Women and Home Improvement: Size

Genetically women are usually a bit smaller than men, we have a little less muscle mass. Does that make us somehow less able to do most home improvement projects? Nope.

I struggle a bit with bags of concrete and boxes of tile. They are heavy and awkward and I hate them. Does that stop me from building a fence or tiling a room? NOPE!

There are many ways to get around this that do not involve spending a ton of money.

The first trick is learning how to move heavy things without hurting yourself. Many many tools exist to help with this. They have the added benefit of reducing chances of injury. The first investment to make is good handtrucks and dollies and carts. You don't need a lot. I have this baby and it does 90% of what I need.

It works vertically and horizontally and can hold hundreds of pounds. It can move large furniture or appliances or a big pile of concrete bags.

A dolly, which is just the flat 4 wheel cart is also a key tool. You do not need to pick up a whole couch or other large heavy thing to use it, all you have to do is tip it and roll it underneath, Having a pair usually helps greatly. Wheels are amazing in making jobs easier with no need to prove you can lift any great weights.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-tip-i-learned-from-a-pro-about-moving-heavy-furniture-176175


The second trick is hiring muscle. Paying a little extra for delivery or hiring a strong young person for a short time to haul things can be completely worth it! Sometimes it is worth the cost to save some time, stress and injury.

I also prefer the 40 pound bags of concrete to the 80, because I can lift them. I have yet to find a task that was too heavy for me as long as I have my stash of helpful wheeled tools.

As I already addressed with the drill in the last post, there is nothing wrong with needing slightly smaller tools to fit your hand.

So don't let anyone treat you like you are too little or weak to do what you need. There is no shame in rolling your tile to the room you need or even opening the box and moving the tile 5 at a time instead of with a whole box.

As a side note, I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that TVs are no longer giant 100 pound horrors. Having to get something off a higher surface DID require muscle, and I hated it!