DIY home improvement projects have been gaining popularity for the last few years, and the global pandemic has only accelerated this surge. While many businesses are still struggling to survive, the home hardware industry recorded 11% more purchases in 2020 than a year before. What's more, the same insight shows that many more consumers also plan post-pandemic DIY home renovations.

Obviously, it has started mostly because so many of us were ordered to stay at home. And when you work from home, relax at home, live at home, entertain yourself at home, and so on, you are bound to see more than you used to when it was only a place where you slept or chilled out once in a while. You may want to look into a safe ladder for such projects.

So, people don’t only spend more time at home and see everything that can be improved there - they also have more free time on their hands, hence the popularity of DIY projects.

And once you gain confidence that you can do it all yourself, there’s no stopping you. And we’re not trying to - on the contrary, we’re here to help. Below, you will find more DIY projects that you can take on in the future. Need more help? find your nearest Beesley and Fildes in the North East.

A DIY Roofing Project

Any roofing project should be carried out only by skilled handymen and with extreme caution. The good news is that for many roofing types, you can easily find roofing kits with everything needed for the job. For example, having a complete EPDM roof kit for your rubber roof, you can focus entirely on what needs to be done. This way, you will also eliminate one of the biggest risks associated with these projects - choosing and working with inappropriate materials.

What’s crucial here is the correct evaluation of your own skills. Sure, you can easily fix a few shingles or set up a rubber roof on your shed, but make sure you’re not taking on, for example, fixing structural issues if you aren’t absolutely positive you know what you’re doing. Most importantly, always put your safety first.

DIY Built-In Bookshelves

Additional bookshelves in your living room will not only make it look more stylish and cosy, but they will also add more storage space, which seems to always be in short supply. When proceeding with the project, you need to ensure all shelves are level and mounted to stud in the wall for security.

Be 100% sure to measure the space appropriately and cut the wood planks accordingly. Move everything to a place where you can work in peace and without worrying about the mess - ideally a garage or workshop - and connect the shelves with shelf sides.

There, you can proceed depending on your desired look and the current state of the wood planks. Staining, dry brushing, painting, decorating the world is basically your oyster when it comes to design, but be sure to follow all the instructions. For example, determine if you will need to clean the wood, or sand it, or which kind of primer you should use.

Then, you can install the shelves, ideally with L brackets. Place them so that they can’t be seen once all the shelves are mounted. By buying several additional wood planks, you can install (and decorate!) a trim.

Freshen Up Your Bathroom Floor

If your bathroom floor is not yet damaged but shows the general signs of wear and tear, which are driving you mad, you can quickly deal with that without ripping up the tiles.

If you decide to paint the tiles yourself, you will save both time and money. Before you start, you should make a detailed plan, including a new design of your floor. You need to know what you will be painting to prepare - plan the layout for available space, buy enough paint, and so on. 

It’s important to choose an appropriate type of paint so that the new design can last for a long time instead of fading after one month of absorbing steam and having people walk all over it. For example, acrylic paint can hold up to water and temperature changes. Consider using a stencil, especially if you’re not much of an artist, or you don’t want an utterly chaotic pattern.

Be sure to sand the tiles and properly clean before you start painting. Use a high-quality primer, plus, you can also apply a top coat once the pattern is finished and dried. Bear in mind, though, that some top coats can change the colouring a bit.

Build a Proper Mailbox

Due to the global pandemic, people have also started to shop online more. As a result, you might have way more packages coming all the time, so it might be a high time to build yourself a proper, theft-proof mailbox. Unfortunately, porch pirates are real, but it is one way of stopping them from taking your packages.

All you need is some wood, screws and hinges, a saw, a drill, and a spray paint of your choice. It’s a relatively easy project if you know how to use these tools, and if not - it’s also suitable (as it’s easy enough) for some experimenting!

Have Some Courage and Experiment!

DIY projects are a great way to occupy yourself now that you might have more free time, but they will also teach you some valuable skills for the future. 

You can come up with more and more projects for yourself - there aren’t many activities more relaxing for your brain than some handiwork - or engage other household members. Spend quality time with your partner or teach your children a thing or two. 

Gradually, you may increase the difficulty level of your projects, but make sure you always put everyone’s safety first. As long as you can soundly evaluate your own capabilities, you can improve your house, learn, and have some fun in the process.