The majority of British DIYers don't know their screws from their spanners, choosing everyday household objects over DIY tools to get the job done, says the 2010 Focus DIY 'Tools of the Nation' report.
The survey revealed that a whopping 84% of DIY enthusiasts admit to using kitchen cutlery to finish a job, while 43% use their fingernails and 24% use pennies. Some of those unable to find the right tool chose to use a nail file instead (14%), with 13% choosing to use shoes and 4% trying oven gloves.

However, the report also uncovered how this make shift attitude to DIY can often end up costing more money than it saves. More than one in 10 people surveyed had to pay for an expert to fix their haphazard DIY attempts, with a massive 80% of those shelling out up to £100 for a professional job. Almost one in five admitted to paying more than £150.

Focus project manager Nasim Valli said: "The problem seems to be that most of us simply don't own the right DIY tools, or in some cases any at all. 48% of us own 10 or less tools, which is probably why some of us have resorted to using our toothbrushes and even saucepans! The most common tool we own is unsurprisingly the slotted screwdriver, closely followed by the pozi screwdriver and a hammer.

"However, as we have seen from the survey, expecting to be able to do all your DIY with just these tools can be asking for trouble! It's ironic that spending money on the right tools and fixings can actually end up saving you time and cash if you don't have to pay to get your DIY disasters fixed!"