There are many people who are always thinking about making some change or reform in their home. In most situations, this type of reforms can involve a large outlay since in addition to the necessary materials, we must add the labor required for each task. However, if we ourselves provide the labor, then we can save a lot of money. If we also have the necessary tools, we can also save a lot of time.
If we are a handyman who likes to always be reforming at home or we are beginning to take our first steps, the best thing is that we are always equipped with the appropriate tools or devices to facilitate our work . Some are quite essential regardless of what we are going to do, such as a meter or a level. Of course, depending on the measurements that we have to make, the best option may not be to do it with the typical tape measure or level of walking around the house.
This is just an example, since there are many and very diverse devices or tools that we may need at any given time. Technology has also reached many of them with the firm objective of helping us to carry out certain tasks more quickly and easily, as is the case with all those that we show you in the following selection.
Advice before carrying out the reform
If we are considering carrying out any type of reform at home to modernize the kitchen or gain more space in the living room, the truth is that before getting down to work, it is worth taking into account a few small tips.
- Take your time before starting : before starting the reform it is important that we reflect on the changes to be made. We must have everything clear before starting, since later, any change will mean a delay in its completion.
- Do you need permits?: depending on the type of reform we need to do, it may be necessary to request permission from the community of neighbors or a license from the City Council. There are even minor works such as changing the railing or electrical installation and plumbing that requires prior communication to the administration.
- Use safe tools : when buying tools we must ensure that they comply with safety regulations and are suitable for domestic use. It is advisable to invest in tools that are useful and of quality and that have TÜV-SÜD certification, it is a seal of guarantee of high quality and safety.
- Storage box : it is important that we have a tool box that allows us to keep all the pieces organized, that is easy to open, resistant and with different compartments. It can be a box or a suitcase with wheels.
Types more tools for the home
Each work is different and we will need a material adapted to it. However, there are a series of tools that are usually used in most of the works that we can have at home. The main tools suitable for the home are:
- Basic : here we could talk about some as common as the hammer, screwdriver, pliers, wrench, meter, a meter, a cutter, etc. They are the most basic and at the same time the most important because they will be useful to us in the vast majority of occasions.
- Electronic : it can be said that they are presented as a more advanced evolution of the basic tools. For example, instead of a traditional meter, we can opt for a much more comfortable and efficient laser meter. We can also catalog here a cable tester, an endoscope or a drill.
- For professionals: in this case we are talking about specialized tools, used by the most handy or that we have at home at the disposal of a professional. It can be the case of a gas detector, a water pump or an infrared thermometer.
Inexpensive tools and great utility
Next, we are going to talk about tools that are going to be essential for us to make reforms at home and that at the same time are affordable, so there are no excuses to have them.
laser distance meter
This RockSeed brand laser measurer is quite inexpensive. It has a range of up to 50 meters , it has a four-line backlit LCD screen to show the measurement result and better visibility, even in different units of measurement, and it is highly accurate. It has 2 unique levels of bubbles with which we will achieve a more precise measurement compared to a bubble.
With IP54 protection , it is waterproof and its dustproof function is responsible for protecting the laser distance measurement to the maximum, it is suitable for use everywhere. It features multiple measurement modes such as distance, volume, area measurement, continuous measurement, and Pythagorean measurement. It is ideal for large areas such as rooms, apartments, flats, etc. Its price is around €24 .
cable tester
If the fault we have is electrical and we suspect that the problem may be because the cables of the installation are very old or may be damaged, then this device will be of great help to us. It is a cable tester or tracer capable of detecting faults, short circuits or open circuits. It can also be used to trace telephone lines, LAN cables, etc.
This device is responsible for performing an efficient and automatic scan to detect faults in wiring, cables, open circuits and short circuits. It has a protection switch for low power consumption and a low battery indicator. It has continuity test, with signal indicator and immediate sound. Its design is easy to use, it incorporates a transmitter with a double RJ11 4J45 interface and a receiver with a BNC interface. Its price is €25 .
Industrial Endoscope
This endoscope or inspection camera allows us to reach where the human eye cannot. It has a semi-rigid cable to be able to take the camera through pipes and other places that we need to inspect. The probe is 8 mm in diameter, it does not require us to use our mobile to connect the WiFi, it has a 5-inch LCD screen and it is waterproof with IP67 certification.
It has a dual viewing angle of 70 degrees FOV , which allows the endoscope to have a wider viewing angle, making it ideal for narrow places. It is possible to freely change the main and side lenses. It is especially useful for viewing the side of the pipe and easily captures more detail. Its price is €64 for the model with a 5 meter cable.
3 in 1 Manual Stapler
It is a staple gun made of metal and quite robust . Features a special mounting slot for easy door and T staple insertion, ideal for decoration, woodwork, windows, furniture, etc. It has a quick lock mechanism and is easy to crush. It is capable of working as both a stapler and a nailer. It features a depth adjustment knob, allowing you to adjust the force freely based on the materials of the binder.
The complete kit includes a 3-way stapler, 2100 pieces for D-type, U-type and T-clips to meet daily needs at home or in the office. We can buy it for €17.
electric hammer drill
It is a compact, lightweight and ergonomic drill that will allow us to handle it comfortably to be able to drill effortlessly in masonry up to 12 mm and wood up to 25 mm thanks to its 600 W motor. It has a simple speed control for Regulate the speed when drilling with just the press of a trigger. It has a two-piece quick-clamping chuck so that we can change the tool quickly.
Undoubtedly a perfect tool for work in masonry, wood, metal and soft concrete. In addition, it includes a practical carrying case. Its price is around €52 .
High-end household appliances
We can describe these tools for household tasks as high-end, especially suitable for experts and their price is also somewhat higher, although extremely useful.
gas leak detector
If we use boilers or other gas appliances at home, having a detector like this can help us find leak problems. It is a high precision heating diode sensor capable of detecting any gas leak. It has four buttons for handling and an LED screen where you can see whether or not there is a leak and the status of the device.
This tool complies with industry standards EN14624 and SAE1627 . It has a preheating system in 30 seconds, with transient response leakage in 3 seconds and adjustable level 6 sensitivity. Thanks to its built-in air pump, it effectively improves the speed of reaction and recovery, as well as guaranteeing the efficiency of detection. Its flexible probe has a length of 41.7 cm, making it easy to detect deep areas, such as cracks that are difficult to touch. Its price is €80 .
Water Pump
If at any time we need to empty the dirty water from somewhere or a part of our house has been flooded, having a pump like this will be of great help. It has a water level detector with infinitely adjustable height, hose connection and ECO Power function, which allows a greater flow to be extracted with less electricity consumption. In addition, it has a carrying handle and a high-quality slip ring gasket. Its casing is made of impact-resistant plastic. Its price is around €100 .
Bosch infrared thermometer
This infrared thermometer from Bosch is a very useful tool when we need to check thermal bridges, heating and ventilation systems or even to detect areas of damp and hidden mold. It is capable of taking temperatures between -40 and 1,000 degrees and can be used both outdoors and indoors. It has the ability to measure the temperature or relative humidity in a given room.
It has a wide variety of applications. It is used in multiple modes that combine measured data to check for cold bridges, assess mold risk, and check heating and ventilation systems. It has a Bluetooth connection and a micro USB port to transfer images and create detailed reports so that we can document the measurements. Its price is €325 .
IR thermal camera
This infrared thermal camera allows you to see and detect very subtle temperature differences to find certain patterns of heat and cold or energy losses. In this way, it is also possible to detect structural defects, blockages in pipes and other problems that are not easy to detect with the naked eye. The use of infrared thermography is a safe and non-invasive way to see patterns of heat and cold and to measure temperature in a very reliable way.
Its infrared resolution reaches 76,800 pixels, it has a 3.2-inch color screen and a thermal sensitivity of 0.07º. The IR camera has the ability to detect heat, thus creating a whole new level of awareness for professionals and consumers. In buildings and mechanical systems, it includes water penetration, loss of heat or cold, blockages or leaks in plumbing systems, mechanical system malfunctions, or overloaded electrical circuits. Its price is €505 .
Our recommendation
When it comes to carrying out renovations and tasks at home, the necessary tools will depend to a large extent on the task that we are going to carry out. Of the different tools that we present to you, there are some that may be essential to us and that it never hurts to have them at home.
For example, the laser distance meter can be very important for us to have one, as it will allow us to be able to hang any picture, shelf or piece of furniture symmetrically without it ending up bent. It can also be of great interest to have a stapler that can be ideal for decoration, carpentry, windows, furniture, etc. And of course, a good electric hammer drill is another tool that we must have yes or yes.
