Handyman

A Day in the Life of a Handyman: A Case Study of Andrew in Newcastle

A Day in the Life of a Handyman: A Case Study of Andrew in Newcastle

This paper is a case study exploring the work of a handyman in Newcastle, Andrew. The aim of the study is to take a snapshot of Andrew’s work and his life to convey his experiences and draw conclusions about what it is like to be a handyman. Most people only notice tradespeople if they do a terrible job, after which the mistaken assumptions masquerading as common sense surface. This type of study is essential precisely because of the need for more attention. Practical work involving the hands and physical skills is going on all the time, largely unseen. Insights into what such work involves are interesting because they reveal the commitment and skills people bring to it. That commitment has more general economic and social implications, as learning a trade typically involves several years of on-the-job tuition combined with formal education and a substantial element of continued personal reinvestment.

Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash

The project involved filming Andrew over ten days, particularly following his day-to-day work. This case study casts Andrew’s work in a small business based in Newcastle against his broader social roles as a neighbour, citizen, for whom he and his partner seem to act as a social hub. His day is divided into many tasks, and the section headings suggest various abilities. He is an electrician, plumber, gas fitter, carpenter, joiner, gardener, childminder, teacher, philosopher, and social worker. His work patterns show a close fit with the attributes of doorstep economies. Following his movements allows us to see how the house and car function as a basis for weaving local connections.

Background and Significance

Daily routines encompass an essential part of individuals’ lives. This study depicts a day in the life of Andrew, a handyman in the urban setting of Newcastle upon Tyne. Historically, apprentices, tradesmen, and skilled workers have been depicted in various cultural signifiers. They have shifted from distinct medieval guild masters to social outcasts and back to respected citizens and national icons. Handymen offer skills as diverse as lighting to lawn mowing, tree climbing, and gardening and claim that people often are ignorant of the extent of their abilities, let alone value them. Until the second half of the 20th century, ancient craftspeople and their descendants simultaneously undertook combinations of repairs, installations, and maintenance. Today, these permutations of activities are increasingly being regarded discreetly by contractors, and trades such as carpenters, electricians, and plumbers are classified as primary, secondary, or speciality.

This case study introduces Andrew. After personal hard times, he has managed to carve a living as a handyman and is finally finding a sense of self-worth from the quality of his work. This is the main reason for presenting this case report, as it happens daily to Andrew. Most importantly, Andrew is identifiable despite his overlapping roles in this report: a minor trades practitioner — because this distinction is rarely granted; and a country person who interacts closely with his clients in the community — many handymen have acquired or developed other professional, administrative, or supervisory skills. This case-oriented research sought to understand the essential concept underlying the occupation by an insider.

Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

Andrew’s Morning Routine

Every paid position through which a person personally earns and feels the accumulation of capital for their future, even if in a menial sense or diminutive aspect, becomes restructured in practice into an extensive orientation of life. This paper explores how a handyman who builds a house daily organises his biological and social life on a typical Newcastle day to pursue paid work. Named in this article as a ‘case study’ as the day is restructured in the mode of a self-narrative, these experiences may be extrapolated to cover a broad base of different individuals pursuing similar forms of physical labour that also bind an increasing number of paid workers. The daily account is written the night before, after finishing the daily activities of car and home care, reading, and future planning until Monday.

Andrew opens the garage side door to the house and lets in fresh outdoor airflow. He turns off the security alarm system and lights the gas space heater for the winter’s start. Walking through the lounge room, he does an automatic head tilt to look out the door to where his office stand-alone garage is just meters away. This glance is unnecessary because the company radio already informs him that his business starts in the damaged van’s front cab just meters from the side door. Andrew wants to avoid seeing his business, which contains tools of trade and materials, as they sit in garage work areas. Still, thoughts are already in the full flow towards future job sessions on-site, like fitting many glass-railed balconies in new apartment complexes and homes around the north of Newcastle. Ten minutes later, on this quick side trip to the garage, Andrew tells himself exactly why he does what he does and how he will achieve it more safely tomorrow.

Waking Up and Getting Ready

Sleep is one of people’s basic needs. On Monday through Thursday, I almost always wake up at 6 AM, rarely wiggling back into the swaddling comfort of my warm sheets, even if I’ve gone to bed distressingly late. My wake-up times vary significantly more on the weekends. It depends on what has transpired the previous day; forcing myself awake early on the weekends provides me much greater flexibility in squeezing all my desired activities. Depending on personal factors such as consideration of this part of marginal convenience, I believe that it is necessary for me, on the whole, to be in a chronic wake-up cycle because it prevents me from sleeping too late and allows me to optimise my weekly schedule that gives me the maximum benefit.

I leave my warm, queen-sized memory foam mattress and head for the bathroom, where I expel the previous day’s ways, then splash my face with the hot, thrumming stream of water in the shower. Facial hair wiped away, still wearing my towel, I run a comb rapidly through my hair, closer-cropped now, my dad having helpfully given me my pre-dawn, pre-coffee haircut the previous evening. Donning a shirt and socks over my underdressed body, I go into the kitchen to throw my morning nutrition fuel together. While making breakfast, I see a sticky note taped to the door with a note to myself: organise vans in the AM. I also have a house tablet on the breakfast bar that I can swipe through effortlessly to see what my day is composed of in the matter of tasks. A posed-before-bed checklist was finished, and “special things to do for the day” was written on the tablet’s scratch screen. I swipe to get to them as I down my capsules with a bite of something fatty, washing my supplements with a cold protein bar and sipping iced espresso. Future tasks for the day: replacing a faucet in the morning, a pair of benches in the prime of the day, and my job metamorph this afternoon. Completing those tasks will all feed into my overarching assignment for the day and the handyman logs that ideally reflect that project’s purpose.

On-Site Tasks

On-Site Tasks. The hands-on component of a handyman’s workday begins with an exploration of different jobs that Andrew tackles throughout a professional project. Although a typical project can require him to complete several different tasks at both commercial and residential sites, a simple example is the completion of a “handyman”-style job, such as replacing a leaking four-cent faucet in a two-sink kitchenette of a small office.

As a skilled tradesperson, Andrew demonstrates his knowledge of various tools. A tool that was most valuable to this repair was the basin wrench. As a general safety concern, drop sheets are placed beneath work areas to avoid property damage and to assist in maintaining a clean job site. The leading constraints to this particular repair and others include:

• The determination of where appliance or fixture supply valves (if any) are located or installed.
• The difficulty of removing or loosening joints or bolts.
• Workability in the available space.

Ultimately, “good soldering techniques, following local code requirements and producing professional quality repairs and renovations” denote the level of a skilled professional in the trades. The assembly of materials, from tools, supplies, and fixtures to manufacturer’s specs, as well as those values of customer satisfaction, warranty, and quality control, is one way the service industry establishes everyday practice and effectiveness.

Andrew is faced with a myriad of professional practices, the completion of which can take a long day or involve exciting and challenging work. The work tasks differ across sites, from caulking a ladies’ bathroom sink reinstallation to trimming pressure-release valves from multiple office water heaters to repairing subway restaurant counters and rusty holding tanks. Irrespective, Andrew often draws upon problem-solving techniques and the development of patience with experience; as he suggests, a “good technician’s main attribute is patience — to be able to systematically eliminate areas that aren’t the problem and determine where it might be.” The on-site tasks he has conducted to “update” and add his skill set to the list of services that can be offered to clients embody a simmered-down yet perfectly typical day in the life of a Newcastle handyman.

Photo by Alina Belogolova on Unsplash

Repairing a Leaky Faucet

Andrew is now overseeing a project at a commercial site in Gateshead, where last year, we replaced all of the existing plumbing, sanitary, and storm drains on the site with new materials. The result of this work is that there is no longer any drain penetration of a basement wall at the site. From our vantage point, Andrew is punctual and reliable, and we are not surprised to have received compliments about the services our Field Supervisor provides customers. Finally, talking to Andrew throughout the workday, one catchy topic covered the day in the life of a handyman. This is a summary of what Andrew accomplished today. Next up on the list of appointments is repairing a leaky faucet in a seniors’ residence. Upon arrival at the location, Andrew went through his customary protocol of introducing himself, as he does at every one of the appointments during his workday. First, he realises that one of the many tenants has just fetched a bucket to catch the tiny drip emerging from the existing faucet’s water stream. To be sure, he confirms with the tenant that there is no objection to the repair. Andrew takes particular care and uses an extra simple-solutions lubricating agent when removing the original faucet. To be clear, leaks are rare occurrences; the poorly manufactured pipes that occasionally arrive from big box stores need a little extra TLC to ensure plumbing quality for our customers. Required tools include two-channel locks and plumbers’ tape for the connector.

Lunch Break and Networking

At 1 PM, Andrew goes to Tesco and enters his home office in Fenham. He makes himself a sandwich, has a cup of coffee, and watches some TV. At 1:30 PM, he goes back into his van and drives to Jesmond, an area of Gateshead. Andrew is working at a small property owned by a woman who lives in Kingston Park. Her estate agent has recommended him to her. She hopes that Andrew will be able to become one of the team members who look after her four rental properties in Newcastle. Inside our car, Andrew tells me another handyman asked him to work in Bensham some years ago. Since then, Andrew has been coming to the area often. Andrew always tries to schedule a job around his morning work so he can take his lunch break at home in his environment. He says it is a good chance to recharge his batteries and see his dog. If work is on a site, he will get a mug of tea and a sandwich from a local club, but he says he prefers to eat at home.

Informants see the lunch break as an opportunity to see their family at work if the work is local and a chance to meet other trades. They may sit in each other’s vans and exchange stories. Andrew has contacts on Woolsington in gas fitting, electrical jobs, painting and decorating, and security services. They sometimes ask him for advice, and Andrew knows about interference with a building’s structure and basement pumps. Andrew has started doing some security work for a company and has taken courses in oxyacetylene and gas appliance building. The social network will deal with most of Andrew’s security work. The chance to network during lunch break is an essential relational conditional factor in local career stability. A social network does not have to be a large, motley crowd to be successful; a strong sense of community is an essential resource for coping with the pressures of flexibility and reducing possible isolation. Networking and neighbourliness is a crucial part of the job.

Connecting with Other Tradesmen

At lunchtime, Andrew switched off his mobile and walked into the town centre for fresh air and lunch. Making his way back to the shopping centre, he usually called into one of the big DIY superstores to meet up with some other contractors who shared the specialism of conservatories. Some were fitters like Andrew, but two guys constructed them from scratch, using mainly plastic and glass, along with a roofer who specialised in repairing leaking roofs on many of the old glass-type conservatories that had been ill-constructed. When they were all off-site together, after picking out some decent-value tools, they liked to chat in the cafeteria over hot chips and a hurried cup of tea. This was when they were able to swap tips of the trade, from the best screws to use on polycarbonate sheeting to the best sealants on the market. They swapped names of suppliers, and their agents checked each other’s opinions of them. They talked about prices and time lengths of jobs. They even discussed marketing tips for finding work. Sitting amongst the chatter was Gordon, the local window cleaner, who they eventually talked into their circle. These workmates chatted about their jobs, but most of the conversation was not just about growing their job businesses. It was when they shared humorous stories about difficult or unreasonable customers, debated the price of conservatories, and better still, the deals on toilets they had to have at home, starting to laugh at one contractor after he had two taken away after they were replaced. They moaned about how regulations were turning the market belly-up and laughed at the effect of the recent cold and heavy snow. Then, as quickly as they had started talking about marketing, they got around to finding out whether one could do some work for their friend or a customer. They also checked the slots in their diaries for potential establishment launches they were putting their own money into and the time to plan out and develop. The contractors had a little local competition from others they were talking to, but there’s always someone. So they often checked to see if they missed anything interesting. This informal networking of tradespeople acting as a virtual ‘board’ enables them to pick up on market information, leads, and referral business, as well as inadvertent or little jobs that aren’t worth their while but are suitable for someone else. They quickly gave two names to someone else for a demanding job and realised they had been business consulting while laughing and moaning about their respective trades. At home, Andrew walked into his conservatory to have peace away from the three children and his wife. His dog greeted Andrew as he walked by, sleeping on his couch before deciding to sleep at Andrew’s feet under the desk. But not before the dog wagged his tail and sighed, his tail thumping in the air at having company at home as it often does.

Afternoon Assignments

When Andrew walks into Gateshead City Farm Stables, Donald sands down a wooden door. He finishes tidying up the hole in the wall and puts his tools back in the van. The last chore at the stables is to clear up the floor, which has been covered in dust and loose plaster from sanding, and see if Luke needs any final help. Then, he goes back to the office to finish his desk. For one job a day only, Andrew enjoys the luxury of travelling to clients’ houses or places of work. After a morning of carpentry and tidying at the stables, he drives to Westerhope in time for lunch. He will be decorating this afternoon. His first task is to paint a living room. Although some people think of decorating as a creative job, there is a lot of technical work involved: preparation and care in various work stages come just as importantly as artistic skill. As Andrew always hopes that the work he tackles will still make people happy 20 years later, when they might be living in a very different house, a decorator must make sure their work can stand the test of time. When Andrew has been doing a job involving a lot of making or mending, his next assignment is often one of tidying or polishing work; this chimes well with the fact that he will be painting neatly. And a big indoor job resonates with something he always enjoys when working outside — ‘a good sweeping-up job’ at the end of the day.

Photo by Robert Ruggiero on Unsplash

Painting a Living Room

All three of the “just paying” jobs were started in Andrew’s office’s virtual workspace, and the task was chosen according to the weather. The plan was to undertake each job until lunch when his son would take over before Andrew returned to lay floors in a private house that afternoon. The first job, painting the living room, will be presented below.

Andrew paints a sheet of paper with a picture of paint swipes to ascertain the right look the customer is after. One end of a roller is inserted into a paint tray and then rolled on the shallow side to remove excess paint. The roller is then operated carefully to ensure that no paint comes out of the sleeve of the syringed roller. Andrew carefully paints the minimal spaces around the ceilings with an edge brush before rolling the main areas. Drip marks are managed quickly and smoothly. Once the first coat has dried, the preparation is continued by applying poly filler to fill all holes, cracks, and nail heads and repair the polyurethane damage. The window frames are sanded and de-nibbed before skip sanding the walls. Andrew uses a foam mini roller to apply the first coat and then a second coat per the manufacturer’s instructions on the paint tin. It is revealed that the top coat paint used was white with a hint of pale cream pigment and that low odour turps were used where necessary to tint the paint because it was too white. Detail is paid to the fact that the second coat was applied against the angles of light to minimise misses and residue from the foam. It is the identical roller used to apply the sealer and the top coats. Being already ‘primed’ from another job, preparation has been the bulk of the work, proving that 80% of painting is preparation. Afterwards, the floors are sheeted with plastic and the room is set up with furniture moved. Andrew quickly paints edges around skirting or accessories with a brush to lift off in the following ‘dry time’ with polyfill, sanded tip to discard, and then starts rolling. It is essential to underlay along the feet of the skirting board tightly. The painting is completed and rolled out from the ceiling, even managing a clean finish in the area created by the frequent air vents. Roller poles enable the ceiling to be reached without climbing extension ladders. Andrew takes his time and applies two thick coats of sealer to the unpainted windows before mist-coating the ceiling to kill stains and block gilt. The result is so neat that it is literally ‘as smooth as glass’, but taken with all things considered in this job, it is only at the workshop stage. The doors have yet to be done. The homeowner provides some post-painting feedback, such as the cleverness of the painting to enhance the room’s shape dramatically.

Conclusion

In this paper, I have shown you a day in the life of Andrew, a 45-year-old handyman working in Newcastle. What I have gained from Andrew’s patient sharing of his time is the insight that the handyman profession in Australia is challenging. It isn’t easy to enter the market without a formal trade qualification and make your name known to clients and the community once you are there.

To do well in the handyman profession, individuals need to possess a range of skills across a variety of trades, be prepared to regularly learn new things to remain current, be equipped with their tools, carefully maintain these, be ready to work long weeks without a break if the work is there and be incredibly patient as they grow their network of work. Given these challenges, I am amazed by Andrew’s clear commitment and success as a handyman in Newcastle. During the case study, I observed Andrew grow from a handyman who lacked confidence in his diverse range of skills to be more confident about his comprehensive range of competencies regularly required to draw on for his work. Moreover, not only is Andrew very skilled across a range of trades, but his strong faith in God has underpinned his motivation and resilience as a handyman.

Andrew’s story illustrates not only the attractions of being qualified as an electrician but also the profoundly interconnected relationships between the trades and the attractions of work structuring one’s day and moving from job to job across the city. Reading Andrew’s story, I am struck by the recognition that, while he waits for coffee, Andrew has a chat with someone for the fourth time this week about his dishwasher. I am struck by the realisation that Mary, the mother, is part of this community who encounters Andrew multiple times a week and has called upon his services for several years now as a skilled handyman. Finally, Andrew’s story highlights how becoming a handyman involves learning the technical skills of the various trades and how to combine these skills to fix a problem. In contrast, however, people who cannot undertake this work see Andrew and his peers as doing little more than odd jobs that can be attended to by any ‘jack of all trades’ rather than the skilled professionals they actually are.

What are the key messages that Andrew’s story can convey to you? For potential tradespeople or secondary school career advisors in particular, I am hopeful that Andrew’s story can illustrate the skills that different trades require of workers and the true renaissance qualities that individuals likely need to have to do well across various skills. After reading this paper, I also hope you will reconsider the worth of these abilities and understand that not anyone can provide handman services due to the required expertise.

Key Takeaways and Reflections

Takeaways:

1. To be skilled at and offer a successful handyperson service, you have to be multi-skilled within the realm of fixings, fiddlings, and fettlings people encounter in the regular use of their homes and workplaces. Furthermore, you should have the skills and personal attributes to work quickly and confidently in their space.
2. Much of the work involves judiciously making do with what’s in the shed or bike shed or tucked behind the oil furnace.
3. Relationships matter. Taking time to chat, mix, and be involved in the local community to network matters too. A client’s neighbour eventually became an ongoing client through a casual chat at the beach. The ‘subliminal advertising’ created by a roof garden seen by thousands each day is also a ‘good networking point.’

Reflections:

If everything goes according to plan, this should be my last major edit to this piece. After studying the work, I intended to analyse some of the opportunities and negatives of the work and create a career case guide. This concept has potential for trades in general and could be a valuable tool for those considering a career change. The ability to ‘see’ the full-day routine has provided many practical insights into the breadth of attributes, spiced up with a joyous wordage that shows a passion for everything practical and trade matters. Ironically, at one level, as this trade and occupation change and humanity adapts to the technology available, it changes, too. Always making ‘stuff,’ you know! Part of what people do might be to move online, and some handymen may sit in great, shiny offices on the 4th floor, no less, and have a stunning view. However, other tradespeople and real handy people can never be usurped or replaced. People will always require those who can wield a matched set of screwdrivers plus a special bit, for example, and do so with skill and confidence, naturally, and get paid for it. This notion of ‘the art of the handy’ fills me with enthusiasm for novices and a big congrats to the Handyman, Painter, Carpenter, Wall Repairer, Fencer, Jack-of-All-Trades, and Good Neighbour.

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