For a new homeowner, the tasks of maintenance and repair can be daunting. Especially if you have little or no experience in those areas. However, given a little thought and the right tools, there's very little you need to be afraid to tackle on your own.
For myself, I've found the five tools listed below are enough to take care of a surprising variety of maintenance and repair issues.
•Utility/Razor Knife;
•Small Wire Cutters;
•Small Channel Locks;
•Variable Bit Screwdriver;
•Small Adjustable Wrench.
With just these items, you'll be able to take care of many of the chores a homeowner faces. I've done minor plumbing, electrical and mechanical jobs with just these small, inexpensive tools.
Other items that simply are "must-haves" would be:
•16 oz. Smooth Faced Hammer;
•Tape Measure;
•3" Paint Brush;
•1" to 1-1/2" Putty Knife;
•Torpedo Level, and;
•Stud Finder or Strong Magnet.
Notes on These Tools:
The channell locks serve the same function as regular pliars. They also have the ability open much wider and grip thicker objects securely, which adds greatly to their versatility.
The wire cutters cut much more than just wire.
Many variable bit screwdrivers will come with not only flat and Philips head bits, but also hex head, and star bits as well. Each in three to five different sizes. I recommend having the hex and star bits because more manufacturers are useing those screw types these days. This is a good thing because hex and star bits are much less prone to stripping screw heads than either flat or phillips heads.
Avoid getting a hammer with cross-hatching on the head. They are made for rough carpentry and will leave ugly cross-hatch marks on whatever you're hammering on or into.
A steel tape is preferred simply because one person can take measurements easily. The hook on the end of the tape and the rigidity the concave tape provides allows one person to do what would take two people if a cloth tape was used.
The putty knife is used to apply spackle to dings or dents in walls. Most of what a homeowner will repair will be fairly small, so a 1 to 1-1/2" wide knife blade will work fine. However, for smooth (non-textured) walls, a wider knife gives a smoother, flatter finished surface.
The torpedo level will mostly be used for hanging pictures or other objects on walls. If you need to level or plumb over a greater distance, you can span that distance with something straigtht (like a yard stick for instance) and place the torpedo level on it. However, the final result will only be as level as the spanning device is straight.
A stud finder is useful when you need to hang a heavy object on a wall. Drywall won't support much weight for very long, so you need to find a stud to screw into. They're easy to use, just follow the directions they come with. If you don't want to buy a stud finder, a strong magnet will work too. Just move the magnet over the wall until it finds a screw head. The screw will be in a stud. Most houses are built with studs placed 2 feet apart, so once you've found the first stud, the others should be easy to locate.
I highly recommend getting a utility knife with a retractable blade. It's too easy to slip one of these into a pocket ("just for a second"), forget it's there and find youself with a razor sharp blade pushing into your leg.
Other Handy Items
Along with the tools in a previous post, you'll also need a few supplies to keep your house in good repair. Like the tools I recommend in another post, these supplies are minimal and inexpensive, yet invaluable.
Spackle
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For spackle products, I almost always use DAP Dry Dex Dry-Time Indicator Spackling. I prefer this product for two reasons. First, it goes on pink and slowly turns white as it dries. This eliminates the possibility of sanding while the spackle is too dry, ruining the repair and having to start all over. Second, it's very easy to work with. It goes on smoothly and rarely requires anything more that one or two swipes with sandpaper before it's ready to paint.
When you open the plastic spackle container, you may notice some small bits of darker pink. Don't worry, these are just from inconsistent wetness. Grab something like a paint stir and mix those darker bits into the rest and all will be well. Next, scoop some putty onto your putty knife and apply it to the damaged area of the wall. Use gentle pressure to ensure the putty fills the hole or damaged area. Use the knife to feather the edges of the repair and wait for it to turn white. If the repair is shallow, drying time can be as short as 15 minutes if humidity is low. For deeper repairs in humid conditions, you may need to wait overnight.
You should try to apply any spackle with a putty knife that's wider than the repair itself. It will keep you from having to sand out small ridges which are created between knife passes. If the wall has a heavy texture or you're filling holes made by nails or screws, you can simply dab a small amount of spackle on the hole with your finger. Use latex or similar gloves to do this, however, as the warning label states that the product may be harmful if ingested or absorbed through the skin. Therefore, if you're sanding more than a small amount, I recommend you wet sand to keep dust from being inhaled. Wet sanding also tends to leave a smoother finish.
Cost: $5 to $6
Sanding Sponge
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It would be silly to have spackle on hand and not have something to sand it with. Your local hardware store will carry a variety of sanding papers and sponges. I use sponges almost exclusively. They are easier to use, last longer and have multiple grits (smoother and rougher) on each sponge. They also have square edges that are handy for sanding in corners.
You can use sponges either dry or wet. For wet sanding, all you need to do is dip the sponge in water and squeeze out any excess. It doesn't take a lot of water to keep the dust down.
Cost: About $3
Paint and Primer
If you don't have primer and paint to match you walls, don't worry. Your local paint store (or Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.) will be able to supply you with both. Buy the primer you like best. It will be white and should allow the paint to cover it easily.
To match the new paint to your existing walls, you'll need a sample for the store to work with. This means you are going to have to chip some paint from your wall. The store will need a chip at least 1/2" to 3/4" across. If you can get one from the area you're already repairing, good. If not, take one from an area that's not easily visible but still leaves you access to re-paint it.
Take the chip to the paint store and give it to them. They will put it on an analyser that reads its color make-up and can match their paint exactly to yours. Remember, however, that your existing paint has been drying for a while, so if your new paint doesn't match perfectly the next morning, don't fret. As it drys more and more over the coming weeks, any difference in color will disappear.
Cost: Variable depending on retailer and brand
Spackle
When you open the plastic spackle container, you may notice some small bits of darker pink. Don't worry, these are just from inconsistent wetness. Grab something like a paint stir and mix those darker bits into the rest and all will be well. Next, scoop some putty onto your putty knife and apply it to the damaged area of the wall. Use gentle pressure to ensure the putty fills the hole or damaged area. Use the knife to feather the edges of the repair and wait for it to turn white. If the repair is shallow, drying time can be as short as 15 minutes if humidity is low. For deeper repairs in humid conditions, you may need to wait overnight.
You should try to apply any spackle with a putty knife that's wider than the repair itself. It will keep you from having to sand out small ridges which are created between knife passes. If the wall has a heavy texture or you're filling holes made by nails or screws, you can simply dab a small amount of spackle on the hole with your finger. Use latex or similar gloves to do this, however, as the warning label states that the product may be harmful if ingested or absorbed through the skin. Therefore, if you're sanding more than a small amount, I recommend you wet sand to keep dust from being inhaled. Wet sanding also tends to leave a smoother finish.
Cost: $5 to $6
Sanding Sponge
You can use sponges either dry or wet. For wet sanding, all you need to do is dip the sponge in water and squeeze out any excess. It doesn't take a lot of water to keep the dust down.
Cost: About $3
Paint and Primer
If you don't have primer and paint to match you walls, don't worry. Your local paint store (or Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.) will be able to supply you with both. Buy the primer you like best. It will be white and should allow the paint to cover it easily.
To match the new paint to your existing walls, you'll need a sample for the store to work with. This means you are going to have to chip some paint from your wall. The store will need a chip at least 1/2" to 3/4" across. If you can get one from the area you're already repairing, good. If not, take one from an area that's not easily visible but still leaves you access to re-paint it.
Take the chip to the paint store and give it to them. They will put it on an analyser that reads its color make-up and can match their paint exactly to yours. Remember, however, that your existing paint has been drying for a while, so if your new paint doesn't match perfectly the next morning, don't fret. As it drys more and more over the coming weeks, any difference in color will disappear.
Cost: Variable depending on retailer and brand
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