Today, there are a lot of home improvement projects that you can do to increase the value of your home from painting to remodeling your kitchen to building a deck or patio. However, in order to get the most out of these projects, it is important that you have quality home improvement tools. These tools would not just allow you to complete each project properly; they could also make simple chores and repairs that need to be done around the house a lot easier.
Home improvement tools are readily available from hardware stores and from online retailers; but because of the countless tool types and options that are available, knowing which ones you need to get could be a bit of a challenge. If you are planning to stock up on some essential home improvement tools, here is a guide on some of the basic types of tools that could help you out.
1. Cutting Tools
These tools are designed to remove or separate portions or parts of a material. Ideally, they should be made with a stronger material than what they are made to cut. One of the most important cutting tools that you should have would be a utility knife. A utility knife is a lightweight knife which can be used for cutting various types of materials from paper to plastic. You might also want to get a hacksaw, which is a fine-toothed saw which has a blade that is under tension in a metal frame. It can be used for cutting metal, bone and other materials. If you are planning to repair or remodel your bathroom or kitchen, then you can also get a ceramic tile cutter, a tool which can be used for cutting tiles to your desired size and shape. Ceramic tile cutters come in several forms from manual or hand tools to attachments which can be used with power tools.
2. Garden Tools
These are tools which are designed for gardening, landscaping and for a variety of agricultural and horticultural applications. They can be hand tools or power tools. Some necessary garden tools that you should have would include a spade, garden hoe, garden fork, garden rake and a lawn mower.
3. Moving Tools
These tools are designed for transferring materials from one place to another. Some essential moving tools include the hammer, screwdriver, wrench and pliers. You can also get a furniture dolly or a utility dolly, which has a large flat base and four wheels. A dolly can help you move boxes or heavy furniture and appliances. You can also get a stair-roller, if you have stairs. This is usually attached to the stairs, allowing you to roll heavy objects down a staircase.
4. Transforming Tools
These tools are used in changing the physical or the chemical state of a material. Some of these tools make use of reactive chemicals while there are some which make use of temperature. Some examples would be the blowtorch, lighter and solvent sprays.
5. Alignment or Measurement Tools
These tools are also known as guiding tools and can help you to be more accurate in your projects such as installing a window or a door and determining whether a plane is properly aligned. A simple but very important alignment or measurement tool would be the tape measure, which is a flexible ruler that is typically made with cloth, plastic, metal or fiber glass. It allows the easy measurement of materials and structures, even around curves and corners. Some other measurement and alignment tools you can get include a ruler, a theodolite, square, a caliper and a spirit or bubble level.
6. Shaping Tools
Shaping tools are used to alter the shape or form of a material for practical or aesthetic purposes such as carving a piece of wood or fitting a key into a lock. Some shaping tools which can be used for different home applications include moulds, chisels, sanders, jigs and trowels.
7. Fastening Tools
These tools are made to join two portions or parts to make one whole. These portions or parts may or may not be made of the same material. Some fastening tools include staple guns, wire tackers, nail guns, glue guns and rivet guns.
8. Power Tools
Power tools are tools which are powered by a compressed air motor, an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. They are classified as portable or stationary. They can be used around the house for a variety of uses such as drilling, cutting, shaping, sanding, polishing, painting, heating, driving and grinding. Some of the more commonly used power tools would be the drill, electric sander and the lathe.
These are just some of the types of tools that you could consider getting for your home. Whether you are planning to work on some home improvement projects or some repairs and chores around your home, these tools could certainly help make you finish the job a lot faster and easier.