At home there are many possible repairs that must be carried out periodically. Given this circumstance, there are two options: resort to the services of a specialized professional or repair the damage yourself. The world of DIY refers to this last possibility.
A very practical leisure activity
Many leisure activities are carried out for mere pleasure and without any specific practical purpose. On the other hand, do-it-yourselfers kill two birds with one stone, as they entertain themselves by fixing the damage to their home and, at the same time, manage to save a significant amount of money. DIY lovers normally have an aspiration: to set up a workshop in their own home.
Those who practice this activity usually have manual skills and a certain technical skill and for this reason they are popularly called handymen (on the contrary, when someone is clumsy or ineffective when it comes to fixing things, they are called botch jobs).
Handymen are capable of fixing a window, assembling a piece of furniture, changing a lock, repairing a bicycle or wallpapering a room. A DIY to-do list would be practically endless.
From a historical point of view, the passion for fixing, maintaining, and decorating the home arose in the 1950s. Rather than pay for repairs, some took an alternative route: fixing things themselves.
The do-it-yourself sector
All over the world there are establishments specialized in this sector. The idea behind all of them is simple: that the hobbyist at home can find all the necessary tools and utensils to satisfy her needs. These establishments are normally organized by sector: gardening, carpentry, lighting, hardware, painting, drugstore, etc. To build customer loyalty, guides are prepared and videos with practical advice are edited.
Fans have a new tool to answer their questions: YouTube tutorials. It should not be forgotten, on the other hand, that some television channels broadcast programs that explain in a didactic way how to fix things and how to develop new projects at home.
With “g” or with “j”
In Spanish these two letters provoke a certain controversy. A good example of this can be found with the word that gives the title to this note. It is a term that comes from French, specifically from bricolage (bricoler means precisely to fix).
However, when the word is adapted to our language, the g must be changed to a j, since words ending with the suffix aje are written with a jota, such as toll, language, shoot or wild.
Fotolia photos: SkyLine / Kzenon
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