Forget Handy Andy - these days you're more likely to find a Handy Mandy getting to grips with the grouting, reveals a new DIY survey.

More than one in three women do most of the home improvement projects in their household, according to research from FOCUS, one of the UK's largest DIY retailers.

It seems girls are doing it for themselves because they don't trust a man with a DIY plan. Over one in four complain know-it-all blokes are in fact not up to the job. A further one in five have taken matters into their own hands, as their men can't seem to finish what they've started.

And one in three are just fed up with men who take more than half a day to finish the simplest DIY project.

Therefore 'girl power' has taken on a whole new meaning for the one in three women who have wrenched the electric drills, jigsaws and power saws from their partners' hands.

In days gone by, women traditionally swept and scrubbed the floors but these days 48 per cent of the FOCUS respondents can be seen fitting, sanding or varnishing them. And one in 10 can still be found in the kitchen - but they're installing rather than cooking in it.

Meanwhile, 54 per cent are doing more than just picking out the wallpaper these days - they're hanging it as well.

The FOCUS survey, commissioned to launch a new range of user-friendly power tools, reveals 78 per cent of women believe they're more practical than men and 84 per cent claim they're more efficient. It's these skills, presumably, which has led to them taking over the toolbox, with 74 per cent making all the major DIY decisions in the house.

Meanwhile, it seems the north/south divide extends to a couple's four walls, with women in Scotland complaining their men are DIY dunces compared to South-western women who are more satisfied with their handy hubbies.

Commenting on the FOCUS findings, social psychologist Professor Cary Cooper from UMIST, said:

"These days women are taking on typical male roles more than ever before - even in the traditionally female environment of the home. They're evolving into super-consumers who want to know more than ever before about the goods they're buying and the jobs that need doing.”

“They're also more independent and have more of a 'can-do' attitude about skills which used to be out of their remit - from engineering, to car maintenance and, as the FOCUS survey proves, even to DIY."

Jill Keen, marketing director at FOCUS, said:

"As one of the UK's largest DIY retailers, it's essential we understand our customers. Our survey proves that DIY is no longer just a man's game and is more popular than ever before with everyone. That's why our new power tool range is easier to use, with jargon-free instructions, easy-handling features and quick-change battery packs."