Essence of Home Improvement

Every homeowner should have a tool kit that contains the basic tools that you may need to do regular repairs on your home. By having these tools on hand, you can be prepared to handle all repairs in your home, and you can take on some home improvements also.

Hand Tools
Start with the most basic of your tools – hand tools. You need to have a collection of Phillips head screwdrivers as well as straight screwdrivers. You should also have pliers: Regular, needle nose and locking. Then you will want to have wrenches: An Allen wrench, adjustable wrench, combination wrench and a socket wrench set. Also essential is a hammer including a claw and a ball peen hammer and a mallet. In addition to your hand tools you will want basic power drill with a variety of drill bits. You may also want to have a few larger tools handy including a pipe wrench, a pick and a sledgehammer.

Cutting Tools
When you have to cut something, a power saw comes in hand. You should have the right saw for the job, and you will probably build your saw collection slowly. Start with a jigsaw, and then you can add a coping saw, a bow saw, a hacksaw, a crosscut saw and a circular saw. You also want to have a good utility knife and a pair of tin snips to start out.

Safety Gear
No one likes to get hurt, so make sure that you stack the deck in your favor when it comes to safety. You should have earplugs or earmuffs, safety goggles, a dust mask, and a flashlight. It is also a good idea to have a ladder, stepstool and extension cords. At various times you will need ropes, work lights and clamps, and you can pick these things up as you need them. A machinist vice is great to have, but you may need to wait until you have a workshop for that one.

Measuring Tools
When you are measuring things, you need to have a tape measure. You probably want to have a ruler or straight edge, yardstick and a combination square. You also need a level and a chalk line. Then you will probably eventually acquire a pry bar, a metal file, wood chisels, putty knives, a center punch and a countersink nail set.

Nails and Fasteners
Once you have your tools all lined out, you will want to have nails and screws. You will very likely accumulate these as you have leftovers from projects, but you will also want to have nuts, bolts and washers. You should have some sandpaper in a couple of different grades along with some spray lubricant and wood glue.

Specialty Tools
There will be projects that you undertake that need special equipment or tools, and you will gradually accumulate more and more tools and equipment as time goes on. But for now, the tools listed above should get you off to a good start to get most of your regular home maintenance jobs done.