Tool box essentials

15 Things Every Homeowner Should Have in Their Toolbox

GLOVES AND SAFETY GLASSES

Safety Glasses – A home improvement MUST! Protect your eyes, you’ll be glad you did. They now make safety glasses with magnifiers in the bottom half for those of us over 40. Be sure you buy glasses that fit and will stay in place while you’re working. Don’t skimp on this vital safety tool.

16 OZ FINISH HAMMER

Gloves – You never know when you’ll need them and splinters really do hurt. They continue to improve the sizes and offerings, look for ones that fit.

16 oz Finish Hammer – Great for big and small jobs and fits nicely in your toolbox. The heavier the hammer the tougher it is to swing, especially for women. If you need a heavy duty hammer look for one that has a lightweight head but a long handle.

6 IN ONE SCREWDRIVER

6 in 1 Screwdriver – Has phillips and slotted tips along with 2 different sized nut drivers. It doesn’t hurt to have several of these.

25 FT TAPE MEASURE

25 ft Tape Measure – Compact enough for small scale work but stretches for bigger tasks. They also make some great tape measures that I call “cheater” tape measures. All of the incremental fractions are printed right on the tape measure and I love it. The number one error in most projects is measurement error.

UTILITY KNIFE

Utility Knife (box knife) – Great for cutting just about anything from vinyl floor and roofing shingles to cardboard. Buy extra blades and change them often.

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH

Adjustable Wrenches – a 6 inch and a 10 inch should cover almost any job.

RECEPTACLE (OUTLET) TESTER

Receptacle Tester – A must for electrical inspections and mapping your circuits.

VOLTAGE TESTER

Voltage Tester – This simple tester will ensure you are working safely with electricity.

TORPEDO LEVEL AND 24 IN LEVEL

Torpedo Level – A nice compact tool that works well for when hanging pictures, shelving and small carpentry projects.

24 inch Level – For big and small tasks. You may not use it often but you’ll be glad you have it when its needed.

STUD FINDER

Stud Finder – Use it to find the “studs” in your walls for hanging artwork, shelves and more. They work!

CAULK GUN

Caulk Gun – You’ll use this for all kinds of jobs from tub and ; tile work in your bath and kitchen to gutters and sidewalk repairs.

CORDLESS DRILL AND DRIVER

Cordless Drill – Use as a drill and power screwdriver. A 12V model will handle most around the house tasks. Power tools – the great equalizer.

DRILL AND DRIVER SET

Drill and Screwdriver Bit Set – Use with your cordless drill for all kinds of chores.

There are many other items you will add to your toolbox over the years but these will give you a great start at handling most chores.