It is official – building flatpack furniture is bad for your health. Well, maybe this is taking it a bit too far, but a 2010 Office for National Statistics (ONS) study by Dr Miles Richardson of Derby University reveals some interesting truths. A whopping 23-24 million UK adults (that’s over half of us!) attempted to assemble a piece of flatpack furniture in the two years preceding the survey seemingly leading to much misery, anger and resentment.

 

 

More than 40% of people who attempted to assemble flat-pack furniture lost their temper before they finished the job, a survey revealed today.

With the dominance of furniture giants such as Ikea, and the advent of the internet, half the nation owns at least one item of furniture they have put together themselves.

Man-sitting-on-floor-assembling-flat-pack-furniture

But, as researchers found, the experience of constructing it can make the blood boil. The survey, led by Dr Miles Richardson of the University of Derby, questioned 1,295 people who had attempted to build anything from shelving units to coffee tables.

The results showed that 67% admitted getting into difficulty, 33% misread or misunderstood the instructions and 13% managed to damage the item before they finished constructing it.

Even more alarming is the fact that 8% of those questioned had injured themselves and a proportion required medical attention following their attempt to assemble furniture.

Dr Richardson estimates that this equates to hundreds of people every year seeking medical help for injuries caused by flat-pack furniture.

“This is the most comprehensive study ever carried out in this area and it makes interesting reading,” Dr Richardson said.

“Although there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence that people can find assembling self-assembly products difficult, the level of errors and accidents has been unknown until now.”

Despite the problems – and apparent danger – associated with flat-packs, they remain popular and are often cheaper than pre-built alternatives.

Some 49% of people even said they found it satisfying to finish the final product and 35% claimed to have enjoyed the experience once it was over

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2006/11/21/flatpack-rage-is-scientific-fact-399720/#ixzz3b8bQBehZ

 

hammer_vs_thumb

 

One minute you could be ordering a chest of drawers, which looked perfectly constructed in the online photo; next minute your bedroom floor is littered with wood, screws and instructions which appear to be written in a strange and sinister hybrid language which resembles Chinese.

 

But fear not… If you want your weekend back and your sanity, why not let me Tameside Handyman – John Sweet do the flatpack tango for you.

I cannot promise I won’t get frustrated with the incredible Chinese plan that comes with some of these packs but hey let me deal with that  🙂

 

Kitchen Tap 11 – Specification
AeratorReplaceable Aerator
BrandEssentials
ColourChrome
Connection TypeCompression
Control TypeDouble Lever Control
Gravity Fed SystemsSuitable for Gravity-Fed Systems
Height To Spout216 mm
Hose Bore Size6 mm
Hose Diameter10 mm
Hose Length360 mm
Hose SuppliedSupplied with Flexible Tap Connector
Manufacturer Guarantee10 Year Manufacturer’s Guarantee (T&Cs Apply)
Maximum Bar Pressure5 bar
Minimum Bar Pressure0.1 bar
Model No33A
Mount TypeDeck-Mounted
Pack Size1
Parent ColourChrome
Pieces in Pack/Case1
Pressure SuitabilitySuitable for High & Low Pressure Systems
Product Depth229 mm
Product Height327 mm
Product TypeDual-Lever Mono Mixer Kitchen Tap
Product Width140 mm
Spout Reach193 mm
Spout TypeSwivel Spout
Tap Handle Type (Kitchens)Dual Lever
Tap StyleMono Mixer
Valve Type1/4 Turn