19 Diy tools that should be in every homeowner's toolkit

Diy Tools Safety Tips

• A) Always ensure that you use a tool for the purpose it was intended to be used
• B) and make sure you ask yourself before using any tool for your DIY project, what safety measure you need to employ to ensure that you don't end up in the ER.
• C) Never ignore warning labels on a tool or in a tool's owners manual.
• D) Equally important, is ensuring that you wear a mask or respirator for task that involve inhaling hazardous materials or contaminants like mold, asbestos, fumes from solvents or paint, etc.
• E) Also, you would want to wear protective goggles for virtually any task that can result in chemicals, or flying objects getting into your eye.
• F) Carefully store hazardous material away from the reach of children, and always unplug power tools like drills, saws etc, when not in use and away from children.
• G) Do not wear loose clothing, or things like a necklace, tie etc that can get tangled with a tool.
• H) For tools that have sharp edges such as cutting tools like chisels and utility knives, use caution to prevent injuries to you hands

3 things to look for when buying DIY tools

• A) Durability - Atleast For tools that you would often used like, saws, hammers, screwdrivers, chisels etc.. it is important that you invest in a good quality tool that would last you for a long time and not cheap and poorly made tools that you might use once or twice and it breaks.
• B) Price - If you use tools for your day to day job, you should invest in buying top end tools that have the capability to do more involved task. However, if you only occasionally use tool for DIY projects or work around the home, middle tier tools that are not cheaply made but that are also not the most expensive will be sufficient.
• C) Comfort - It's important that the tool that you use feels comfortable to you, if a tool is Clumsy, or too heavy, or too light or does not have a comfortable handle, It can make the work that it's designed to perform more stressful that it needs to be.

With that out of the way, Here is our list of DIY tools that every DIYer needs to have in their DIY toolkit.

Hammer

A hammer is used for striking or prying objects such nails into wood or other surfaces, and to break hard objects like concrete or rock. They come in various types and each type was design to serve a particular purpose. Here is a list of 7 different types of hammers and there uses. Types of hammers

ScrewDriver

Screwdrivers come in many different types and shapes, but they all serve the common purpose of driving or removing screws. It is essential that the screwdriver that is used, fits the screw, to prevent damages and to improve efficiency of the screwdriver. I personally prefer screwdrivers with interchangeable bits that can be mounted for different screw types.

Wrench

Wrenches, like screwdrivers, come in many different types for different purposes. They are popular for turning or holding nuts and bolts etc. Some wrenches are adjustable to fit different fasteners. It essential to always use a wrench whose opening fits the fastener that you want to turn or grip. See our list of 17 different types of wrenches for a better understanding of wrenches.

Pliers

Pliers are used for bending, holding or cutting matterials. They come in many different types, designed to meet the need of a particular job that it was created for. Like most of the tools we have described, It is essential to use a plier for the function it was designed for. Read our list of Different types of pliers for more information

Drill

If you are going to be driving a screw or drilling a hole into wood, metal, concrete or virtually any material, a drill is a must have. You can buy them corded or cordless. Cordless drills are more convenient becuase of their portability and their ability to be used in tight spots. For most task, a 12 volt drill would be sufficient. The downside of cordless drills is that they come with a battery that does tend to add to it's weight. Drills require drill bits that come in many different types to be used for different functions and on different types of materials.

Saw

The primary function of a saw is for cutting materials. These materials can be metals, steel, copper wood, plastic, concrete and other types of materials. Saws like many tools come in different types designed for a specific purpose, They can however be generally classified into hand saws and power saws. An example of a hand saw is a hacksaw and an example of a power saw is a circular saw. See our list of 30 different types of saws for more explanation of saws

Tape Measure

As it's name suggest, tape measures are used for taking measurements and are an essential tool for most DIY projects. They come in various length, but for most DIY tasks, a 25ft tape measure should be sufficient.

Safety Goggles

As already mentioned above, safety goggles are essential if you are doing any DIY task that involves the potential of flying objects or chemicals getting into your eye. It is wrong to assume that you only need safety goggle on task such as chiseling concrete or when using power tools. Task such as blowing debris for your lawn etc. Can just as easily result into something getting into your eye. So, ensure that you have on safety goggles even when performing routine task around the house.

Mask

First of all, some of the task that involved exposure to toxic chemicals or airborne contaminants are better left to a Professional, if however, you are involved in a task that have some exposure to these, or task that exposes you to dust e.g. sanding etc. A respirator or face mask is a must.

Ear Protection

A disposable form earplug, or an earmuff can help protect from ear loss or other potential hearing issues that can result from long term exposure to noisy equipment.

Level

Levels are use for checking alignments and leveling of surfaces

Utility Knife

Utility knives are cutting tools that can cut many materials ranging from drywalls, vinyl flooring, roofing shingles etc

Chisel

Chisels are struck tools that are designed to cut through hard materials. They are usually struck by a hammer through hard materials like stone, nuts and bolts etc and are design for maximum resistance to force. They come in different sizes and have handles that are made of wood or metal.

Voltage Tester

As already mentioned above, safety goggles are essential if you are doing any DIY task that involves the potential of flying objects or chemicals getting into your eye. It is wrong to assume that you only need safety goggle on task such as chiseling concrete or when using power tools. Task such as blowing debris etc. Can result into something getting into your ear. So, ensure that you have on safety goggles even when performing routine task around the house.

Pry Bar

Pry bars and crow bars are used for pulling nails or trims and molding and for performing dismantling and demolition work. They are designed to pry off materials more effictively.

Stud Finder

For task that requires scanning the wall for stud to hang heavy objects like tv mounts etc, a stud finder is a mush have. Although there are techniques for finding stud without a stud finder, a stud finder makes the work much easier and quicker.

Flight Light

It essential to have proper lighting for most task to prevent accidents and injuries. A flashlight comes handy for when you need lighting while working on a project. They come in many different sizes and offer varying degree of brightness.

Tape

Tapes like many tools, come in various types such as electrical tapes, masking tapes, duct tapes etc and are designed for particular functions in mind. Example, different colors of electrical tapes can be used to diffrentiate the purpose of particular wires, while duct tapes can be used to seal leaks in duct etc. For most DIY tasks, a duct tape can be sufficient

Tool Box

So once you have all these tools, where do you store them? here comes mr toolbox to the rescue. They are what their name suggest, a storage for tools. They come in various sizes and designed but serve the same function of conviently storing tools.