Women becoming more DIY-friendly

A growing number of females are becoming interested and proficient in DIY, it has been asserted.

Better job prospects and decent salaries mean women are becoming more independent and happy to try their hand at household jobs that were once the domain of men, according to lets-do-diy.com.

A recent poll by the website asked which sex fared better when it comes to home improvement - a question that reportedly stirred up fierce debate.

While the final result was 52 per cent in favour of men, it is indicative of a new trend, according to editor Seb Mills.

"The closeness of the poll's result strongly indicates more women than ever before are carrying out their own home improvements and maintenance," he said.

While DIY may be useful for painting and decorating, larger jobs such as fitting a conservatory might require professional help to ensure it is carried out correctly.

Those considering building a glazed extension to help make the best of the garden during the summer may be interested to hear BarbeSkew founder Ed Wray's prediction that this year will see Brit's surpass 2008's total of 95 million barbeques.