Any job requires tools and having the right tools for the job makes everything easier. Find out the 5 must-have tools for a kitchen remodel.
5 Must-Have Tools
For Remodeling Your Kitchen
There are plenty of tools on the market for home improvers and DIYers who hope to remodel their kitchens, but how many do you really need? Should you get ten specific tools, or invest in a multi-tool to help you with multiple projects? In the same way that you don’t want to waste money on overpriced tile or the wrong light bulbs, you don’t want to buy unnecessary tools for the job. Follow this guide to get the right tools to solve all of your problems.
The Right Tools
Demolition Bar
Image via Flickr by Loren Owensby
You demolition or pry bar can prove useful in many instances, especially if you’re trying to update an older kitchen. This tool is great for getting into tiny spaces and ripping out cabinets and anything else that’s been nailed to your wall. It also has a nail puller on one end in case you accidentally nail the wrong pieces together or want a more delicate removal than the wrecking side can deliver. Many DIYers think this tool is perfect when you need a controllable force on an object.
Shop Vacuum
A shop vacuum is something you want in your home long after you finish remodeling. It’s meant to pick up durable items from lost screws to sawdust and insulation. This will also provide your saving grace if a pipe bursts in your kitchen and water spews across the floor. The shop vacuum hose can reach into tiny spaces where a traditional vacuum or broom can’t. Furthermore, its attachments often suck up more than a traditional vacuum, which is important when you’re trying to clear a workspace or remove material that may contain mold.
Adjustable Ladder
Image via Flickr by iamvisi
An adjustable ladder is another tool that will help you long after you’ve finished remodeling your kitchen. It’s much safer than standing on chairs or boxes, and you can change its height to meet your specific needs. Try to find a collapsible model for easy storage so you can keep it close next time a light bulb needs to be changed or frame that needs to be adjusted. Furthermore, this ladder will be your best friend during the holiday season and Halloween, especially if you love turning your home into a winter wonderland or haunted house for the neighborhood kids.
Free Standing Light
If you’re working on electrical or plumbing improvements in the kitchen, you’re going to crawl into some dark spaces. You can either use up one of your hands with a flashlight, or you can invest in a free-standing or hanging light to brighten the area to free both hands. You can find these lights at your local home improvement store, and you can find models that collapse for easy storage afterward.
If you don’t have the room to set up a light, or are climbing on a ladder, consider buying a headlamp that lights the scene in front of you. These lights will be your best friends when you’re trying to install light fixtures underneath your cabinets, but you can’t see where the cables hook up.
Smartphone
Image via Flickr by Janitors
Your smartphone can serve a multitude of uses during your kitchen remodeling process. It has apps that serve as levels to make sure your cabinets and art pieces aren’t crooked. However, the most value that smartphones offer is ideas. There are apps for selecting paint colors and testing how they would look on your walls and others that let you place furniture in different positions to get a feel for how it looks when you move in. This can save you the time and energy of actually picking up your furniture and sliding it across the room — only to decide it looked better where it was.
All of these tools are important investments for the DIYer who wants to remodel his or her kitchen, but they can also be used throughout the house and during the rest of the year. Not only will they save time and energy, but the ladder and lighting can even save your life and prevent a trip to the hospital. A remodeled kitchen is nice, but not when the homeowner has to sacrifice safety.
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~Lorelai
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