Research commissioned by WD-40 reveals that, despite the recession, the British public are not rolling up their sleeves and tackling DIY problems around the house.
According to the research, although house-proud Britons are as keen as ever to ensure their home is their castle, the economic downturn has not seen them learn new skills and have a go when problems strike around the home.

Instead, the recent study revealed that the UK is spending over £21.5m a year on hiring their local 'white van man' professionals to get the household jobs done.

Almost half the British population (40%) admit to not having the necessary DIY knowledge to do anything more complex than basic tasks, such as painting and putting up shelves.

The top 10 tasks people said they can't fix themselves included replacing damaged roof tiles (82%), changing a window pane (76%), fixing noisy pipes (68%), laying a patio (67%), hanging a door (66%).

However it's not just the difficult jobs that people are shying away from. 42% of people said they would call in a professional to unblock drains, 42% to free a stuck door lock and 49% to change the oil in their car.

This reluctance to tackle household problems is great news for the 'white van man' professional, says WD-40. Britain's plumbers have particular cause for celebration, as unblocking drains and fixing noisy pipes are two of the three most annoying tasks that people hate confronting.

Avoiding confrontation is also a motivating factor. According to the survey, 44% of people feel it is likely they will argue with their spouse or partner over incomplete DIY jobs.

WD-40 marketing director David Whittome commented: "The results of this research were extremely interesting, especially looking at the attitudes towards home improvement in the UK. Traditionally, men are loathed to call in a professional, as they always viewed it as an affront to their manhood. However, attitudes have shifted and they would now prefer to hire someone than have a go themselves and risk making a hash of it, which can be costly.

He added: "Interestingly, while half of women were put off from doing home improvement tasks due to lack of knowledge, during the recession, they are 10% more likely to have a go than men."