Of course, many of us might not have essential home tools with us. Some might even wonder why anyone should have these tools. Moreover, some might even think that tools are just for carpenters. Yes, carpentry tools are for carpenters, and for those who wish to get into the carpentry field. Yet, home tools are for all of us! Thus, it is really important to have essential home tools with us. Here is why?
Importance of having essential home tools with you?
When you are living in a home, you may have to face some troublesome maintenance situations where you have to face alone. Of course, you may have to build things, decorate things, and help your neighbors with their home repairing problems. When you are facing these types of situations, you may need to be ready beforehand. For that, the most essential requirement is having a handy tool pack. Thus, here we are discussing the importance of having crucial tools at home.
Whether you have a broader or lesser knowledge of how to fix or maintain things around the house, it is very beneficial to have the essential tools available at your house. The necessity for unforeseen repairs may occur at your home at any time. There may not be a time to call professional maintenance service. Sometimes the work you need to do might be a very simple thing. At instances as such, there is no point in calling a maintenance service as an emergency. Hence, it is better to have the right tools to do those simple jobs yourself.
Although some of the repairs are serious, there is nothing wrong with trying to repair the problems yourself, as mentioned above. Even though you are not fully capable of fixing the things you may be able to minimize the effect of the problem until the maintenance services arrive.
For what do you specifically need these essential home tools?
Some of the unexpected problems around homes like pipes burst, unsticking sticky doors and windows, leaky faucets, wires cross, crooked cabinets, and toilet clog need immediate repairs. When something as such happens, what would help you first is these home tools.
Moreover, a house has a lot of equipment and moving parts. Sometimes things break occasionally. If you act quickly and decisively at the first gurgle, drip, or zap, you can guarantee little problems don’t become big ones.
When you are planning in home decorating, house maintenance, car repairs, and landscaping, most of the time, you call the contractors. But if you want to save the money and do it according to your plan, it is better to do it by yourself. Of course, it may take some time than professionals. Still, you can be proud of your skills and attempts.
Further, when you buy some home appliance systems, such as a new table or bookcase, those parts come unassembled in a flat box. In such instances, you may also want to put together those parts. To do this work right and to get the best results, you will have to use the right tools at the right time.
How to master these essential home tools?
Above all, to do all these things, what we need is a well-stocked toolset with the essential home tools. Before that, you need to get an idea about the essential home tools, so you don’t go out and buy up every device at the hardware store. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time and a waste of money. For home uses, you may require only a few essential tools.
Have an idea about the use of each essential home tools
Before master home tools, you need to have a clear understanding of the usage of each essential home tool. Each tool is for a specific task. If you use a wrong tool in your repair or construction project, it may be catastrophic, and the whole attempt could be a waste. For example, we can use screwdrivers to remove or tighten a screw any time you need; a hammer to pound nails from wood, and also you can use hammers for demolition work, and a hand saw to make clean and quick cuts in wood. Therefore, by knowing the tools uses, you can master home tools.
Get the idea about the essential home tools you need for your work
When you are doing some home maintenance or repairing by yourself, you need to know which tool is to be used. If you can’t select the right device or if you don’t have the right tool, the work may get a bit complicated. Hence, before you start working, you need to gather the correct toolset. For that, you get help from the professionals, or you could gain knowledge from the internet. At present, you can find anything on the internet. In there, you can take online classes or watch videos regarding your work. You can become an expert in using hand tools by gaining knowledge from the internet.
Learn how to handle tools
Before using your tools, there is one crucial thing you need to do. That is, get a better practice on how to use tools. Although it seems natural to handle home tools, you need the training to use those smoothly. If not, you might also face unexpected injuries that would turn hazardous. Howver, you can learn how to use tools by consulting a professional or practicing handling, until you get comfortable with the tools. Either way, after you have the practice, it is easy to work on your house projects.
Always use safe practices.
You are a master’s in-home tools when you can work with the safety practices without injuries. As all the tools are hazardous, you need to have a basic understanding of safety, mainly when using power tools.
For what do you require essential home tools?
- For Cabinet, Bookshelf, or Table making
- Tile flooring
- For Drywall
- Plumbing
- Woodcutting
Let us now look into these needs in detail.
For Cabinet, Bookshelf or Table making
You can make lovely cabinetry, a bookshelf, or a table by yourself. All you need is necessary woodworking skills and a few simple tools. Certainly, you do not even have to buy expensive materials to start the project. With this, you can also save money and use that for another task if you build them yourself. Below tools are useful for you to accomplish the above tasks.
Router
This is a hand tool which is essential in routing areas out of the wood surface. Plunge and fixed are the two standard types of routers.
Jigsaw
This certainly helps the user in designing and enhancing the woodwork. Its reciprocating blade makes it easier to cut irregular curves and stenciled designs on wood or similar materials.
Table Saw
Table Saws come with a circular saw blade. Moreover, one can move it up and down to adjust the depth of the cut. Also, the angle of the blade is adjustable, and this tool is electrically powered.
Random Orbital Sander
Random orbital sanders help users in sanding the woodwork plane into a fine smooth surface through its fine random-orbit action. Among its three types, namely, electric-powered, air-powered, and orbital floor sanders, most widely used is the electric powered one.
Power Drill
This is an electrical motor that rotates a replaceable drilling bit to create or enlarge a cylindric hole in wood, or a similar hard material. Some of the power drills come along with the hammering function.
Hinge Jig
In brief, this is a kind of a support jig. Moreover, it is used to drill 3 cm holes to fit concealed hinges, mainly into modern wardrobe or cabinet doors.
Scraper Plane
Simply, this is a handy carpentry tool, especially helpful in bringing a fine ending for a wood pane. This helps users fine smooth wood surfaces for highly figured woodworks.
Woodworking Chisels
This is a small hand tool for slight cuts through wood. Woodworking Chisels can be found in varying ranges from small to large. Among them, bevel edged chisels and paring chisels are the best for cabinet, bookshelf or table making.
Coping Sled
This tool is useful for cope cuts with excellent detail and safety. Thus, it is an essential tool in making rail & stile doors for cabinets and cupboards.
Tape Measure
Tape Measure is frequently used in carpentry to get accurate measurements and dimensions. They come in varying lengths, and materials. Among them, twenty-five feet is the widely used tape measure size.
Claw Hammer
This tool is not just limited for wood works. This is essential for day to day simple tasks as well. However, when considering its use in making tables, cupboards, and cabinets, it is needed to drive nails in and pull nails out.
Rubber Mallet
It just simply looks like a hammer, yet with a softer head made out of rubber. Moreover, this is often used to knock wooden pieces together, or to drive dowels or chisels.
Screwdriver
This is simply used in tightening and untightening screws. This is an easy to use handy tool, that a home should definitely have.
Clamps
Clamps are used to hold the wood work secure and tight into he work bench or rather an external surface. There are various types of clams, from which the customer can select the best according to their purpose of use.
Biscuit Joiner
This is also famous as the plate joiner. It is used to join two pieces of wood together, through a crescent-shaped hole that it creates.
For Tile flooring
If you need to save money or to get your work done reliably, all that you can do is to tile your floor by yourself. Although it seems a bit hard, it is not as hard as you’d think. You can do it yourself. For that, you have to make sure that you have all the right tools at hand, before getting down on to the floor to cut the tiles.
Chalk Line
This is a tool for marking long, straight lines, specially on flat surfaces. This modern tools comes with a locking button. This holds the string in place, helping users to make straight lines to have the designs more accurate and easily done.
Bubble Level
This is also known as a spirit level. It consists of a small window with a bubble on its center, and helps users determine whether a surface is perfectly horizontal and vertical. In this case, it is specially essential to verify whether the floor surface is level and perfect.
Tape Measure
As mentioned earlier, tape measure is essential to get the accurate measurements. When tiling a floor, the most appropriate tape measure lengths are 25 feet or 100 feet.
Carpenter’s Square
This is important in laying out squared structures. Moreove, they come in various sizes. Most preferred size is the 6-inch model, and it is better to choose the metal tool considering its durability.
Long Straightedge
This is a simple and handy tool used for drawing straight lines. It can further be used to verify whether a line is straight, and this tool comes in varying lengths, where 12 feet is the most common.
Notched Trowel
This simply differs form a normal trowel due to its notches in both the sides of the blades. Moreover, there are several types of notched trowels according to the notch sizes. However, this is a popular tool among tile and floor installers.
Mason’s Trowel
Mason’s Trowel, or rather, well known as the normal trowel is essential in leveling, spreading and shaping mortar or concrete. Thus it is essential in completing the floor surface before tiling.
Tile Cutter
This is the tool used to cut tiles in desired sizes and designs. They come in several forms, and it is up to the users to choose the best. Besides, their suitability depends on the nature of tile material being cut.
Narrow Margin Trowel
This is a small trowel with a square end. This is an excellent tool for finishing angles and narrow spaces. It mostly comes in stainless steel, with a wooden handle.
Tile Scorer
This tool is not that advanced as a tile cutter. Yet, this is also used for a fine cutting of ceramic tiles.
Rubber Grout Float
This is an essential tool in tiling. It helps in spreading grout between the floor and wall tiles in a fine and smooth manner. Moreover, it comes with a rubber pad which makes it durable and easy to use.
Tile Nipper
Tile Nipper is useful in cutting odd and irregular shaped pieces out of a hard material. This is specially useful in tiling to get suitable tile chunks for corners and small spaces left behind.
Tile Wet Saw
This is also a tool used for tool cutting. Yet, it is more appropriate for tiles made out of harder materials. It uses a water-cooled diamond blade to make quick work.
For Drywall
Another do by yourself task is working with drywall. And this task doesn’t require too many tools. Most of the tools you require for this task are already there in your essential toolbox. Another interesting fact is that the tools you’ll need for drywall can also be used in any other home improvement tasks. Hence, it is important to have these tools, and below is the list of essential tools required for drywall.
Drywall Tapers
Drywall tapers are also known as drywall finishers. When using this, a wet compound is prepared first. Afterwards, its pressed into joints, nail or screw holes in the drywall and then this wet material will be covered with tape. Even two or more coats of compound can be used per requirement.
Drywall Mud
Dry Wall mud, also popular as joint compound, is used with paper or fiber joint tape to seal joints between sheets of drywall. It is a good solution to create a seamless, and smooth base for paint on interior walls.
Mud Pans
This is the tool, or rather, the pan used for carrying drywall compound. Mud pans come both in plastic and stainless steal, yet the pan made out of stainless steal is durable and widely used.
Pry Bars
Pry bars are also known as crowbars or pinch bars. This is a simple and handy tool which is used to pull two objects apart. Moreover, they are normally made out of medium-carbon steel, or titanium.
Drywall Hammers
Of course, as the name suggests, it just looks same as a normal hammer from its appearance. Yet, it is specially used for putting up or taking down drywall.
T-Squares
T-squares are useful in drawing lines on a drafting tables. Both plastic and wooden T-squares are available, and their lengths vary between 45cm and 105cm.
Drywall Knives
Drywall knives are also known as taping knives or joint knives. It comes with a wide blade for spreading joint compound, and happen to be an essential tool in drywall.
Power Drills
In brief, power drill is an electrical motor, with a replaceable drilling bit that rotates. It is a majorly used tool in several woodworks, and is used to create or enlarge cylindric holes in wood, or a similar hard material.
Mud Mixing Attachment
This is a kind of a metal attachment, for power drills or drill presses that thoroughly mix paint, drywall mud or other high volumes of thick liquids in containers. This is much efficent than hand mixing, and the tool’s head varies in shape along with the specific purpose it is designed for.
Utility Knives
This is simply a fixed blade knife, and is a perfect match for drywall cutting. Further, it enhances the cutting performance of several other sheet materials as well.
Sanding Sponges
A Sanding sponge is simply a foam block, with a flexible and soft backing. It is designed to help users in sanding drywalls, as well as several other surfaces such as plastic and metal.
Pole Sanders
Of course, this tool provides a fine alternative for hand drywall sanding. Moreover, it surely becomes your rescue when sanding great heights, and when trying to sand a compact place. It comes as a pole, with a small screen to hold the grinding paper at its end. Further, pole sanders are available with varying pole lengths.
Jab Saws
A jab saw is a simple, yet user-friendly tool with a light weight. It helps users in various tasks, and specially it is used to cut and shape tiny awkward features in drywalls, and a variety of other materials. Jab saw is also known as drywall saw, alligator saw, and keyhole saw.
Handheld Routers
Handheld router is a power tool that routs a part of drywall indeed. Yet, its spindles and small cutting tools make it an ideal choice to cut and shape decorative pieces, making it easier to create delicate frames, panels and doors.
Ladders
A ladder is certainly common, and a must-have tool at every house. It is an essential tool when working with drywall, and is helpful to climb up and down high points. Moreover, they come in different heights and materials.
Drywall Stilts
The Purpose of using drywall stilts is somewhat similar to the task of a ladder. Yes indeed, this is also equipment that helps to reach taller points. Still, the structure of these stilts provides users a perfect positioning to comfortably stand on for a longer time. Thus, if there is something serious to be done for a longer period at a drywall top, this would be the ideal choice, over the ladder.
Auto Feed Screwdrivers
This is the ideal tool to drive screws into drywalls or similar surfaces. Further, it is quick in the task, and easy to use, thus, is common and famous.
Drywall Lifters
Obviously, this is one of the most vital tools when working with drywalls. It is an equipment that can hold and lift drywall sheets. Hence, it helps users immensely in lifting sheets to high points and in moving them here and there.
For Plumbing
Most of the people often pay professionals plumbers to deal with the home’s plumbing problems. Anyway, if you are highly concerned about money, you just have to do it yourself. If you have spare time, and if you are willing to do the work, it is very easy. For that, all you need is the basic toolset. Of course, some problems require a professional’s opinion to fix the common household plumbing repairs, Still, you can do them if you try! What you need is time and tools. Below is the basic toolset for plumbing repairs.
Plunger
Something interesting! Some call this tool the plumber’s helper. Anyway, this certainly is an important tool for plumbers to clear blockages in drains and pipes. It comes with a wooden or plastic shaft with a rubber suction cup at its end.
Pipe Wrench
Pipe wrenches help in tightening and loosening threaded pipes. To make this task easy and efficient, it comes with two jaws, one fixed, and the other free.
Pipe Saw
This is rather an advanced saw, which is mainly helpful in cutting steel pipes. Still, it useful to accomplish enhanced cutting of stainless steel, wood, plastic and general building materials as well.
Ratchets
A ratchet is a device that comes with a wheel or bar, along with a set of angled teeth that allows the motion of gripped pipe in one direction only. The size of the drive, in ratchets, varies, and the user has to determine what to use considering the purpose.
Pipe Cutter
Pipe Cutter is a tool essential for a fast and clean pipe cutting. It brings an enhanced convenience when compared to the hacksaw, yet its efficiency obviously depends on the pipe type.
Internal Pipe Wrench
This might not be that much of a popular tool. Yet, it is important for the removal of broken threaded ends of pipes, small nipples, pipe plugs, and fittings.
Internal Pipe Cutter
As the name suggests, internal pipe cutters make the cut from the inside of the pipe. It uses a drill to make it done and works fast while giving an accurate and clean cut.
Crimpers
In brief, this is a tool that helps to join two pipes, especially, two tabular sheet metal pipes together. This becomes an essential tool when it comes to tasks such as connecting moke pipes for wood stoves, downspouts for rain gutters, etc.
Faucet Handle Puller
Faucet Handle Puller is a tool useful to remove stuck faucet handles from old showers and sinks. This tool is adjustable, thus, can be used on both small and large handles.
Jigsaw
As you might already know, the jigsaw is a tool that is essential in cutting smooth and fine lines in a sheet of wood, metal, or plastic. However, with regard to plumbing, this is popular for purposes such as to cut bathroom cabinets to shape.
Auger
Auger is a tool that acts as a drill to reach the bottom of the pipes, to remove clog- causing blockages. Due to its action, it is also famous as a plumber’s snake and drains auger. However, this is a tool that should be used with care. Unless, it would cause damages to the plumbing system, worsening the situations.
Handheld Snake
Of course, you guessed it right! This is the hand held version of the auger. This is useful in cleaning household sinks, washing machine drains etc.
Pipe Thawer
Pipe Thawer is a portable tool that pipe cleaners use. It comes in various types, and it thaws ice blockages in pipes by heating it up.
Cordless Drill
Why not? Plumbers need drills too! Cordless Drill is especially helpful in plumbing to drill holes into concrete to fix brackets to hold up water and waste pipes.
Pipe Inspection Cameras
People use them to inspect sewer lines and underground pipes, as well as underground pipes and conduits. Moreover, Pipe Inspection Cameras are also popular as sewer cameras and push cameras as well.
Pliers
Pliers are helpful in plumbing to solidly hold pipes and other tiny objects. Further, what they can hold mainly depends on their jaws.
Tubing Bender Set
This is one of the most important tools to bend pipes without crimps and damages. It provides a simple and effective bending, and most of these tubing bending sets come with spring steel and zinc.
Flaring Tools
Flaring tools are not much popular among the general public from its name. Still, it does a significant role in pipe fitting. Specifically, it has the ability to expands the end of a pipe section, to make one section fit to the next.
For Woodcutting
The wood cutting process spreads over various areas. There are many numbers of tools for cutting wood. The trick is to find the right tool for the right task. It is important to make sure whether you have the essential tools to make woodcutting simple and quick. Hence, we have mentioned below the most essential home tools for wood cutting!
Lathe
Simply, it is beneficial in shaping wood or iron bars. This task is accomplished by forcing the wood against the tool.
Table Saw
A table saw is a very common woodwork tool, that runs using an electric motor. It consists of a circular saw blade, and it even has the ability to make two angled cuts on the piece of work.
Hacksaw
Of course, this is also a type of a saw, yet, one of the simplest and smallest saws. They are mainly used to cut hard materials, but, the cut it gives is not clear and fine.
Coping Saws
This is a specialized saw beneficial in cutting detailed external shapes and interior cut-outs in wood art. Moreover, it comes with a very thin blade, that is fixed to a metal frame.
Bow Saw
Of course, its name comes with its shape. It simply takes the shape of a bow and is useful for cross-cutting of wood.
Crosscut Saw
This too is one of the most common saws in use. It helps to cut wood directly across the wood grain, and comes in varying sizes.
Two-Man Crosscut Saw
Its name tells it all! This is the crosscut saw which needs two men to make it work. This too helps in cutting wood directly across, yet much suitable for larger chunks of wood.
Jigsaw
As you might already know, this is one of the ideal tools to make designs and shapes on the wood art. It uses a reciprocating blade to perform its task quick and perfect.
Pruning Saw
Pruning saws show a significant change from its appearance itself. Yes, this tool is a bit curved. Moreover, people mainly use it to trim parts of trees and shrubs.
Japanese Saw
It looks more like a large knife at a glance. This tool is very popular in Japanese woodworking. Yet, countries like Chine, Iraq, Iran, and Nepal use them as well. And of course, it is famous as a ‘pull’ saw.
Rip-Cut Saw
In brief, rip cut saw is specifically essential to make cuts parallel to the direction of the wood grain. Besides, it looks a bit similar to the crosscut saw in appearance.
Router
As you might already know, this tool helps you to rout out parts form the woodwork. Moreover, it is a very popular power tool which is essential in woodworking.
Chisels
Chisel is a simple tool with a blade on its end. Further, this flat cutting edge makes it suitable for purposes like carving or cutting the woodwork.
Planes
Of course, this is a common tool that people use to flatten and smoothen the wood surface. Moreover, it is a handheld tool that works with muscle power.
Band Saw
This consists of a long, sharp blade with a continuous band of toothed metal stretched between two or more wheels to cut wood and various other materials. Further, it is a power saw.
Chainsaw
This is a tool which is helpful in a number of tasks related to woodwork cutting. Specifically, it is a portable, and mechanical saw which works with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain that runs along a guide bar.
Circular Saw
The circular tool also helps users to cut wood, masonry, plastic, or any other similar materials using its toothed blade. Moreover, it can be used as a hand-held machine, or rather by mounting it to a machine.
Tree Loppers
Yeah, you might have certainly seen this! Indeed, this is a scissor tool. Further, you can use it to trim bushes and shrubs. Besides, this is the largest manual cutting tool type.
Pros & Cons of having essential home tools with you
Pros
As you already know, you have to manually operate the hand tools. Thus, you do not require any power source in their operation. So, you can use them without restrictions at any time regardless of the power cuts or lousy weather. This benefits you to save money on power usage, and hand tools are readily available always.
Hand tools provide total accuracy during manufacturing or repairing. As you can maneuver the hand tools when you are working, it gives a high grade of accuracy. This means you can master the work, and you are in full control of the task.
Hand tools are very simple. As hand tools have lesser moving parts than power tools, they are very easy to handle. You get the access and full control when you are utilizing the hand tools. When you are doing a wood carving practice that is very useful as you can control it to the fine details. Hence, there is no complication regard. Another fact is that the fewer moving parts indicate a lower risk for tool damages. Therefore, these tools are durable than power tools.
As the hand tools are lightweight, they can be easily transported. Hand tools are smaller and more compact in nature. Hence, they are simply portable. Moreover, you don’t need to make an effort to move these hand tools around the house, when you’re doing a project at your home.
To use hand tools, you need skills. Handling hand tools is a tricky task as you are operating it only with your own hands.
Cons
In brief, you have to handle hand tools with hand. To get the desired result, the primary is not just sufficient. Hence, a person who has little experience with hand tools may not be able to handle the tools well. Therefore, before you can function them pleasingly, you should have the right skill.
As you are applying every force on the hand tool, you drain your energy efficiently. Thus, you can easily feel tired even after doing a simple project.
Furthermore, as home tools are manual tools, they operate very slow, and they take time. Accordingly, an extended time period is essential to finish your work when using hand tools. The reason for this delay is that you do every handling thing in the development of the work yourself. As an example, using a power screwdriver is faster than using a hand tool. Hence, hand tools are comparatively less efficient than the power tool. If you need to finish your work, hurrying using a hand tool is not the best solution.
Pros and Cons of Having Power Tools with you
Pros
When you are using power tools, all you need to know is how to handle them. You do not need any specific skill set to use power tools.
Moreover, electricity or batteries power the power tools. So, your energy conservations will be high. Hence, you can do a lot of tasks with less effort.
The accuracy of Power tools is excellent. When compared to hand tools, the level of skill is higher in power tools. As you already know, power sources become the main source of energy to operate power tools. Hence, they give you certainty when using them.
Cons
As power tools have more parts, and they carry a motor that energies their process, power tools are more complex than hand tools.
Power tools require more maintenance and repair than hand tools. The reason for this problem is that the power tools have power connections, motor, and gears. Any interruption in a little part of a power tool may result in a catastrophe in its action.
Due to the increased power and speed when working power tools are more dangerous to handle than hand tools. And there is a high possibility of facing carpentry hazards when using these power tools.
By now, you should have a perfect idea of the essential home tools. Stay connected with us for more interesting topics as such!
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