Lots of us love a bit of DIY, especially with all these Bank Holiday weekends. But what happens when you find yourself short on the right tools?
Here is a handy little guide will give you a list of must-have tools to ensure that your next DIY home project goes off without a hitch.
These tools are great for both small and large-scale projects, giving you all the things you need to customise features and sections of your home on your own terms.
Without further ado, here are nine tools that you should have in your toolbox for all projects.
Nail Gun
This was a late addition for us but it’s game-changing. Hammers are perfectly fine for pounding nails into wooden boards and similar surfaces, but if you want to hasten the woodworking process, getting a nail gun is extremely handy.
Besides the low level of physical exertion needed to use the tool, it’s also fairly consistent in putting nails where they’re meant to be due to less variance from human error.
This, in turn, removes the fear of pounding nails the wrong way and having to restart. That said, if it’s your first time handling this tool, do practise caution to avoid potential injuries.
Saws
Saws are a must-have for anyone looking to take on home improvement projects. They’re primarily used to cut pieces of wood into whatever shape you want, and they’re much stronger and have bigger coverage than most tools.
Saws can come in various shapes and sizes. The most common one is the handsaw, which is shaped like a sharp-edged blade.
However, if you’re looking for more precision and accuracy in your cutting, we suggest equipping yourself with power-wet tile saws. These include circular saws (used to make straight cuts) and mitre saws (used to cut angles). You can buy wet tile saws online at Stonex and your local hardware store.
Adjustable Socket Wrench
Whenever you’re dealing with nuts and screws, you’ll need a proper wrench to screw them into place or loosen them.
That said, it’s not uncommon for even experienced home remodellers to keep multiple different-sized wrenches to adjust to accommodate various bolts.
While these tools can certainly get the job done, it’s significantly faster and easier to get yourself a universal wrench instead.
This all-in-one tool adjusts to the size of the screw. This way, you won’t have to fumble searching for the appropriate wrench for your specific task.
Power Drill
One of the most important DIY tools you can get your hands on is a power drill.
This powerful tool creates holes for entry and sculpts items like wood to your liking relatively easily. It also comes with interchangeable bits, allowing you to drill a variety of materials.
Power drills are also incredibly handy for screwing and unscrewing screws with ease since they come with the right torque.
This tool is perfect for all kinds of projects—from construction to carpentry—and is an absolute must-have. If you’re looking to get one, we suggest going for a cordless version. This way, you won’t have to rely on working near electrical outlets to get your tool to work.
Screwdrivers
An essential component of every handyman’s toolkit is a screwdriver.
Used for a variety of projects ranging from electrical to repair, screwdrivers—like wrenches—help drive screws into place.
If your DIY project demands you to use a specific type of screw, you’ll need to find the appropriate screwdriver to match it. If you need to buy a screw for your DIY Project, make sure you do your research as there are plenty to choose from. Different screws are used for different types of fittings.
Some common examples of screwdrivers include flathead screwdrivers, Pozidriv screwdrivers, hexagon screwdrivers and cross-slot screwdrivers.
Scraper and Sander Tools
If your DIY improvement is meant to be displayed out in the open for you to frequently see and for your guests to marvel at, then you’ll want to have a scraper and sander tool in your arsenal.
These tools are specially designed to outline, shape, and smooth out wood and metalwork DIY projects.
Just like their names imply, these tools are meant to refine material surfaces, allowing for the resulting creation to leave a lasting, refined impression.
Pliers
Pliers are an all-purpose tool that everyone should own.
These multi-purpose tools are designed to help you grip, bend, cut, or twist various materials.
The most commonly used pliers are needle nose and slip joint pliers—which can be used for grasping small objects; lineman’s pliers—for cutting and pulling wires; and locking pliers—for gripping objects firmly.
Apart from these, you can also find a wide selection of unique pliers designed for specialized uses.
Tape Measure
You’d be surprised to know just how heavily numbers-dependent a single DIY project can be. And we’re not just talking about the cost of acquiring materials here.
When building something from scratch, it’s essential to have everything measured with pinpoint accuracy.
A difference of a millimetre or more can render entire projects useless—so it’s definitely worthwhile to invest in a measuring tool like a tape measure to stay on track.
A tape measure is self-explanatory—it essentially measures the length, width, and height of a specific object with pinpoint precision.
We opted for this measuring tool over a traditional yardstick since it’s flexible and can weave around objects. It also pulls back as soon as you allow it thanks to its hook mechanism.
With its immense value and lightweight size, a tape measure is a no-brainer for every DIYer’s toolkit.
Safety Gear
Last, but not the least is your safety gear. No matter how skilled you are with a hammer, nail, and the like, the fact of the matter is that we’re quite prone to injuries.
Burns, punctures, and other wounds have happened to people working on DIY projects before. While anyone can deal with a minor puncture wound, it’s certainly not pleasant. And it can also get much worse.
As such, it’s important to have (and actually use) safety gear before undertaking DIY projects. This is especially true if you’re working with sharp metal objects like nails and drills.A few types of safety gear you should have in your possession and regularly wear include safety goggles, gloves, protective clothing, face masks, and ear muffs. Different projects entail different risks, so use logical discretion when ascertaining the best protective gear for the job.
