London:
Men spend an average of 24 days a year escaping their partner by tinkering in a shed or spare room, a new UK study has found.
More than a quarter of men admitted they flee to their 'man cave' to escape their wife or partner.
Almost half of the men surveyed said they use the spare room for their hobbies, while 17 per cent have taken over the garage and 11 per cent are confined to the shed.
Popular hobbies involve comics, books and old gadgets, while 29 per cent of men say the space is where they keep their music collection, 'The Sun' reported.
Also, 22 per cent men have musical instruments, 10 per cent have fishing gear and 18 per cent keep exercise equipment, the study by Big Yellow Self Storage found.
Married men spend 7 hours 36 minutes alone on their hobbies every week based on a 16-hour waking day this amounts to 24 days 11 hours a year.
The research found this increases in middle-age, with 45 to 55-year-olds spending 7 hours 59 minutes hidden away – 26 days a year.
"It's important for men to have their own private retreat in the home, a space where they can spend time alone uninterrupted, tinker with their collections and indulge in hobbies," psychologist Anjula Mutanda said.
"A 'man cave' also offers men a refuge where they can de-stress, unwind and re-charge," Mutanda said.
The research also found that 40 per cent of women worry that their partner is hoarding unnecessary clutter in their spare room, shed or garage.
Thirty-six per cent of couples argue as often as twice a week about the amount of space his possessions take up.
