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Fix It Like a Pro: 4 Essential Tools for the Handyman (or Handywoman!)

The influx of power tools into the market has been positive, allowing people to complete home renovations with ease and save a significant amount of time. However, traditional hand tools have survived the test of time, proving to be useful even with the arrival of power tools that are able to replace them in some instances.
There are many power tools out there. It is beneficial to have many different tools to be able to tackle any job you need to, but there are certain ones that a household must have to be able to complete simple repairs and renovations.

1. Hammer

Throughout the course of owning a home, there will be many times you will need your trusty hammer to complete a job. Whether you are completing basic jobs like hanging a picture or installing shelves or tackling larger jobs like roofing your home or framing a new addition, your hammer is definitely a pre-requisite.

A good hammer will have a heavy head to be able to drive nails in efficiently and also pull out nails as needed. A steel or fibreglass handle is often preferred as wooden ones often break and the grip is more slippery.

2. Measuring tape

Similar to the hammer, the measuring tape is a tool you will use time and time again. The measuring tape can be used for such tasks as determining the square footage of a room, measuring materials, and gauging the size of an appliance or piece of furniture to decide if it will fit in a specified area.

When choosing a measuring tape, confirm that it is able to lock when you are reading a measurement and it is durable enough that it will not twist or bend when you are using it. Consider what types of projects you will be using it for to make sure you purchase a tape that will be long enough.

3. Adjustable wrench

While having wrenches of various sizes is obviously beneficial, your home toolbox should have an adjustable wrench at the very least to accommodate all sizes of hardware. Whether you are making repairs to your plumbing or fixing the garden hose, the adjustable wrench is designed to fit any size of nut or bolt found in your home but the wrench does come in bigger sizes to complete larger jobs.

If you need an adjustable wrench, it may be beneficial to buy a set that includes different sizes. Although the size of the wrench can be changed, smaller ones can only be extended so far and you would be disappointed to find your wrench will not spread wide enough. In contrast, adjustable wrenches are often used in small, confined spaces so having a wrench that is too big may prove to be a disadvantage as well. Having a set with various sizes will guarantee you have the right one you need for the job.

4. Screwdriver

Like the wrench, it is advantageous to have every type of screwdriver available but this is not necessary if you want to minimize the contents of your toolbox. Having a good screwdriver set with interchangeable bits will guarantee that you have the right tool for any job you need to complete.

When purchasing a screwdriver set with multiple bits, make sure that it includes Philips, flathead, and Robertson heads as these are the most common, allowing you to fit it with any screw you need to. Buy a set that has different sizes for each type of head to guarantee you will be able to tighten or unscrew any hardware in your home and prevent the stripping that occurs on a screw when the wrong type or size of screwdriver is used.

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