Murphy’s Law says that the tool you need most during a home improvement project is the one you won’t have in your collection.
Just about everyone has some assortment of tools lying around a basement workbench or mixed into a kitchen drawer. But what makes up a practical but adequate tool set–especially since there are different levels of home improvement and the needs of a condo dweller may not equal those of the owner of a sprawling ranch in the suburbs.
To help build the perfect tool set, we asked for the opinions of hardware experts Emil Novak of Kranz Hardware Co. in Villa Park and Pat Johnson, a customer service representative for Home Depot on Chicago’s North Side.
The two started by outlining a basic but not bare-bones tool set that should cover most of the projects and repairs faced by those folks moving into their first apartment or condominium.
“What you’re looking for is enough tools to handle tasks such as hanging pictures, hanging a few shelves, fixing leaky faucets, and handling a little electrical repair work such as a broken light switch or broken lamp cord,” says Johnson.
The components of such a set would include:
– A small hooked clawed hammer, starting at about 10 ounces.
– A 6-inch pair of pliers. “Pliers always come in handy with just about any type of home improvement or repair,” says Novak. “For example, with an apartment dweller, they would be essential with jobs such as assembling furniture.”
– A pair of needle-nosed pliers is also a good investment, especially if a do-it-yourselfer plans on doing a bit of electrical repair work.
– A set of at least four screwdrivers. Novak recommends No. 1 and 2 Phillips and 1/4-inch and 5/16-inch straight blade screwdrivers. Johnson says a screwdriver with interchangeable blades is also a good bet.
The uses of screwdrivers around a house are unlimited–from tightening loose doorknobs to fixing toys. “A good screwdriver set is a given if you work on your own car,” he says.
– A pair of channel locks. “These will do a lot more than conventional pliers,” says Johnson. “And they will open much larger than pliers, to repair plumbing and drains.”
– A set of vice grips. “These work really well for fixing a loose handle on a faucet,” says Novak.
– An adjustable crescent wrench. “This would be in lieu of a more expensive socket wrench kit,” says Johnson. “It’s the best way to work with nuts and bolts.”
– A small torpedo level and a tape measure. “These are essential for hanging pictures and shelves,” says Johnson.
– A retractable utility knife for cutting everything from cardboard boxes to floor tile.
-Also a necessity is a 1-inch and 4-inch putty knife. “These are great for patching holes in the wall or opening stuck windows,” says Johnson.
– A small set of allen wrenches. “So many things–from bed frames to toys–have allen heads now,” says Novak.
– A hacksaw and a small hand saw. “The hacksaw can be used to cut so many things, such as piping,” says Johnson. “The hand saw would be handy for cutting wood.”
– Finally, the one electrical tool in a basic set should be a 3/8-inch variable speed drill. A variety of drill bits and screwdriver tips should also be purchased.
“I would recommend a corded drill versus a battery-powered drill. If you don’t use it much, the battery may never be charged enough for your project,” says Johnson.
“A drill is not a necessity for a basic tool kit but it can be a great time-saver with jobs such as hanging drapery rods where you could use it for both drilling holes and screwing in the screws,” says Novak.
What is also a good investment is a tool box to keep everything contained. “The worst time waster is rifling through a junk drawer to find a screwdriver and a pair of pliers,” says Novak.
The above scenario should cost a do-it-yourselfer about $40 on the low end for the basic hand tools, and as much as $200 for the entire set.
“It’s a good investment even for an apartment dweller,” says Novak. “You can easily rack up that much in repair bills if you don’t have the tools.”
Weekend warrior
The do-it-yourselfer who owns a single-family home or two-flat, meanwhile, should be equipped with a few more tools to aptly handle all the repairs and improvements that come up during the typical weekend.
Good additions to a basic tool kit include:
– A socket wrench set with standard and metric sockets. “There are so many home improvement projects–such as repairing a garage door, building a deck, and assembling furniture and play sets–that now require socket wrenches,” says Johnson. “And it’s essential for working on a car.”
– For fixing toilets and cleaning out drain traps, a pair of 14-inch and 18-inch pipe wrenches are fundamental.
– A set of C-clamps is also a good investment as they can be used for everything from gluing wood furniture back together to repairing screens.
– A miter box for making straight cuts in wood and trimming woodwork is also a good investment.
– A pry bar. This is not only important for demolition work, but a good tool when removing woodwork you plan to restore.
– For minor electrical repairs, a circuit or continuity tester also comes in handy, says Novak. “When you’re replacing old outlets and such, the testers are great for making sure the circuits are polarized and grounded,” he says. “That’s especially important today with computers and the like.”
– In addition to a drill, a second electrical tool that’s a worthwhile investment is a 7 1/4-inch circular saw. “Circular saws are great time-savers when it comes to making cuts and they’re very versatile,” says Johnson. “They can be used on numerous projects, from building a deck to putting up basement paneling.”
To add the above items to your collection, plan on spending at least $150.
High-end tools
For those do-it-yourselfers who would like to improve on the above, Novak and Johnson had a few suggestions.
– Both recommended a table saw. “It’s probably the most versatile saw in that it can do what a circular saw, a radial arm saw and a miter saw can,” says Johnson. “And if you use it several times a year, it will be a good investment.”
“It makes much more sense than buying, say, a router, which you will rarely use unless you’re a hobbyist,” says Novak.
– A small air compressor. “It’s much better than a hand pump for inflating tires and toys and it’s good for cleaning hard-to-get-to spaces,” Novak says.
– A belt sander or vibrating sander are also nice tools for refinishing woodwork or shaving sticky doors.
– Finally, power paint rollers are a good investment if you do a lot of your own house painting. “They make much more sense than spray painters in that they’re more useful and use the paint better,” says Johnson. “They work well on both surfaces indoors and outdoors.”
Table saws start at just over $100 and can reach several hundred dollars depending on features. Air compressors, sanders and power rollers, meanwhile, can be found for under $100 each.
Fundamental supplies
In addition to a tool set, every do-it-yourselfer should have a decent collection of home improvement hardware and supplies.
For example, every tool box should have an assortment of wood screws and sheet metal screws, as well as an assortment of finishing nails and 16 penny nails. “You can usually find a pre-mixed assortment of nails and screws that will last you for many months,” says Novak.
Also necessary for making emergency repairs is electrical tape, Teflon tape for plumbing and paste or pipe compound for gas pipes, says Novak.
Johnson also recommends stocking a tool box with electrical tape and duct tape, as well as wood glue and Super Glue.
