Life-Ready Society · Teacher and parent pack · Environmental dimension

Home Maintenance and Simple DIY

Tools, shelves, flat-pack, damp, pests, appliances and reporting repairs.

8 lessons, about 1.6 hours of reading. Free lessons, videos and full sources: https://lifereadysociety.com/diy/

How to use this pack. Ask your teen or class to read one lesson online (about ten minutes), talk through the key points together, choose one practice task to try this week, then use the quiz to check what stuck. The answer key is on the last page. Free to print for home and classroom use.

The lessons at a glance

1. A basic toolkit and how to use each tool safely

At home, someone else may always have had the right tool. In your own room or flat, a small toolkit lets you build a desk, tighten a wobbly chair or hang a mirror in minutes, as long as you use each tool safely.

Key points

A small toolkit covers most student jobs.
Right tool, right size, right job.
Goggles on for drilling, hammering and cutting.
Step stools, never chairs.
RCD protection and checked cables for power tools.

2. Hanging pictures and shelves safely

A shelf or a few frames can make a rented room feel like yours. Done badly, it means cracked walls, a lost deposit or a drill bit through a cable. Done well, it takes an hour.

Key points

Renters ask in writing before drilling.
Plasterboard and masonry need different fixings.
Scan for cables and pipes every time.
Never drill in line with sockets and switches.
Hit something? Stop, isolate, report.

3. Assembling flat-pack furniture without disasters

Flat-pack furniture is cheap and practical for a first flat, but a skipped step can mean taking the whole thing apart again. A little preparation turns a three-hour argument with an Allen key into a calm hour.

Key points

Read all the instructions first.
Check and sort every part before you start.
Hand-tighten, then finish with the tool.
Two people for heavy and tall pieces.
Anchor tall furniture, or keep weight low.

4. Damp, condensation and mould: a day-to-day routine

The Running a Home cleaning lesson covers the basics. This lesson goes deeper: what kind of damp you are dealing with, a daily routine that stops condensation, how to clean small patches safely and when it is the landlord's job.

Key points

Condensation is moist air meeting a cold surface.
Lids, fans, closed doors and open windows.
Small patches: mould cleaner, gloves, mask, goggles.
Penetrating and rising damp are building faults.
Report early, in writing, with photos.

5. Pests: prevention and what to do

Cockroaches, mice and bedbugs are common in shared buildings anywhere in the world. Most problems can be prevented, the rest should be reported quickly, and in the UAE the biggest danger is not the pest but unsafe pesticides.

Key points

Sealed bins and sealed food prevent most pests.
Bedbugs: hot wash, hot dry, then professionals.
Report early, in writing, with photos.
Landlords usually fix pests caused by disrepair.
In the UAE, only licensed pest control, never 'bomb'.

6. Looking after your appliances

A clean filter, a checked seal and a fridge at the right temperature make appliances safer, cheaper to run and less likely to break. Most of these jobs take ten minutes.

Key points

Fridge 0 to 5C, freezer around minus 18C.
Washing machine filter: unplug, water off, towel down, let it cool.
Lint trap after every dryer use.
AC filters checked monthly; 24C saves energy.
Register appliances for recalls.

7. Reporting repairs in writing: who fixes what

When something breaks in a rented home, the question is not only 'how do I fix it?' but 'whose job is it?'. Reporting clearly and in writing gets repairs done faster and protects your deposit.

Key points

Structure, plumbing, heating and wiring are usually the landlord's job.
Small jobs like bulbs are yours.
Report in writing with photos and dates.
Keep paying rent while waiting.
Escalate politely, then to official bodies.

8. Knowing your limits: what never to DIY

Being handy is a great life skill. Knowing when to stop is a better one. Some jobs are dangerous, illegal for non-professionals in many countries, or the landlord's responsibility anyway.

Key points

Gas work is always for a registered professional.
Bulbs and plugs yes, wiring no.
Water near electricity: stop and call.
Do not disturb old materials or use unknown chemicals.
If it is the landlord's job, report it.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

A basic toolkit and how to use each tool safely
- Make a list of what is already in your family's toolbox and what you would need to buy or borrow for your own room or flat.
- With an adult, practise driving a screw into a scrap piece of wood: start by hand, finish with the screwdriver, and notice how a wrong-size tip slips.
- Find out where the nearest stepladder is in your home and check its rungs and feet.
Hanging pictures and shelves safely
- Read your tenancy agreement or halls rules and find the exact wording about drilling, nails or alterations.
- With permission and an adult, use a detector to scan one wall and mark where the sockets and switches are, then mark the zones you would avoid.
- Draft a two-line email asking your landlord or accommodation office for permission to put up one shelf.
Assembling flat-pack furniture without disasters
- Next time anything flat-pack arrives at home, volunteer to build it: lay out and check every part before you start.
- Look at one tall bookcase or wardrobe in your home and check whether it is anchored to the wall. If not, discuss it with your family.
- Measure your bedroom door width and compare it with a wardrobe you might buy for university.
Damp, condensation and mould: a day-to-day routine
- For one week, do the condensation routine: wipe windows each morning, use lids and fans, and note in your phone any spot that stays wet.
- Walk round your home and check behind one wardrobe or bed against an outside wall for dark spots or a musty smell.
- Write a short report you could send a landlord about a mould patch: where, how big, when you first saw it, with a photo.
Pests: prevention and what to do
- Check your kitchen at home: which dry foods are not in sealed containers? Fix two.
- Find out who your building uses for pest control and how residents are told before a treatment.
- Write down the signs of bedbugs from the NHS list and check the seams of one mattress.
Looking after your appliances
- Put a thermometer in your family fridge for a day and check it is between 0 and 5C.
- With an adult, find the filter on your washing machine and the filters on one AC unit, and read the manual section for each.
- Clean one AC filter or the dryer lint trap and note how much dust or fluff came off.
Reporting repairs in writing: who fixes what
- Write a practice repair request using the template for a real or imagined problem at home (for example a dripping tap).
- Create a 'Home' folder in your email or cloud storage with subfolders for contract, inventory and repairs.
- Ask an adult in your family how repairs are handled in your building and what the maintenance number is.
Knowing your limits: what never to DIY
- Make a two-column list for your future flat: 'I can do this' (bulbs, plungers, flat-pack, filters) and 'I call someone' (gas, wiring, leaks near electrics, pesticides).
- Save your building maintenance number and, if you will study in the UK, the gas emergency number 0800 111 999 in your phone.
- Ask an adult to show you where the gas shut-off (if any) and the water stopcock are at home.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

1. You are using a leaning ladder. According to Consumer NZ, what is the right angle?

One metre out for every four metres up
One metre out for every one metre up
Four metres out for every one metre up
As upright as possible against the wall

2. Which is the safest way to start tightening a screw in flat-pack furniture?

Turn it by hand first, then finish with the tool
Use a power drill on its highest setting from the start
Tap it in with a hammer, then give it a final turn
Use a knife tip if the screwdriver does not quite fit

3. Why should you avoid drilling directly above or below a light switch?

Switch plates crack easily from the drill's vibration
The wall is usually thicker and harder to drill there
Cables often run vertically from switches and sockets
Switches attract damp, which weakens the wall around them

4. What does Places for People warn about using ordinary wall plugs in plasterboard?

They can widen the holes because plasterboard is soft
They rust quickly because plasterboard holds moisture
They only grip when the drill is set to hammer mode
They make the shelf too rigid, so it cracks later

5. What is the most useful first step before building flat-pack furniture?

Recycle the box and the parts list first to free up floor space
Tighten every screw fully as you go so nothing wobbles
Start building with whichever panel is on top and work down the pile
Read the instructions from start to finish and check the parts

6. Why should you follow flat-pack steps in the exact order?

The order is mainly there to make the manual easier to print
Following the order makes the finished furniture lighter
Steps can be done in any order as long as you work quickly
Skipping steps can mean taking large sections apart again

7. What is condensation, according to Shelter?

Moist air meeting a cold surface, such as a window
Water seeping out of a burst or leaking pipe
Water rising up through the bricks from the ground
Rain getting in through a leaking roof or gutter

8. What does GOV.UK recommend using on a very small mould patch?

Neat bleach mixed with another cleaner for extra cleaning power
Mould and mildew cleaner, not bleach, plus gloves and a mask
A dry brush to scrub the spores off quickly before they spread
A coat of paint over the patch to seal the mould in

9. What does the NHS recommend for bedding affected by bedbugs?

A 30C wash and a cool tumble dry for about 10 minutes
A spray with any household insecticide, then airing it
A cold rinse, then drying outside in the sun
A 60C wash, then a hot tumble dry for at least 30 minutes

10. Why is aluminium phosphide ('bomb') so dangerous in UAE apartments?

It attracts more cockroaches from neighbouring flats into yours
It is lethal indoors and can reach neighbours through shared AC
It is safe once you leave the flat for an hour, but smells strong
It leaves permanent stains on walls, floors and furniture

11. What temperature range does the Food Standards Agency recommend for your fridge?

Minus 5 to 0C
0 to 5C
Room temperature
8 to 12C

12. What should you do first before cleaning a washing machine filter?

Run a short spin cycle to drain any water left in the drum
Pour a cup of bleach into the drum to loosen the fluff
Open the filter straight after a wash, while the water is hot
Turn off the water, switch off the machine and pull out the plug

13. In England, which of these is usually the tenant's responsibility?

Fixing a broken boiler
Repairing the roof
Replacing faulty electrical wiring
Changing a light bulb

14. Why should you follow up a phone call about a repair in writing?

Landlords cannot legally act on a phone call alone
It creates a dated record of what you reported and when
Phone reports are only accepted for emergencies
Emails reach the council automatically as a complaint

15. In the UK, who may install or repair gas appliances?

A Gas Safe registered engineer
Any handy tenant with the right tools
A neighbour who has done it before
Anyone, if the landlord agrees

16. How often must a UK landlord have gas appliances safety checked?

Every 12 months
Every 24 months
Every 6 months
Every 5 years

Answer key

A: Consumer NZ: set the ladder at one metre out for every four metres up.
A: Taskrabbit: tighten screws by hand and use a tool only for the final turns to avoid damage.
C: Walabot: wires often run vertically from outlets or horizontally at the same height; UK Power Networks warns that cables can be hidden in walls.
A: Places for People: plasterboard needs fixings made for plasterboard, as regular plugs can widen the holes.
D: Taskrabbit and Flourish Australia: read the instructions from start to finish and lay out the parts before starting.
D: Flourish Australia: it is important to do everything in the correct order, as skipping steps can mean taking large sections apart again.
A: Shelter: condensation happens when moisture in the air meets a cold surface, like a window or an external wall.
B: GOV.UK damp and mould guidance: mould and mildew products should be used in preference to bleach, with protective equipment.
D: NHS: wash affected bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes.
B: Gulf News (2018), quoting Tadweer: it is lethal to use in residential buildings and apartments and can poison neighbours through central air-conditioning vents.
B: Food Standards Agency: your fridge should be between 0 and 5C, checked with a fridge thermometer.
D: Siemens: turn off the water tap, switch off the appliance and pull out the main plug before opening the filter.
D: Shelter: tenants do small jobs such as changing light bulbs or smoke alarm batteries; GOV.UK lists heating, wiring and structure as landlord repairs.
B: Tower Hamlets Council: follow up in writing and keep records of all messages, noting dates and times of calls.
A: HSE: gas installation and maintenance must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
A: HSE and GOV.UK: an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy given to tenants within 28 days.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/diy/