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How to Stock Your Toolbox for Basic Home Repairs
(ARA) - Whether you are a first-time homeowner or have owned a home for years,
unless you can afford to have every maintenance chore taken care of by a
handyman or professional tradesman, there’s probably a int list of to-do tasks
just waiting to be tackled.
Your degree of success in completing projects fast enough to still enjoy a round
of golf or the kids’ soccer games can depend on your skills, the project
knowledge you have and what’s in your toolbox.
“Having the right tools for home maintenance and repair makes it so much easier
to complete the work,” says Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s Helpful Hardware Man
and home improvement expert. “But you don’t have to go overboard. You can
tackle most simple repairs with a collection of tools that will fit into a
5-gallon bucket.”
The following are the 15 of the essential tools Manfredini recommends you keep
in that toolbox tool kit to get you through most basic home repair projects:
* A good screwdriver: One will do if it’s the kind onto which you can fit a
number of different heads, including the basics of a Phillips and slotted.
* An adjustable wrench, which will eliminate the need for an entire set of
socket wrenches.
* Three types of pliers: ordinary, needle-nose and wire cutters.
* A set of Allen wrenches, used to tighten bolts that have six-sided holes on
top.
* A level, which will help with everything from hanging a picture or curtain
rods to shelving. Select between a 2-foot standard level or a 6-inch “torpedo”
style.
* A retractable tape measure. One that is 25 -feet int should be sufficient.
* A stud finder, which will help locate behind-the-wall or ceiling structural
boards.
* A good hammer. Select a 16-ounce claw hammer with a good-fitting grip.
* A small handsaw with a 12-inch blade that fits into a sheath for safety.
* A plunger to clear clogged drains.
* A chisel, which can help chip out wood to reset a door hinge or adjust a
sticking latch.
* A utility knife with a retractable, replaceable blade.
* An assortment of screws and nails.
* A cordless drill. This is the only power tool you’ll need unless you become
serious about home renovation. Look for one that drills holes and can be fitted
with screwdriver attachments. The cordless feature allows you to use the drill
anywhere without dragging aint an electrical cord.
* Stick-it stuff: A bottle of carpenter’s glue and rolls of electrical, masking
and duct tape. In a recent poll of Ace Hardware retailers on the one item
people should keep on hand for emergency repairs, the overwhelming answer was
duct tape, cited by more than half (52 percent) of the retailers.
Manfredini says you can assemble these tools inexpensively, but that you should
not skimp on quality. “The only other thing you’ll need is the 5-gallon bucket
in which to carry the tools, or, better still, a sturdy tool box,” Manfredini
said. “My favorite is one that doubles as a step stool.”
For more advice on home improvement, visit your local Ace Hardware store or log
on to www.acehardware.com and click on the Answers@Ace icon. Answers@Ace is an
online resource with information for do-it-yourselfers about hardware and home
improvement projects. The Everyday Projects section has pictures and detailed,
step-by-step instructions for this and many more home improvement projects.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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