Home Maintenance
Tools can be expensive to purchase. This is a list of tools that are most important to have on hand as a new homeowner.
Tools for Basic Home Repairs
- Duct tape
- Hammer
- Screwdrivers (flathead, phillips, and allen; different sizes)
- Putty knife (different widths and sizes; useful for scraping as well as puttying)
- Tape measure (a 25 foot tape will handle most small household jobs)
- Vise grips (useful for helping to loosen tight nuts)
- Utility knife (with replacement blades)
- Caulking gun
- Screws, nails, bolts, of several sizes
- Level (used to check whether surfaces are plumb or level)
- Pry bar (for nail pulling and prying)
- Adjustable wrench
- Adjustable pliers
Tools for More Advanced Projects
- Pair of pipe wrenches (for plumbing projects)
- Pipe cutter
- Belt sander (for sanding off paint and varnishes)
- Cordless drill/driver (buy a set of drill bits too)
- Diagonal cutters (for cutting wire)
- Clamps (a pair, for projects involving gluing or fastening)
There are many home improvement books available. You can either buy one or check them out from your local library. These are some really good options:
- Home Improvement 1-2-3(Home Depot … 1-2-3): by Home Depot (really good pictures)
- Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to fixing almost anything in the home by Julie Sussman (written by a woman for women)
- How to Operate Your Home byTom Feiza; Paperback
- New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual by Reader's Digest; Hardcover
- New Fix-It-Yourself Manual by Reader's Digest; Hardcover
Want to know more? See below: