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Hammer It Home: Different Types of Hammers and What Jobs They Perform


Although the hammer is one of the simplest toolsconsisting of a handle and a headthere is nonetheless a great variety of sizes, styles, and functionalities. For basic home repairs, which ones should you have handy? Read on to find out!

Knock these off the list
In general, there are some tools that fall into the hammer category that are only used for more specialized tasks. These include: mallets and mauls, which are woodworking tools; ball-peen hammers, used for metalwork; and more heavy duty options such as the roofers hammer or sledgehammer. Assuming you are just looking for something that drives nails and occasionally breaks things apart, well disregard the options below and discuss the more common varieties.

Whats it made of?
Hammer heads, which have the striking surface, are typically made of metal.
The handle allows a good grip, extends the arc of your swing thereby increasing speed and velocity of the strike, andin modern timesserves as a shock absorber. The most common and inexpensive handles are made of wood, just as they have been since the hammer was first invented. Although wood handles have okay shock absorption, keep in mind that they will probably need to be replaced at some point. Another problem unique to wooden handles is that over-striking and hitting the handle against the piece youre working on will cause a wooden handle more damage than it would to a metal or fiberglass one.

Also around for hundreds of years, metal hammer handles are extremely durable and resist damage from over-striking. The weakness of a metal hammer is its lack of shock absorption. To combat this, most metal hammers also have a well-cushioned grip.

Finally, the new kid on the block in hammer handle materials is fiberglass. Fiberglass handles have the best of both worldsthey absorb shock as well as or better than a wooden handle (with the addition of a rubbery grip), and they are nearly as rigid or durable as metal handles. Fiberglass hammers can also be used by electricians.

Weigh your options
The most popular hammer weights are between 455 and 680g (16 to 24 oz). The state hammer weight consists of the weight of the head onlynot the handle. A 12-oz hammer is known as a tack hammer and can be used for driving small nails, brads, and tacks. While 20 oz hammers drive larger nails efficiently, the middle size of 16 oz hammers is the most popular and versatile.

Choose a head, any head
Most general work hammers have a flat striking face on one end and a peen on the other, with the balance in the head. Peens vary in design; the most common hammer is the claw hammer, in which the peen is shaped like a two-prong, curved fork. This claw design is most useful for pulling nails. Similarly, a rip hammer has a two-prong, straight fork. The rip hammer is designed to pry apart two joined pieces of wood.
The deciding factor
Although the purpose of the hammer is the most important factor in your decision, you should also consider how an individual hammer feels to you. When you have narrowed down your choices based on weight, type of materials, and style, pick up your finalists and swing them. If possible and safe, hit something with it. Consider how the hammer feels in your hand, whether the shock level is acceptable, and if you have a good grip and a good amount of swinging power for the project at hand.

Handle your hammer like a pro
Now that youve bought your hammer, learn what to do with it! A few basic hammer use pointers are addressed below.
To make a job easier and avoid damage to either your tools or the project, always choose the appropriate hammer for each individual job.
If you notice a hammer slipping off nails, use medium sand paper to roughen the face.
Never use the side of a hammer head to make contact, because the metal at this point is not hardened like the striking face and could incur damage.
Check on a regular basis to ensure the steel wedges holding the hammer handle in the hammer head are tight. Wood can shrink in dry conditions. If a wood handle does become loose, submerse the head in water overnight. This will rehydrate the wood, causing it to expand and tighten up again.
A piece of scrap wood inserted between the work piece and hammer will prevent damage to the work piece when crafting delicate projects.
Another way to prevent damage to the work piece is to use a nail punch to sink nails into the timber.

If you are buying a home, your agent should also be able to help you explore all the possible options available to you and inform you of the economics, taxes, maintenance, and insurance involved.

Three Top Reasons NOT to Tile over Vinyl Flooring

Though more and more people are tiling right over their existing flooring, there are many disadvantages to this. Though you may think that this will save you time, tiling right over vinyl can compromise the stability and look of your ceramic tile. Here are the top three reasons not to tile directly over vinyl flooring.
1. It wont stick well.
The top layer of vinyl is similar to plastic and it is very difficult to adhere anything to it. Vinyl is shining with an artificial shine and as your base it isnt porous which means a good bond is very difficult to achieve. No matter what kind of glue you try to apply to the vinyl, your tiles will not bond well to the vinyl. There are some who recommend roughing up the surface of the vinyl for a better bond, but this really isnt an effective method.
Because the tile and vinyl will not adhere well to one another, there might be lifting after you lay the floor. If the vinyl begins lifting and pushing the tile up, you may have to replace a section or the entire floor. If you do tile directly over vinyl or linoleum flooring, you may find at a later date that you need to remove the new tile floor to get to the old vinyl because of lifting and instability. It is probably better to save yourself the time, money and hassle by removing it now.
It is important that your new tile floor is secure and stable and direct adhesion to vinyl flooring will not ensure that. There isnt a mortar on the market that will stick to the surface of vinyl at the level needed for tile installation.
2. It wont be level.
It is much more difficult to get the floor level if you tile right over vinyl. You wont be able to figure out the anchoring pattern when you tile on top of vinyl and this is one of the key factors in a stable and level floor surface. It will also be difficult when trying to insert transitions where the floor rises or where spaces must be filled. If you start with a fresh or existing sub-floor you will have a much more stable and level end result.
3. The sub-surface under the vinyl isnt suitable for tile.
Vinyl flooring is usually installed on 1/4 plywood or particleboard. These substrates are not approved for tile because of a different material make-up. If you lay tile right over vinyl or linoleum the safety of your floor will be compromised. Tile on top of a cushioned floor is very unstable and you can develop cracks in the tiles or the grout. Because vinyl flexes, it can crack the tile. It is nearly impossible to replace a tile with a chip or a crack once it is adhered so you may end up having to replace the entire floor in the future because of the vinyl lifting and flexing.
If you do want to leave your vinyl down, then you need to prepare the floor structurally for the tiling. You will need to screw down the old vinyl and then create a mortar base using mesh and concrete. If you dont want to get into pouring cement, you can lay down a plywood sub-floor. There are products on the market now that increase the crack resistance of tiles placed on wooden sub-floors. This method isnt really much different from lifting the vinyl up. It may seem like a lot of work right now, but taking your time and doing it properly now will save you a lot of time and money down the road.
If you are still determined to keep your vinyl down, then you might consider talking to a professional tile installer. They can go over all of the pros and cons with you and look at your specific situation.
Before you proceed with your plans to tile directly over vinyl flooring, keep all of this information in mind. Not only will you have difficulty with bonding and leveling, but you will also end up with a floor that is unstable and in some cases unsafe. This money-saving and timesaving route could end up costing you a lot in the future.