Maintenance

Repairing or upgrading home fixtures can be an intimidating undertaking. However, even those who are totally helpless with tools can transform themselves into competent handymen (or handywomen) with a little time, effort, and an investment in the right equipment.

Essential Maintenance Tools

Although a general consensus exists, every expert has a different opinion as to what tools the budding handyman should begin with in his or her tool box. Some even go so far as to suggest that it is wasteful to purchase tools before they are required, though this can make for some uncomfortable emergency situations if a task needs to be done posthaste and all the stores are closed.

In general, it is usually best to be at least minimally prepared. Items commonly considered essential for the novice include:

Screwdrivers (in Phillips and flat blade varieties and ideally of multiple sizes)

A standard claw hammer

A wrench and/or a pair of pliers to secure objects

The indispensable tape measure

A flashlight to help effect repairs in lightless areas

An electric drill has many applications and can be purchased fairly cheaply, particularly if one opts for the inexpensive plug-in variety over the bulkier cordless style. If a set of drill bits is not included, this will need to be purchased separately. One particularly handy home maintenance tool is a box cutter or similar holder for razor blades, which can be used for various forms of precision work as well as for scraping off adhesives and other sticky matter from surfaces.

Specialized Maintenance Tools

If one's intended home repair tasks will involve a fair amount of woodwork, a hand saw will be useful, as well as an awl to trace out its intended movements. For electrical work, one should have wire cutters, a neon voltage detector to indicate live wires, and electrical tape. A kit equipped with the essential tools listed above will largely suffice for the purpose of resolving plumbing issues, but one invaluable item should be added to the list: a plunger.

Home Maintenance versus Hiring a Contractor

With a well-stocked toolkit, some basic step-by-step literature (available at any handyman's shop and at innumerable sites online) and a little self-confidence, one should be able to tackle problems of broken appliances, damaged home fixtures, and new installations with relative ease.

One should nevertheless use discretion as to the best time to admit one's ignorance and bring in a professional. The essential question to ask is whether the potential consequences of a poorly performed repair outweigh the savings and personal satisfaction of doing it yourself. If not, it may be time to make a call to a contractor.

By Matthew Ingalls