Men no longer a dab hand at DIY... but they say it's their wives' fault for relying on handymen

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A study has revealed that the modern man is no longer a dab hand when it comes to DIY.

Debunking the male stereotype four out of ten British men said that they would rather hire a tradesman than attempt a basic job themselves while 72 per cent said that they wouldn't know how to replace a broken tile.

Partners who automatically book handymen and long hours spent at work were cited as the two main reasons for their lack of DIY know-how.

A survey has revealed that men lack basic DIY knowledge with four out of ten saying that they would rather hire a handyman

Of the 2,000 men surveyed most admitted that they lacked the ability to carry out simple tasks such as tiling walls, fitting a carpet or changing taps.

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DIY TASKS MODERN MEN CAN'T DO (per cent)

Fit a new kitchen 86

Fit a carpet 78

Lay decking 78

Plumb in a sink 76

Lay a vinyl floor 76

Remove a radiator 76

Fix a leak 73

Change a tap 73

Replace broken tiles 72

Fit gates ! or fence s 71

Tile a wall 68

Fit a door 61

Turf the garden 61

Hang wallpaper 59

Seal a bath or sink 56

Unblock a sink or toilet 49

Fit a curtain rail 47

Paint the house 39

Strip wallpaper 39

Change a fuse 30

And one in five said that their attempts to fix a problem only caused more damage leading them to calling for help, spending hundreds of extra pounds.

Chris Burke of RatedPeople.com, which commissioned the study, said: 'People who assume most men can turn their hand to some of the more basic tasks, such as drilling a few holes to fit a curtain rail are wrong.

'On bigger tasks - such as doing the plumbing in bathroom suites or fitting kitchens - sometimes it's just better to source outside help rather than risk things going wrong.'

A lack of education could be to blame as nearly half claimed that no one had ever taught them how to carry out straightforward tasks, and couldn't be bothered to teach themselves.

Last year in a bid to plug this 'skills gap' which has emerged among the under-35s B&Q became the first DIY chain to offer classes teaching youngsters how to do basic jobs around the house including drilling and sawing.

Many men revealed that their lack of knowledge made them feel inadequate with 14 per cent too proud to call in a tradesman.

But Tariq Dag Khan of RatedPeople.com said that men shouldn't be ashamed: 'There's really no shame in asking for help. The quality tradesmen even offer tips along the way.'