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When Dina MacPhail was 12, her father told her she could have her own bedroom - if she helped him finish the basement.

Now, 40-odd years later, Ms. MacPhail builds sets for her Toronto church drama group, makes furniture for friends and collects power tools the way some women buy shoes.

But Ms. MacPhail uses a decades-old hand sander she bought at a garage sale, because it's the only one she's found with a small enough grip. "My hand only spreads so far," she says. "Most of the rest of the tools I find to be heavy."

Ms. MacPhail's problem is becoming a common lament as more single women buy houses and more couples share the heavy lifting of home improvement.

According to a February survey by Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., a quarter of Canadian women who are house hunting say they are seeking a fixer-upper and plan to do the work themselves. And women influence 44 per cent of all outdoor power tool purchases, according to a U.S. survey by Troy-Bilt, a maker of outdoor power equipment.

Yet, while niche businesses supply the growing ranks of female do-it-yourselfers, the power tool aisles of major retailers remain boys' clubs. Women are struggling to find tools that are light enough for them to manoeuvre but strong enough to get the job done. And they're looking for more than hot-pink hammers.

Marissa McTasney of Brooklin, Ont., last month launched Tomboy Trades, a line of work boots and tool belts for women sold through Home Depot's website.

"A lot of the tools targeted for women are gadgets," Ms. McTasney said. "They have rhinestones on them. They're cute and fun gimmicky gifts, but they're not really going to help a woman fix her house."

Rona Inc., the Quebec-based home improvement chain, overhauled its stores in the mid-1990s to appeal to women. Michael Brossard, senior vice-president of marketing and development at Rona, says women are becoming more involved in purchasing decisions. But even as Rona reaches out to them, Mr. Brossard says he sees no need to stock female-friendly power tools. "In general, they're not doing the heavy work," he said.

"Tools is still the toy section for guys. Will it become the toy section for girls? I don't think so."

Despite the statistics on women buying and renovating homes, Mr. Brossard said, "A single woman will have a dad, a boyfriend, an uncle to help them. It's not as though they're totally alone."

The notion that women won't tackle heavy-duty repairs without male guidance doesn't mesh with Jennifer Hart's experience. She teaches a hands-on seminar called Women and Power Tools at Lee Valley Tools in Scarborough, Ont. Her classes in May are sold out already.

"I've taught well over 500 women," she said. "We figured we must have reached the saturation point by now, but they just keep coming."

She said her average student is a woman in her 50s who's tired of waiting for her husband to fix the porch steps or install crown moulding.

"Hats off to these women in their 50s who are hefting around circular saws - I think it's fantastic," Ms. Hart said.

Still, they're lugging circular saws designed for men. While men and women have similar power tool needs, women generally have less upper-body strength and smaller hands.

On the plus side, tools are getting lighter thanks to technological advances such as lightweight lithium batteries. But to find something ergonomically designed for a woman, you usually have to go to a specialty retailer.

Winnipeg-based Tomboy Tools Canada uses a Tupperware-party model to demonstrate and sell tools that are designed for women. The products have smaller grips, lighter weights, sleek designs, easy-to-use functions and built-in storage. For example, the company sells a drill with a double-finger trigger so your hand doesn't tire as quickly.

CEO Lori Mitchell says sales at Tomboy Tools - no relation to Tomboy Trades - have quadrupled since the business began in 2004.

Troy-Bilt brand manager Heidi Ketvertis says women like power tools that can multitask, such as a weed whacker that can transform into a blower. Lightweight power tools, she notes, also appeal to aging baby boomers.

One problem manufacturers and retailers have is that marketing to women can turn men off. Dave Schwartz, marketing manager for outdoor power tool maker Stihl in Canada, says he tries to avoid the word "lightweight" in advertising, because men don't like the sound of a lightweight power tool - even though their aching backs would probably thank them for buying one. "It's the hardest balance," Mr. Schwartz says.

Women want light, versatile and easy-to-use products, but they disdain "girly" tools.

"Initiatives that don't work are pink-coloured tool kits," he says. "Women don't want to be marketed down to."

Joanne Thomas Yaccato, Toronto-based author of The 80% Minority: Reaching the Real World of Women Consumers, agrees. "Women can smell a femme marketing rat a mile away," she says.

If manufacturers start genuinely appealing to women by making lighter, easier-to-use power tools - without drenching them in fuchsia - they'll probably win new male customers as well, Ms. Yaccato says. "There's a saying in our industry: If you meet the needs of women, you will exceed the needs of men."

Tool time for women

The product

Tomboy Tools 9.6-volt cordless drill, $99.95

Female-friendly features

Weighs 3 pounds

Double-finger trigger

Narrower grip

Easy battery release/removal

Magnetic top holds screws

The product

Tomboy Trades tool belt, $24.99

Female-friendly features

Lightweight, less bulky

Made of soft nubuck

Comes in four colours

12 pockets, hammer loop and metallic tape holder

Sized for women

The product

Fred Flare Pink Ladiez Tool Kit, $20 (U.S.)

Female-friendly features

Lightweight

Includes scissors

Pink