We’re asked pretty regularly for a list of our must-have tools and while we’re sure we’re forgetting something, here’s a rundown of our all-time favorites (most of which we store in the kitchen cabinet to the left of the stove- yes, we know we’re weird).
- Hammer and crowbar (no explanation required)
- Flat head screwdriver (for using with screws but also with a hammer as a makeshift chisel to pop off baseboards and trim)
- Tape measure (we have a huge beat up old Stanley one that we love)
- Phillips head screwdriver (another self-explanatory item)
- Plumber’s Putty, Liquid Nails and plumber’s tape (three major problem solvers that are always nice to have on hand)
- Box cutter, Exacto knife, straight razors (for everything from cutting vinyl tile to scraping paint off of a window or mirror)
- Channel lock pliers (we have a big one and a small one- they’re amazing for turning old rusted believed-to-be-unturnable nuts and bolts)
- Wrenches of all sizes (although we usually reach for the channel lock first since it’s such an all star)
- Needle nosed pliers (good for detail work and also handy since they have the wire cutting thing in the middle of the… uh, nose? mouth?)
- Level (because wonky is never a good look)
- Cordless drill (we have a little one for smaller jobs and a big manly battery operated one for the major stuff)
- Sandpaper (we like our electric sander but use regular old sandpaper and elbow grease far more- and we haven’t found sanding blocks that we like better than cheap sheets of sandpaper, so we stick to those… and save a few bucks while we’re at it).
- Caulk, a caulk gun, spackle and a putty knife (because it’s all about fixing those holes and cracks before painting- remember paint magnifies flaws instead of hiding them)
- Painter’s tape, high quality angled paint brushes (we love this one), paint trays, a roller extension rod, and high quality not-foam rollers (foam riles up paint and leaves you with more bubbles than the good quality wool and poly ones)
- An assortment of nails and screws (these are just things you should always have on stand-by so you don’t have to drive to Lowe’s or Home Depot fifty times per project thereby looking lame to the people at the cash register- we speak from experience here)
So there it is. A handy breakdown of our favorite tools. And since we know we’re forgetting something (or have yet to discover some life-changing tool) definitely let us know what you can’t live without when it comes to getting ‘er done.
Fara says
I’ve read through a few posts and FAQs, but can’t quite nail this one down. Besides your favorite shorty paint brushes and roller frames, what do you keep from paint job to paint job, and what do you replace every/every other time? I’m cheap and greenish, so I usually wash out my rollers and use them several times. But, have recently wondered if this was a good idea. And, as soon as I wondered, I thought “I should ask YHL!”
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we wash rollers and reuse them a bunch (not forever since they tend to degrade, and the foam ones can only usually go two rounds before flaking off on the walls, but it’s nice to get a few uses out of them). We also reuse a paint cup (you’ve probably seen it in a few posts – it’s red with a little handle and I use it to cut in so I can carry it with me instead of dragging the gallon of paint around with us. Oh and we have plastic and fabric dropcloths that we reuse.
xo
s