At a bare minimum, every home has some type of tool box or loose collection of miscellaneous screwdrivers, drill bits, loose nails, and what have you. If you’re lucky, you might even find a set of pliers. But when the front door starts squeaking or your kitchen faucet starts leaking, will you have the right tools on hand to fix those minor repairs, or will you be paying a handyman to fix them for you?
Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or don’t know a hammer from a putty knife, here are 10 tools that every homeowner should have to tackle those little projects that pop up along the way.
- Plunger. Actually, two. A cup shaped plunger for unclogging sinks and a flange plunger for toilets.
- Tape measure. Opt for a minimum 25 footer. Useful for measuring everything from room size, to furniture, to molding.
- One or more flashlights. Not only are they a must for power outages, but helpful when you need to get into the attic or crawlspace.
- A 4-in-1 screwdriver. That way, you’ll almost always have the right style and size handy with removable bits.
- Hammer. For most around-the-house jobs, a lightweight finish hammer with a curved claw will do just fine.
- Electric stud finder. Eliminates the guesswork when you’re hanging heavy objects, or when you want to avoid hitting a stud.
- A level. If you can, splurge on a laser level, especially if you frequently hang objects like artwork and picture frames.
- Putty knife. Perfect for not only spreading paste and spackle, but for scraping glues and paints off surfaces.
- Adjustable wrench. Loosen (or tighten) nuts without stripping them like pliers would.
- Pliers. A basic plier will help you hold objects firmly, as well as pull, pinch, or bend metal.
Now, let’s see, exactly what kind of tool should you keep handy for cleaning and inspecting your furnace or air conditioning system? Truth be told, it’s not a tool you need for those tasks, but a heating and cooling professional you can depend on for your family’s greater indoor comfort and energy savings. In and around Terrell & Kaufman, more and more careful homeowners are choosing Absolute Air. We hope you’ll do the same.