With more and more women deciding not to get married at an early age and more women living alone than ever before, it is very important that young woman learn that they can make some minor home repairs by themselves and it is important that all women know a little bit about the tools that are fairly common for use in a home. Simple home repairs or do it yourself projects can be done by a confident woman who knows which tools are which and who are confident about the way those tools work. Here is a list of things that every single woman should have in her girls’ tool box.
A simple problem like a leaky toilet, installing a curtain rod, or even hanging your latest favorite piece of art can be accomplished by any lady with a little knowledge and the right tools. Most women can use a hammer without too many problems, but it is important to know a claw hammer from a roofing hammer. Any girls’ tool box should have a claw hammer to pound or remove nails from a wall. This is important for hanging pictures or art work and in many other do it yourself projects.
Tape measures come in many styles and sizes. It is best to have a 16 foot tape measure that is retractable in your girls’ tool box. Be sure that you get one that you can read. There are many available that have several measurements other than just the little marks that you must count to be able to read. Be sure that you can hold it in one hand and that it is not too heavy!
Experts suggest that you include two pairs of pliers in a girls’ tool box. Standard pliers and needle nose pliers do different types of the same job. Needle nosed pliers are handy when you are working with something small and need to grip or bend wires. I prefer to keep both of these as I never know which one that I will use on a project.
A utility knife comes in handy for many purposes. It is important to have a sharp, sturdy knife. These knives work well for trimming or slicing and the blade can be used to open many types of products. It is also a great way to pry into something. These knives can be very sharp so be careful with one of them. Many women prefer to have a small pocket knife in their tool boxes and that is a good idea, but I personally prefer a utility knife.
Most women know what a screwdriver is, and I am not talking about the drink. It is recommended that a set of screwdrivers be in the toolbox and that this set be different length screwdrivers and that you have both standard and Phillips bits. You will be amazed at how many different times you will have both of them out at one time.
It is a good idea to also have a set of Allen wrenches in the girls’ toolbox. These wrenches are shaped like an “L” and help women grip and loosen screws better. Many of these are made similar to a pocketknife and come in a variety of sizes and those are the best to have. I find that I use these more than I do the screwdrivers that I currently have in my box.
A cordless drill is a must have these days in any toolbox, especially one that a single woman is going to work with. Cordless drills can be handy if you are putting a piece of furniture together or for anchoring a screw a little tighter than you can turn it by hand. Another must have is safety glasses. These will be the one thing that does you the most good as do it yourself projects can lead to serious eye injuries if you do not have any eye protection and are not sure of what you are doing.
A torpedo level is a good investment to have in the toolbox as well. The purpose of this item is to make sure that as you are hanging that latest piece of art, you will hang it even. These are great to use if you are hanging a shelf as well. There are many laser style levels these days and they are quite handy as well.
There are some tips that can be handy too for the new do it yourselfer. It is important to start slow and be sure that you have the tools that you need before you start. Your small tool kit may contain all that you will need to get started or even to complete the project that you want to start. Do not be afraid to go to a hardware store and ask questions before you start a project that you do not know about.
Invest in name brand tools and be sure to know the purpose of them before you begin a home repair project. The last thing that a single gal wants to do is to have to ask a guy to help her fix the small project and he begins to think that she is not able to do anything on her own.
