A surprisingly small number of tools can cope with a wide range of repair and maintenance jobs around the house. Keep these tools together in a lightweight box or bag, in an easily accessible place, and you will save both time and effort whenever something needs fixing.
As with all things, you usually get what you pay for, and DIY tools are no exception. Don’t buy the cheapest, as the quality of the materials used is likely to be inferior and there is nothing worse than a crucial piece of equipment letting you down, just when you need it.
Claw hammer
This is an excellent general-purpose hammer that can be used for a wide range of tasks from knocking in a picture hook to nailing a fence panel or lifting a floorboard. The claw can be used to extract rusty nails from salvaged wood. Choose wood, steel or fiberglass for the hammer shaft, but if heavy use is anticipated, go for a rubber handgrip for comfort and safety.
Combination pliers
There are many different types of pliers on the market. Each one is designed for a specific task, but the most useful are combination pliers. These feature a pair of flat, serrated jaws for gripping, as well as sharp-edged cutters for slicing through wire. Pliers are extremely versatile, but it is never wise to use them for removing nuts and bolts, as these can easily be damaged by the pliers’ serrated jaws.
Set of screwdrivers
A range of good-quality screwdrivers is essential for any home toolbox. Normally a boxed set will contain a selection with slotted and Pozidriv heads in a variety of different sizes that are suitable for most household tasks. Including a couple with short stubby handles in your collection will allow easy access to areas where space is tight. If room for storing your tools is at a premium, then you could buy one all-purpose screwdriver with a hollow handle for storing the interchangeable driver bits. Such tools are brilliantly compact, but the shape of the handle on these multifunction tools may make them less efficient and more difficult to use.
Adjustability wrench
Your house may contain a wide range of hexagonal nuts and bolts, all in different sizes. A single adjustable wrench can do the same job as a box of conventional spanners and it can be swiftly changed to the required size. It is a good idea to have a pair of these wrenches handy, as quite often you need to hold two parts of the threaded item, such as when tightening a compression fitting on a section of your plumbing system.
Retractable utility knife
This type of knife can cope with most cutting tasks around the house. It will slice neatly through paper, card, vinyl, carpet, leather, linoleum and many other materials. Go for one that can accept a good range of specialist blades, designed for different purposes. Larger versions of this tool are often supplied with a convenient belt holster. Always try to keep a supply of fresh blades stored in the handle, ready for a quick change when necessary: as with all cutting tools, a sharp blade is not only more efficient, it is far safer than a blunt one.
Continuity tester
This battery-powered device is an essential in any electrician’s kit. It is very easy to use and will allow you to identify breaks in electrical circuits and to test whether a fuse or switch is functioning properly. If the problem it highlights simply requires changing a fuse or securing a loose wire, you will often be able to do it quickly yourself and save money.
Cordless drill
Whether you need to drill a hole or insert or remove screws, usually the most effortless and convenient way is with a cordless drill. Powered by rechargeable batteries, the drill can be taken anywhere in the house or garden as it does not need a main power supply or trailing extension cord – making it safer to use outside or up a ladder. If you choose a model with variable speeds, torque settings, and hammer-action, you will be able to tackle most household jobs including drilling into masonry. Also, a keyless chuck allows quick changing of drill or screwdriver bits. Keep a spare battery, charged ready for use.
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A claw hammer is an essential DIY tool that can be used for a wide range of tasks.
