Most women grow up without ever needing to know much about simple home repair or even the basics for hanging a picture on a SHEETROCK (R) wall without making a huge hole. Girls do not on a regular basis take a shop course in woodworking, for example, like boys do in junior high school. But suddenly one day, a woman may find herself needing to take care of some small home repair job and not know the first thing about the proper tools for the job. While many women are quite creative about using what is available to do the job, a kitchen knife for instance, instead of a screw driver, it does help to build up a tool box with the correct tools to do most simple jobs around the house. With many women buying their own homes these days, or with the rise in the divorce rate and single living, it is really important to learn these skills.
The first tools that a woman needs to consider are simple. A medium weight hammer, a set of screw drivers, both straight edge and Phillips, in varying sizes, a tape measure and possibly a level. You don’t need to buy very expensive tools, but you should buy good ones. This is one area that cheap is not necessarily the way to go. Your local hardware store or the big chain stores like Sears, Lowes and Home Depot stock many brands of tools and they are always very eager to help you pick out the ones you need.
Moving on from the basic tools, you may want to consider buying your first power tool. A variable speed reversing drill with a 3/8 chuck (opening for the drill bit) and a 1/3 horsepower motor should be sufficient for most jobs around the home. They now make drills that are cordless which is a real advantage when you need to drill holes in tight spots. Of course, once you graduate into power tools you should consider buying a good quality extension cord to operate them. The light weight extension cords that you use around the house are just not adequate and you certainly should not use them outdoors. You may need to use your power tools outside in order to avoid making a mess indoors.
If you start to consider getting into more extensive construction projects, like building book shelves which necessitates cutting boards to length, you may need to buy a circular saw. There are many types on the market. You will not need one like the carpenters on the new construction site down the road. For the few times that you may need one, a “homeowners” type is best. Again, this follows for most power tools that are used around the home. Unless you are going to be doing major repairs or construction around the house, you do not need to buy top end tools. And many times, a hand saw can do the same thing, especially if you only need to cut one or two boards. You will also need a t-square or other measuring device to ensure right angles, if you are going to be doing your own cutting.
When it comes to plumbing, sometimes it is better to call a professional. However, for tightening a leaky faucet or if you need to repair a simple pipe leak under the sink, there are many wrenches that you can add to your tool box. These can come in handy, for instance, if you decide to change the shower head and you can’t loosen it by hand. A pair of vise grips also comes in handy for loosening tough connections.
Many pieces of furniture now come as “knock downs”. This means that you have to put the little screws into the holes and attach all the pieces yourself once you get it home. It saves you money if you can put it together yourself. A set of ratchet wrenches comes in handy for this type of job. Sometimes, the furniture comes with keyhole wrenches. If so, always make sure you hang on to them as they will come handy again when bolts loosen up.
These are the basics of tools for most jobs around the house. Usually what happens is that you will accumulate tools as different jobs come up. It is important for women to remember that with time and patience most jobs can be accomplished with the right tools for the job.
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