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Ten Critical Tools You Need to Stock Your Toolbox


Every time I hang a picture or measure a window, I carefully place my toolbox back in its place: an inconvenient corner in the back of the closet, next to the ironing board, underneath the winter coats, and behind a cabinet. Because I cant actually see in the closet, the next time I go to take out my toolbox, I have to squat down and reach blindly past the ironing board, beneath the coats, and around the cabinet to lug it out. When am I going to learn that I use my toolbox on an almost daily basis?

A well-stockedand easily accessibletoolbox can make anyones life a little, be she a homeowner, renter, or college student. The ten most basic tools listed below will put you in the right direction on the path toward complete tool sufficiency.

1. Toolbox
Not one to overlook the obvious, I would like to point out that the toolbox itself is an essential element of a well-equipped toolbox. My first toolbox was actually a plastic tackle box with a removable tray. It worked like a charm, holding my claw hammer, Phillips head screwdriver and a random assortment of nails and screws. Now Ive graduated to a fancy toolkit made of molded plastic where all the various tools and accessories snap into a particular place. If, like me, there are certain tools you use once a decade, the molded plastic option at least gives you a clue of whether the missing tool is long and skinny or short and square.

2. Home Repair Manual
Although technically not a tool, a good home-repair manual can open doorsliterally! Peruse the selection in your local bookstore or check out some online reviews of the most popular ones. All repair manuals will have the same basic information, so base your decision on the wording that makes the most sense to you and the pictures that you find the most helpful.

3. Hammer
Most often used for driving nails and breaking things apart, the hammer typically consists of a handle and a head. The most essential hammer to have in your toolbox is the claw hammer, which is useful in both driving in and removing nails. Other implements in the hammer category include: framing hammer, upholstery hammer, ball-peen hammer, rubber mallet, wooden mallet, and sledgehammer.

4. Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers tighten or loosen screws by applying torque. The typical hand-held screwdriver has a head that engages the screw, a shaft, and a handle. Screwdrivers vary in both size and head shape, and are identified by the screw heads they are used to tighten or loosen. The most basic screwdrivers are the slotted and Phillipsevery toolbox should have a couple of each in varying sizes. Additional screwdrivers include: PoziDriv, Robertson, crosspoint, Torx, and Hex.

5. Pliers
Pliers are used to increase gripping ability and leverage. However, within this category, pliers can perform slightly different functions. Cutting pliers sever or pinch off materials. Gripping pliers, as described above, are pretty self explanatory and include flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, and needle nose pliers. Gripping pliers are the most common variety, and are a tool no toolbox is complete without. Finally, crimping pliers are used in electrical work to crimp electrical terminals and connectors.

6. Tape Measure
Although tape measures can be made of cloth, ribbon, or metal, most toolbox tape measures consist of a stiff metallic ribbon, housed in a plastic case, which is self-retracting but can also be locked into place. Twenty-five feet is a good, all-purpose length.

7. Saw
A saw is used for cuttingthe type of material to be cut varies with the saw. A saw consists of a serrated blade, handle, and can be powered by hand, steam, water, or electricity. For your basic toolbox, a relatively small hand saw may be all that is required for minor projects around the home. In addition to the hand saw, back saws have a thinner blade that is reinforced by a steel or brass back. Frame saws stiffen the blade by placing it in a frame. For example, a hacksaw is a frame saw.

8. Putty Knife
A putty knife has a flat, flexible blade. Rather than being used for cutting, a putty knife is useful foryou guessed it!scraping and applying putty. Not too much to describe about this simple tool, but I can tell you that its handy in many different situations, and one of the most inexpensive tools on the list. Why not get it?

9. Wrenches
A wrench is used to create additional leverage in turning nuts, bolts, or other stubborn items. The most basic wrench is an open-end wrench, which is a solid piece of metal with a U-shaped opening at one end that grips the sides of a nut or bolt. More advanced wrenches include: a box-end wrench, which features an enclosed opening and is typically used with nuts or bolts that are hexagonal in shape; an adjustable end wrench or Crescent wrench (so called after the original patent holders brand name, Crescent Tool and Horseshoe Company); a socket wrench, and the Hex key or Allen wrench.

10. Awl
An awl is a woodworking tool, very useful for starting holes before drilling. Quite simply, the scratch awl is a steel spike with a sharpened tip at one end and a handle on the other. In actual woodworking, a scratch awl is used for scribing a line to be followed by a hand saw or chisel.

Option periods are the time periods, if any, following the initial lease period.

Carpet Capers: Picking the Carpet that Suits your Lifestyle

There is no other flooring option that offers the comfort and quiet of carpet. Now there are not only many colors and patterns of carpets to choose from there are also a variety of types to suit any household and dcor.
Carpet is a good choice because it is warm and soft, particularly on children when crawling or playing on the floor. Carpet is much quieter than other flooring options, particularly hard wood surfaces. Carpeting is also an economical option because the product itself and installation fees are much lower than other flooring types.
Here is an overview of the main carpet types of the market today.
Saxony: Saxony carpet is smooth and has a cut-pile surface. It is used mainly in traditional or formal rooms.
Textured Saxony or Shag: This type of carpet has a more relaxed appearance and is very popular for families. The textured surface of this type helps to hide footprints, which means less upkeep for you.
Velvet: As the name might imply, this is a type appropriate for very formal and elegant rooms. It has a very fine sheared surface. Because of its suitability to formal rooms and the upkeep required, this is not as popular an option as other carpet types.
Frieze: This kind of carpet is extremely durable so it is perfect for rooms that see a lot of activity. It has a textured almost knobby appearance, which makes it a less popular option even though it does stand up well to wear.
Cut and Loop (or Random-Sheared): Cut and loop has a very distinctive appearance with cuts and loops of different sizes on the surface. It works in a variety of rooms since the multi-colors and multi-layers help hide traffic and stains.
Level loop and Multi-Level Loop: These two types of carpets are made up of loops (with level loop, all the loops are level, whereas with multi-loop there are different levels of loops). Both of these are very durable and stand up well in high traffic areas. They have a casual rather than elegant appearance.
Once youve decided on the type of carpet you want to put in, you need to keep a few other things in mind.
You will need to take into consideration the different types of carpet fibers: nylon, olefin, polyester, acrylic and wool. Nylon is the most popular of these fibers because of cost and its ability to hide wear and stains. The other types of fibers have other benefits, but there is nothing that can match the durability and brilliant coloring of nylon fibers.
Knowing about yarn twists will also come in handy. With carpet, the rule is the tighter the yarn twist is the better. You want to look for a carpet with a shorter nap. The longer the nap the more difficult it is for the carpet to be crush resistant. Your carpet will look newer longer if you choose one with a shorter nap. The stitches per inch also contribute to the crush resistance of a carpet. Try to choose a carpet that has more yarn or stitches per inch to increase your carpets matt and crush resistance. If you are buying a looped carpet, then you need to look at the density of the loop and the amount of space right in the middle of the loop, because the tighter the loop, the better the wear will be.
Once youve decided on the type of carpet (taking into consideration the fibers, nap and yarn twist), youll need to pick a pattern and a color. There are many, many options out there nowadays. You may want to consider a solid, neutral color that will go with many wall and furnishing colors and patterns. You dont want to have to change your carpet every time you redecorate, so try to select something that is versatile.
To help keep your carpet looking new, there are some basic maintenance steps to follow. You want to vacuum regularly and remove carpet stains as soon as you notice them. The longer a stain sits, the most difficult it is to remove. You can also practice some preventative measures (like using mats and runners in high traffic entry ways) to reduce the wear on your carpet.