14 Renovation Tools Every New Homeowner Must Have
When Justin and I got started on the demolition of our 1940s farmhouse, one thing became quite clear, and fast. Having the proper tools on hand will make each and every project run more smoothly, and efficiently. Ready to learn about the tools that we believe every new homeowner should have on hand?
Yes, demo day can be a lot of fun. It’s one of the best parts of taking on this DIY renovation project. There’s just something about tearing down walls, and revealing the potential of a space that is so inspiring. But then, there’s the clean up, and those good feelings quickly erode into a sense of overwhelm.
Did we really need to take down all of the walls? Who decided to forego insulation? What is that electrical wire for, it goes nowhere?! Oh, that’s why it’s so drafty over here, there’s a hole in the floor!
When you take on your renovation, comparable statements and questions will find their way across your lips too, trust me. It’s just par for the course. In fact, if you have already taken on a renovation, I’d love to hear one of the questions/statements you never thought you would say/ask during the process. In hindsight, it’s usually a memory that will make us laugh.
The Top Three (Basic) Safety Tools You Don’t Want to be Without
At a minimum, you should always have this protective gear on hand when it’s time to start a new project:
- Protective EyeWear
You only have two! So, let’s make sure we keep those eyes safe. When you start swinging tools, and sediment starts flying in the air, the last place you will want it to end up is in your eyes. In my opinion, this is a non negotiable, no matter the project. - Masks
For the same reasons noted above, you will want to have a stack of masks handy. After Justin and I took down the first wall in the farmhouse (sans mask), we became very congested. Just for reference, we found a newspaper from 1973 in the walls. So, that’s 50 years of dust swirling around in our lungs. Gross! Don’t let that happen to you.
- Work Gloves
Manual labor can make for rough hands, so it’s a good idea to have a couple of sets of work gloves to protect them. If you are not concerned about having soft skin, you might be concerned about splinters, staples, nails, etc. Having work gloves offers an extra layer of protection from the elements. - Rain Boots (* optional but highly recommended)
My shoe of choice. You can wear them pretty much anywhere, in the rain, mud, dirt, etc. They wash right off, and your foot stays dry. Secondly, if your foot were to get swollen for any reason (something falling on it, or stepping on a nail), it would be easier to get your foot out of your rain boots then say a pair of tighter fitting shoes
Image by Mikhail Nilov
The Hand Tools Every New Homeowner Should Have
- Framing Hammer
This is Justin’s favorite demo tool. Heavier and larger than your standard hammer, the framing hammer worked wonders at removing wood panels, nails and 2×4’s here in the farmhouse. Justin even mentioned that he was thinking about displaying his framing hammer in the garage once our project was complete, that’s how much he loves that thing! - Pry Bar
This is my favorite demo tool! And, I used it for the very same projects that Justin used his framing hammer. So why have two tools for the same job? Well, the pry bar provides you with more leverage, and the length of it will help you to reach spots a framing hammer just can’t get to. Think of it this way, the claw of the framing hammer will fit in tight spaces, the pry bar is more of a wrecking ball. - Live Wire Finder
Especially important if you are taking down walls. We found a lot of random wires here in the farmhouse, and this tool let us know which were safe to cut out, and which to leave alone. - Oscillating Saw
This tool was perfect for “plunge cutting” into the wood panels that were hard to take down. This saw can fit into tight spaces, and comes with a variety of attachments for other tasks as well. - Reciprocating Saw
Think of this as the big brother to the oscillating saw. The reciprocating saw comes with larger serrated blades that have the ability to cut through cast iron. We used it for the larger pieces of wood that the oscillating saw could not cut all the way through.
Image by Antoni Shkraba
Tools That Make for Easy Clean Up
- Contractor Bags
I cannot even tell you how many boxes of contractor bags we have been through so far in this renovation project. It is truly amazing how quickly a 40 gallon sized bag can fill up. You will want to have a box for yourself too. The material is heavier than your standard kitchen garbage bag, making it harder for nails and other sharp debris to poke through.
- Drop Cloths
Splurge on the cloth drop cloths, it’s worth it! They are reusable and now that you are a homeowner…you own an ongoing project. There will alway be a room to paint, a pipe to fix, or a piece of furniture to cover when taking on larger projects. Having a small stash of 2-5 drop cloths will come in handy.
- Shop Vac
Taking down walls is dirty business. Not only is there hidden dust and sediment, there’s spider webs, tumble weeds of who knows what, and tiny mysteries that you will not want to pick up by hand. Cue in the shop vac, a workhorse that adds efficiency to your clean up.
- Broom and Dust Pan
This may be a no-brainer but it’s something we have overlooked before. Designate one broom and dust pan set for house projects only.
- Swiffer
After sweeping with a broom, I always come through with a swiffer. It just picks up whatever the broom left behind, and I am always amazed at just how many tiny particles a broom can miss.
