the others except the windows but I'd certainly have a look at it. I have amassed quite a tool collection and enjoy the challenge but sometimes it's just more practical to get a pro rather than source parts and waste my time.

jonnyburgo

Not braggin or owt but I can do all those jobs, built a summerhouse and did all the double glazing in our last house, I've never fitted break pads but could do it on our 15 year old banger 

Emp_Fab

I could do all of those with nothing more than a leg of lamb and a stanley knife.  Blindfold.

Axe_meister

Everything bar the iPad. And I work in IT. Then again my iPad is so old it would be a good excuse to get a new one.

Axe_meister

There is no difference between a break pad on an 80s ford escort or a modern day merc. Pop the wheel off loosen the caliper take old pads out, put copper grease on the back of the new ones, insert into caliper and tighten the caliper up aagain
A few pumps of the break pedal to make sure every the thing is in place. Put wheel back on. Job done