Home Repairs Yourself, Home Repairs
Home Repairs Yourself - Tools You Need Part 1
They say that a bad workman blames his tools, but in reality, if you have done any home repairs yourself you know that the right tool for the job often makes the difference between a patched up home repair job and a professional finish. Every homeowner needs a good set of tools that are always handy.
Being a responsible homeowner means acquiring at least a few basic skills in fixing things and keeping things in good working order. You won’t want to call in a repairman every time the door squeaks or the garage door opener sticks. With an inquisitive mind and a good set of tools you will be able to investigate all sorts of different problems and fix many of them by yourself. If you are a new homeowner (or a newly single homeowner who kept the good china and traded the hammer and the screwdrivers) you will need to build up your toolbox from scratch. Here is a list of indispensable tools that you will reach for time and again as you tackle home repairs:
- A Hammer
Hammers come in different weights. If you are hanging a picture choose a lighter hammer (8 or 12 ounces). If you are fixing the back fence, choose a larger hammer (16 oz) Look for one with a claw that is thin enough to grab a nail that is close to the wood.
- A Set of Screwdrivers
Get a couple of different sizes of both flatheads and Phillips. Get at least one very big flat head screwdriver that is handy for toilet repairs and toilet seats that have those large screws in them. It is also handy to get one or two with long shafts because sometimes the shorter ones don’t reach all the way down to the screw if it is partially hidden (tables and chairs often have screws that are hard to reach with a short screwdriver). If there is one tool you will reach for over and over again above all others for your home repair jobs it will most likely be a screwdriver.
- A Selection of Pliers
You should look for a good pair of slim needle nose pliers, channel lock pliers and then another one with grips for pulling nails, and a wire cutter.
- A Tape Measure
Measure twice cut once. Some people prefer the flexible cloth kind to the stiff metal ones. It’s a personal choice. The point is if you are looking for furniture to fit your living space, it’s nice to know whether it will fit before you have it delivered. When you take on those home repairs yourself you will want the tape measure at your side to keep things straight and level.