Many homeowners live under the misconception that their choice of dwelling–whether it’s a multi-family building or in a community, relieves them of many of the mundane responsibilities of homeownership, like no lawn to mow, no gutter to clear and no nails to hammer. So when something little goes wrong inside your apartment or compound, you always call the Handyman.
Not so fast! somethings within the walls of your home, floor, and ceiling are your responsibilities. If you’re having a problem, say a leak under the kitchen sink, the handyman or plumber may come take a look and fix it for you for a small fee.
Claw hammer. Indispensable. You can knock things in (like nails) or pull them out (like nails). You should keep a couple of boxes of nails in the toolbox as well.
Screwdrivers. Also indispensable. They come in different lengths and heads. You need both a Philips head and a flat head screwdriver. Multi-head sets with interchangeable lengths that can be slid in and out of a single handle are available at most hardware stores.
Electric drill with full bit set. Even with traditional screwdrivers in your toolbox, an electric drill with a full set of bits, including screwdriver heads, is a necessity. You need it to set an anchor in plaster or drywall. With the right bit attachments, they also double as a power screwdriver.
Tape measure. It’s what you see workmen hook onto their belts. It pulls out of a plastic or metal casing and usually goes up to six or even eight feet in length. Bring it with you when you buy furniture to make sure that new couch fits on the wall and will get through the front door.
Pliers. Great for pulling things out of other things, or holding something small in place while you screw something else into it. They’re also really useful for removing bones from fish before cooking. You can watch a video about that on youtube.
Wrench. A necessary secondary tool that comes in really handy when doing any kind of plumbing repair.
Level. This will save you much heartache when hanging shelves and framed artwork and photos.
Utility knife. It has unlimited uses, such as opening boxes or cutting linoleum among other things. It will also prevent you from ruining your kitchen knives doing exactly those things.
Putty or spackle knife (and putty or spackle). At some point, we all need to make some minor repairs to a wall, especially a plaster wall. If you’re painting, you need to ‘prep up’ first. Don’t paint over cracks because they’ll come back and all too soon. Apply spackle or putty first.
Flashlight. No explanation needed for this one.
“The top three things everyone should have are a good wrench, both kinds of screwdrivers, and a hammer. An electric drill is a really good investment too. Fill your toolbox and learn how to do basic repairs yourself!
©Cooperator
WESABI 