Property Today

To try and reduce the number of DIY injuries Britain receives over a bank holiday weekend, we've got 20 DIY safety tips.

Yesterday there were ten things you must always do during DIY – today it's ten things you must never do.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another top ten list of the improvements you can make in your garden to add the most value to your property.

Here are the ten DIY things you must never do:

1) Attempt DIY after a beer
Sounds obvious doesn't it? But people forget DIY can be dangerous, and feel happy tackling it after a liquid lunch. Handling tools while tipsy or tired increases the chances of something going wrong and your likelihood of getting hurt.

2) Wear inappropriate clothing
Watch out for loose clothes, hair or jewellery, especially if you are using power tools. You should tie hair back, remove all jewellery and wear overalls.

3) Use a damaged tool
Once a tool has a little damage, it may not do its job properly, and may even break under pressure. That could easily injure you. New tools are relatively cheap so it's a risk not worth taking.

4) Adjust a power tool while it is still plugged in
Even changing a drill bit can hurt you if the tool is accidentally started while your fingers are at the action end. Get in the habit of unplugging tools to make any adjustments. Safety like this will slow you down but drastically reduce your chances of injury.

5) Overreach on a ladder
If you can't reach something, move the ladder. Shifting your weight to stretch over and do something will change the forces on the ladder and could make it fall over.

6) Carry tools in your pocket
If you need to carry tools about get a tool belt. Putting tools in your pocket – especially sharp ones – is inviting an accident.

7) Let children use tools unsupervised
For many parents, letting their children help with DIY is a great way to keep them occupied and teach them useful life skills. But they have to understand the potential dangers, and that they must never tackle jobs on their own. Children can learn the correct and responsible ways to use tools but must be under parental supervision at all times.

8) Tackle a big project without help
The bigger the project, the more tempted you will be to cut corners. And it's the corners that can come back to bite you. Many people wildly underestimate how long it will take to complete projects. Allow extra time and get help where you can.

9) Affect the structure of the house
Unless you are an experienced builder you should never take on a DIY project that affects the structure of your home in any way. Let's be honest, that's a bit beyond the scope of DIY anyway. Leave work like that to the professionals. Worst case scenario, you could cause several thousand pounds worth of damage that needs to be put right immediately to prevent further damage.

10) Accept temporary fixes in the long-term
We've all made temporary fixes to something, just to get us through a few busy days till we can look at it properly or get someone in. Be wary of not getting a proper fix done. Short-term fixes are fine for a few days but are no way to look after a home. The bigger picture is that they reduce the value of your house until the proper fix is done.