The Homeowners Toolkit

Hello again Folks
It is time once again, for a new Blog entry and I am very  excited to share today's post, as it is all about something near and dear to my heart ....tools.
With the right tools and a little knowledge, there is very little which cannot be accomplished. Man has been fascinated by tools, ever since our Neanderthal ancestors had the bright idea, to strap a rock to a stick and hit things with it. That was of course,  the birth of the humble hammer, the grand daddy of all modern tools. The advent of our earliest tools was also coincidentally, the catalyst which started the evolution of man  as an intelligent  species.....Well at least in most cases.. we all know evolution to be an imperfect science after all.
Fast forward a few thousand years and we have a plethora of tool choices at our disposal. At no other point in our collective history, have we been so blessed with such variety and diversity of tools. Tools to build houses, tools to build cars, surgical tools, in fact; tools for just about anything you can think of. So whether you are already a die hard tool fan,  or if you run for the hills at the mere mention of a socket wrench, we still  have a lot to thank our tools for.
I am often asked, what basic tools should I keep around my home?  What Does a good tool kit look like?
To which I might reply something like, a Hammer, screwdriver,wrench etc....But lets get serious for a moment and actually look at what would be considered a good basic toolkit for any home owner to have in their arsenal.

At the very least every homeowner should own a hammer, great for keeping door to door salesman and religious whack jobs  away from your door.....

---

I Have compiled a list of the basic tools that should be at your disposal, it is by no means supposed to be an  exhaustive list. And  as with anything these days, you really do get what you pay for. I firmly believe that if you spend a little more to get good quality tools, they should, with proper care last you a lifetime.

• Claw Hammer 16oz- Used for driving nails and pulling nails also for lifting floor boards etc.
• Phillips Head screwdriver- Quality pays here - used for tightening or removing screws.
• Flat head screwdriver- Used to fasten or loosen flat head screws.as with the previously mentioned Phillips head screwdriver, quality pays here.
• High quality putty knife- Used to apply paint, Spackle, or fillers. It is more flexible than a scraper and should not be confused with its stiffer cousin.
• High quality scraper 3inch- Used to scrape wallpaper and old finishes from walls and other surfaces. A very versatile tool with lots of other uses besides its intended use.
• Adjustable wrench- Most commonly used to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts, make sure you get one with a rubberized handle for comfort.
• Hacksaw- Used for cutting wood, PVC, metal and other materials.
• Needle nose Pliers- Used to twist wire and soft metal parts, and get into tight spots which other pliers cant reach.
• Slip joint pliers (channel locks)- Used for a variety of gripping tasks very versatile and handy to have for a wide variety of plumbing, electrical and automotive uses. again, quality matters here.
• Torpedo level 9inch- Used to check level when hanging pictures, and  shelves etc.
• Tape Measure (locking) - used to make measurements for cutting wood and other materials and to figure out distances between objects. Quality matters on this item too.
• Allen Keys (hex Keys or wrenches)- Used to tighten and or loosen Allen head nuts- You find a surprising amount of these fasteners types around the home these days. Be sure to invest in a good quality set in both metric and AMSE sizes,  a standard sets will work just fine, but for comfort and ease of use, contemplate T handle type Hex keys (wrenches)
• Flashlight- This is pretty self explanatory - used to illuminate work areas and for power outages, try to find a flashlight with at least a 100 Lumens light output.
• Utility knife- Used for making cuts in a variety of materials from backing paper to carpet and pretty much everything in between. Purchase one with a retractable blade and easy blade switching features.
• Step ladder 8ft or higher - used to reach inaccessible parts of your home for hanging pictures, cleaning windows and ceiling fan blades etc. Always practice ladder safety, ladder falls are one of the leading causes for homeowner injury every year.
• Dust mask- used to filter particulate matter out of the air when sanding or painting.
• Cordless Drill- Used to drill holes and or drive screws, possibly the most versatile tool to have in your toolbox. price points vary wildly on these, but they are a solid investment.

Like I said at the beginning of this post,  this list is not supposed to be an exhaustive list of tools, but simply the most basic that every home owner young or old should have at their disposal. With these, you should be adequately equipped to tackle the most common household maintenance and repair tasks which may arise. I hope you enjoyed this post. please leave me your comments and suggestions. and if you have any ideas for a post subject please by all means let me know, I love to hear your feedback.

Cheers
Bruce