<\/p>\n
It takes time to build a complete DIY toolkit. Start with the essentials, and build on your collection as you take on new projects. Eventually, you will become proficient at a wide range of DIY home projects – and your toolkit will reflect this (as will your wallet, considering the money you will save on hiring someone to do it for you!).<\/p>\n
Hammer<\/strong>: From hanging a picture to replacing wall molding and millions of DIY projects in between, a hammer is probably the most-used tool there is. Don’t choose just any hammer. Select a\u00a0claw hammer \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>a hammer with a claw on one end for pulling nails and prying material \u2013 with a flat peen (the surface which drives nails) rather than rounded.<\/p>\n Tape Measure<\/strong>: Many home repair and improvement tasks require a tape measure. Get a\u00a0retractable tape measure<\/strong>, which is made of a rigid metal and snaps back into the case when you push a button. For most jobs, a 25-foot tape measure is sufficient.<\/p>\n Carpenter’s Level<\/strong>: With a good level you have a straightedge for cut lines and a tool to tell you if an item is flush (straight up and down) or level (perfectly flat). Don’t let the store’s selection overwhelm you \u2013 a basic 4-foot\u00a0bubble level<\/strong>, which uses air bubbles inside a liquid-filled cavity, is basic but dependable.<\/p>\n Carpenter’s Square<\/strong>: Get both a\u00a0speed square<\/strong>, which is hand-held, and a largerframing square<\/strong>\u00a0when possible. Squares are great straightedges, tape measures and right-angle testers.<\/p>\n Utility Knife<\/strong>: Whether you call it a\u00a0box cutter, razor knife<\/strong>, or any of several common terms, a utility knife is a DIY tool essential. Your utility knife makes quick work of slicing through drywall, carpet, linoleum, rigid foam insulation and many other materials. Keep a supply of razor blades in the knife’s hollow body.<\/p>\n Flashlight<\/strong>: From peering underneath your foundation to working in the dark to restore power to your breaker box, your flashlight will shed some light on various tasks.<\/p>\n Screwdrivers<\/strong>: If you plan to limit your DIY ventures to basic carpentry and fixture installation, a handful of screwdrivers will get you started. Choose both\u00a0Phillips-head screwdrivers<\/strong>\u00a0(which have a cross-shaped tip) and\u00a0flat-head screwdrivers<\/strong>\u00a0(with a knife-shaped tip). More advanced repairs may require different heads. To save money, consider a\u00a0multi-bit screwdriver<\/strong>\u00a0with interchangeable tips.<\/p>\n Pliers<\/strong>: If you need to pull staples, cut wire, or loosen tight connections, pliers will help. Look for three basic types:\u00a0needle-nose pliers<\/strong>\u00a0(which have a pointed end),side-cutting pliers<\/strong>\u00a0(which look much like scissors) and\u00a0adjustable flat-nose pliers<\/strong>(aka flat-head pliers).<\/p>\n Wrenches<\/strong>: When pliers won’t get the job done, look for your wrench. Grip or remove pipes, nuts, bolts and other stubborn household items. Start with a set of\u00a0adjustable crescent wrenches<\/strong>\u00a0for all-around usefulness.<\/p>\n Staple Gun<\/strong>: A staple gun comes in handy for installing faced fiberglass batt insulation, hanging plastic sheeting and other projects around the home. Manual staple guns require a little more muscle but eliminate the need for electricity.<\/p>\n Drill<\/strong>: Once you have a drill, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one. From simple tasks such as hanging curtains to more complex jobs like replacing wood flooring, a drill \u2013 cordless or not \u2013 makes it easier. A cordless drill is more convenient but has a limited battery life.<\/p>\n Saws<\/strong>: Two basic saws will see you through most general DIY home projects. First, select a\u00a0handsaw<\/strong>\u00a0for places where you don’t have power or for situations where a power saw just isn’t practical. Next, decide on either a\u00a0table saw<\/strong>\u00a0or a\u00a0circular saw<\/strong>. A table saw is sturdy and makes cutting boards and other material easy. However, a circular saw is portable and hand-held, making it more convenient. When you’re ready for a new saw, consider a\u00a0jigsaw<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0reciprocating saw<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Stud Finder<\/strong>: A stud finder will help you quickly find the framing members in your walls, ceiling and floor.<\/p>\n Orbital Sander<\/strong>: Small enough to easily control with one hand, an orbital sander is perfect for basic work. Keep a supply of sandpaper, of various grits, on hand.<\/p>\n Ladder<\/strong>: Depending on the jobs you anticipate tackling, you might prefer astepladder<\/strong>\u00a0instead of an\u00a0extension ladder<\/strong>. Extension ladders are useful outdoors and reach higher, but stepladders work inside or outside.<\/p>\n All of the tools in the world won’t help you if you don’t have accompanying supplies. Keep wood glue, superglue and caulk in your supplies. Add an assortment of nails, screws, bolts and nuts to your tool collection as well. Don’t forget tape: masking tape, electrical tape and duct tape in particular. A heavy-duty extension cord is essential. Your collection will continue to grow over the course of your DIY adventures.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It takes time to build a complete DIY toolkit. Start with the essentials, and build on your collection as you take on new projects. Eventually, you will become proficient at a wide range of DIY home projects – and your toolkit will reflect this (as will your wallet, considering the money you will save […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[184,185,183,182,181],"class_list":["post-762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-real-estate-articles","tag-diy","tag-home-repairs","tag-level","tag-tape-measure","tag-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=762"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":763,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762\/revisions\/763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakeandhomes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}