Q: Hello Youngsters. As I read about all the projects you tackle around your house, I find myself wondering whether you have a gigantic toolbox, or if in fact there are just a small handful of tools that you use on a regular basis. Do you have a few essentials you’d recommend to any DIYer? Are there any tools that you don’t have, but find yourself wishing for? Thanks! -Chris
A: We’ll admit up front that we’re extremely weird about storing our go-to tools. We actually keep many of them in a few of our kitchen drawers. Betcha didn’t see that one coming. Even our installer thought we were crazy when I told him the cabinet base to the left of the stove would be solely devoted to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home improvement essentials. But it really works for us and everything is über organized thanks to four whole drawers of sorted-by-theme gadgets and gizmos.
I don’t know why I feel so ashamed to admit it, but our tool drawers really do look like that all the time. I guess I should be proud, but I feel a bit obsessive. It’s just that we’re always doing something around the house so it’s easier to grab things and get to work when we know where they are. Oh and just in case you’re wondering, here’s the per drawer breakdown:
- The top drawer is full of screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, pliers, a box cutter, a tape measure, and more.
- The second drawer is where we keep nails, anchors, screws, hooks, and other hardware-ish items.
- The third drawer is full of sandpaper, caulk, duct tape, plumber’s putty, wood glue, cable ties, putty knives, liquid nails, etc.
- The bottom drawer (which is twice as deep) is where we store tons of painting supplies like brushes, rollers, paint trays, painter’s tape, and stir sticks.
We also previously wrote this post about our all-time favorite tools, but to summarize it we basically can’t live without: a hammer, a crowbar, a flat head screwdriver, a tape measure, a phillips head screwdriver, plumber’s putty, liquid nails, plumber’s tape, a box cutter, an exacto knife, straight razors, channel lock pliers, wrenches of all sizes, needle nosed pliers, a level, a cordless drill, sandpaper, caulk, a caulk gun, spackle, a putty knife, painter’s tape, high quality angled brushes, and an assortment of nails and screws (read way more on that subject right here).
Since then we’ve also tried some heavier artillery on for size (like a rented demolition hammer to rip up our old tile floor, a borrowed wet saw and miter saw from my dad for putting the bathroom back together, and a circular saw along with some pretty great hole cutting bits for our drill).
And I must admit that bigger tools really do make me feel infinitely more manly. In fact I’d be willing to bet that the amount of amps or volts that you have in your hand is directly proportional to your testosterone level, so it’s definitely worth renting, borrowing, or buying something along those lines to truly feel like a home improvement god (even just for a few hours before it’s due back to its rightful owner). And this empowerment perk carries over to the ladies too. Sherry never has a bigger smile on her face than when she’s using some heavy duty tool and telling that wood/tile/drywall who’s boss.
So along the “what tools don’t you have but wish for” vein, I’d never turn down my own miter saw, wet saw, or demolition hammer although I realize that I’d probably have to store these bigger guys in our attic or out in the garage so there’s something nice and simple about renting or borrowing them when we need ’em instead. Oh and items like our sander, our two cordless screwdriver, and a few caulk guns are kept in hidden storage space above our washer and dryer (behind our bamboo blinds) so they’re still on hand but out of sight.
And everyone knows I love my Kreg Jig. That’s probably the one item that I would name my “tool of the year” since it has single-handedly helped me build shelves for the nursery, a two person desk for the office, and even a storage shelf that slides under the desk for organizing our files.
Speaking of specific products and brands, we’re sure there’s more than one way to get ‘er done but here are the companies, and some of the actual products, that we use in our house on a regular basis:
- Stanley makes great screwdrivers, tape measures, crowbars, box cutters and mini sledgehammers
- Craftsman makes great hammers
- Black & Decker makes great cordless drills (we have this one)
- Black & Decker also makes great sanders (we have this one)
- Frog Tape is the best painter’s tape we’ve ever used
- Sherwin William’s stores sell this awesome short handled brush that we love for painting trim
- Purdy brushes and rollers (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) are great for nearly every other painting project (we love a good 2″ angled brush for cutting in & painting furniture and a nice good quality roller for walls & ceilings).
- Sears sells a set of wrenches that we’ve used for years
- Grip Rite (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) sells nice big boxes of screws, nails, anchors, etc
- 3M makes a wide range of sandpaper (we like low grit versions, like 60-100, for deeper sandings and high grit alternatives, like 200-300, for smoothing things out for a finished look)
- Dap caulk is our favorite brand (we get the white paintable “Premium Indoor/Outdoor Sealant” for most jobs and the “3.0 Advanced Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk” also in white – which isn’t paintable but is ideal for caulking a tub, toilet, or sink).
- We also love Dap CrackShot spackle (for filling nail holes and all that good stuff)
So there you have an in depth rundown of the tools we have, where we keep ’em, the ones that make me feel the manliest, and the brands and particular products that Sherry and I prefer (none of which paid or perk’d us for this mention, they’re just actually what we use here at Casa Petersik). As you can see we don’t have a bunch of expensive DeWalt things – which is a nice reminder that you can spiff up your house without owning a $500 saw (and we also definitely believe in renting and borrowing anything that you can to get the job done). Now go forth and build/paint/demo something!
But wait, first we’d love to hear more about your tool sitch. Do you have any life-changing tools that you’d like to share? Any other brands or products that have done you right? Dish that tool time dirt.
Psst- This post contains affiliate links
Stacy says
Hi John,
Just a question. Is it just me or did your “link love” section disappear? I can’t find it! :o(
Help.
Thanks. :o)
Stacy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stacy,
See that sidebar button with our mugs on it? There’s a Link Love tab right there for ya, we just moved it up. Hope it helps!
-John
Linda says
Just wait until Clara can crawl. ;) Then you either need to get Tot-Locks on those drawers, or find a new home for those great tools!
Rachel says
I love my hubby’s cordless drill for all kinds of display-type projects…but the real reason I’m writing is because of that circular saw picture! Eeeek! The second I saw it my fingers curled up tight in fear. I have a lot of respect for anyone brave enough to use such a thing. Visual images of lopped-off fingers are running rampant in my mind.
Stacy says
I found it! :o) It’s odd but for some reason that tabbed window does not show up when I am on my home pc but it does when I’m on my laptop. I can ask my hubby to check it out for me. Thanks for your quick response. You are both doing a fantastic job here on YHL. Such a great site.
BALLUX says
Very impressive!
Thanks for your presentation and I appreciate that!
Keep up your good work. I will come here regularly for news.
Stephanie says
Related question. I love the countertop that you put over your washer and dryer. Did you already post how to do that? I would love to do the same thing in my laundry room. It make is look so much more organized and “put together.”
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stephanie,
Not specifically. We definitely plan to do a big laundry nook overhaul post with details galore. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I can’t wait to read it! I love your blog and look forward to reading it every day. I am not a DIYer, but it is inspiring me to try to take a project on myself. :)
KK says
While I love all of your posts (especially Reader Redesigns! Man-everyone is sooo talented!!), I’m wondering when we’ll start seeing some of the “old” YHL again? Posting has been light and perhaps a little stock-piled since adorable Clara arrived….
Have a great 4th of July! And from comments above, it looks like your blogaversary is coming up?? Congrats!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey KK,
We’re proud to say that we haven’t missed one post since little Clara arrived. Even when we were laid up in the hospital for four days with complications we published two posts a day without interruption! And in order to make that happen we did have to stockpile some posts so we could keep the YHL train running while we adjusted to parenthood. As for when the old YHL will be back, we’re not sure how to answer that. We’ve worked really hard to keep up with the weekly Fab Freebie, the weekly Burning Question, and the bi-weekly Reader Redesigns that we’ve been sharing for well over a year now (so that hasn’t changed) as well as our weekly office/playroom/guest bedroom makeover updates and other tutorials (like this week’s “how to seal grout”) and organization/cleaning/living related posts like this tool storage post (which it seems like a number of people have found helpful). We also have a sunroom mini makeover in the hopper after the office transformation so stay tuned for that! And although we’ve been on “maternity leave” from mood board making, we’ll be back with one this coming week so hopefully that helps!
xo,
s
Chelsea@ThisFreshFossil says
Great post!
Our #1 all-time favorite tool is our cordless drill. That baby does EVERYTHING. I remember (before the era of our drill) trying to hang pictures and make holes in wood drawers (for pulls) – it was horrible. Really. But then again we were poor college students, so we really couldn’t afford a cordless drill back then. Once we got one – ohmygosh, we’ve used that baby for everything! We love it.
We went ahead and bought a tile wet saw when we built our own granite tile kitchen countertops – and considering that that project lasted well over a month, it was well worth it! I’m sure rental fees wouldn’t been well over the 180$ we paid for the wet saw. Now we’ve got the tools and know-how to tackle our bathroom, too. :)
We’re also currently digging our new compound miter saw and orbital sander. The orbital sander makes DIY home improvement go sooo much faster and easier! And we’ll be installing crown molding in our bedroom this weekend, so we’ll find out exactly how awesome (or not!) the compound miter saw is, soon.
P.S. I actually don’t thinking storing tools in your kitchen drawers is crazy, haha. My parents actually did the same exact thing – they had basic stuff – a tape measure, screwdrivers, a laser – in one of their kitchen drawers so if they needed one of those simple items they wouldn’t have to rummage through the piles of tools on my dad’s workbench. It worked graet – it was always really easy and fast to find what we needed!
~Chelsea
Jocelyn Stott says
I found this post really useful. Thank you!
renee says
I hereby insist John and Sherry take Monday, July 5th off so they can have a 3 day weekend like most “office” workers.
Happy Independance Day all!
YoungHouseLove says
Hehe, thanks Renee! We’re actually working on some fun posts for next week but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
xo,
s
Paul says
I guess I’m lucky to have a basement, which is IMHO the best place to store tools and supplies. We bought a metal shelving unit, the kind that looks like it belongs in a restaurant kitchen. Then I hung pegboard on the sides. Hammers, screwdrivers, plyers, etc are all hung on the pegboard. Everything else goes on the shelves. I just need to get some plywood to put on one of the shelves for the smaller items. I think my Dewalt drill was worth the price of entry. It puts every cordless drill I’ve used before to shame.
Andrea P says
Hi John & Sherry!
I definitely don’t agree with the above poster who is wondering when the “old” YHL will be back! You have not once compromised on quality & number of posts since little Clara arrived…..Keep up the great work, I’m a huge fan!
I have a question…I live in Canada…when I went to my local Benjamin Moore store to ask for a swatch of Quiet Moments, they said they don’t have it or carry it :(
If it’s not too much trouble, do you have any other recommendations for a neutral blue/gray paint colour?
Thank you & HAPPY 3rd ANNIVERSARY!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Andrea! We appreciate the kind words. Do you guys have Restoration Hardware up there? They have the perfect blue-gray with a hint of green called Silver Sage. We also love Gentle Tide by Glidden which we heard was discontinued but you can get them to look up the formula on the computer and whip you up a batch. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin @ Letter Soup says
First of all, your blog is awesome, and I’m so impressed with the way you’ve kept the quality posts rolling during your “maternity/paternity leave.”
I love the idea for keeping tools in the drawers! Our toolbox is unorganized and located in the garage. Maybe if they were more accessible, I would be more inclined to bust them out once in a while. Thanks!
Great bookshelf for Clara! I just posted on arranging books on forward-facing shelves like those: http://tinyurl.com/26cjcts
Amanda says
I grew up in a household with a dad who enjoyed working on things, and who was very hard to shop for. I grew up on a farm and dad’s “workshop” was an industrial sized barn that could easily hold at least a dozen vehicles (he restored antique cars in his retirement), so I’m not exaggerating in slightest when I say that he literally owned every tool you could possibly thing of.
My husband is a very handy person, so over the years, he’s started a collection of tools. One of the things we liked about our house was the fact that the previous owner was also apparently a handy individual, so we scored a basement workshop.
My husband’s birthday is coming up and I’m SERIOUSLY thinking about getting him a Kreg Jig. I don’t know how much use it would be, since we’re good on shelving at the moment, but I think it would be an awesome thing to have. I’d honestly LOVE to get him a rolling tool cabinet. They are out of my current price range, but I think they are one of the handiest things to own.
As far as the thing that has gotten the most use in our house? My surprising answer would have to be a floor jack that I bought him on sale a couple of years ago. We’ve used that more for random household projects that we have for its intended purpose of jacking up vehicles.
Bobbi says
Great post John and Sherry!
I don’t have any life-changing tools to share but I do believe in having an easy access home for some of them. Here in California earthquake land….I have a small tool bag (thanks mom!) filled with essentials: hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, wrench (gas shutoff)…etc. It lives in the closet, by the front door, nestled next to my first-aid kit. Easy to find by anyone…all I have to say is “in the entry closet” and there they are.
Happy 4th!!
Bobbi
Matthea says
My fave painting tool is one I’d never heard of till I saw it at a home improvement store (can’t remember if it was HD or Lowe’s), and then I had to ask what it was — a COMB for cleaning the paintbrushes! Oh, my goodness, that chore is sooo much more efficient with that little comb!
And, like y’all, I heart FrogTape!
Am going to try out your little 2-inch brush for some trim in a bathroom I’m making guest-ready for next week — here’s to a good time there!
Thanks YHL!
Alexandra says
Adorable laundry room! I see y’all are using the laundry roller unit from Lowe’s. I was thinking about getting that one, but the idea of the unit being plastic seemed a bit cheap and I want something that will last. Do you recommend it or would you suggest going with a metal laundry roller cart?
Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve had it for nearly two years without an issue! Love it. Although a metal one seems really chic too- it’s all about personal preference!
xo,
s
MS says
This post made me giggle. I’m sloooowly going through your archives trying to get re-enthused to tackle our second house (reno’d and sold the first). My dad gave us a million second hand tools, workbench, peg board, etc. after we bought our first house. All of which used to reside in my mom’s basement (they’ve been divorced for many, many years) but never used anymore. My father-in-law has also given us a zillion ancient tools that belonged to his parents. And he is in an out of hospital surgeries every day (sells replacement joints like hips, knees, etc). Because of the two of them we have every old tool known to mankind including a ton of weird surgical clamps and scissors “borrowed” from the hospitals in the area. They come in handy, but our tool area couldn’t fit in 4 drawers in our kitchen with all the magic in the world! John, you would seriously wonder what we were building all the time if you saw it. Robots? Space ships? Worst part-none of the men (boys) will let me throw anything away! Who needs 6 pairs of needle nose pliers?!?! (Me, I guess?)
Cara says
Hey John, I have a couple tool questions.I want to get a Kreg jig. Do you feel the whole set is neccessary or just the jig. I was looking on amazon and they have 4 different ones (junior, K3, K4 and master I think). I would just be doing small home projects and furniture. I also wondered if you think a 10″ or 12″ miter saw is better. I read for most home projects a 10″ is good (price, size, accuracy). What do you think? I can’t afford a sliding one.
YoungHouseLove says
I just have the jig, two clamps, and the special screws. It’s really all I have needed! I have a 10″ miter saw and I really like it, although sometimes I wish it was slightly bigger for larger projects. Hope it helps.
-John
Cara says
Thanks so much! Those were the answers I was hoping for actually. Luckily if I ever need a bigger saw or pretty much any other tool my cousin ownes just about everything possible so the 10″ should be perfect for me.