A Woman's Guide to Home Repair

As a woman it is empowering to be able to take care of minor repairs in the home. If you're single, finding a reliable man to help may be difficult. Hiring a repair man may set you up to be exploited, as the worker may try to take advantage of your ignorance when it comes to those little things that go wrong in every house. Therefore, every woman can and should do the basics for herself, but she has to have the right basic tools to be successful.

Here's a list of essential tools for your home repair kit:

Places like Home Depot and Lowes carry tool kits that are usually stocked with basics. These kits can make shopping for tools much easier, but if you'd like to know what you're buying and make sure you buy the right things, here are my recommendations.

Hammer - Make sure it's not too heavy or too light. A wimpy hammer will just give you sore biceps. Also, know how to hold a hammer. Most women hold it up near the head. This may make you feel more accurate, but it will mean you're doing all of the work instead of letting the hammer do it for you. Hold it in the middle of the grip, or towards to middle of the handle. That way the weight of the hammer does the work; not you.

Screwdriver with a rotating handle and multiple bits - Most home repairs require a screwdriver, but the type of screw bit can vary. Sometimes you need a Phillips head. That's the bit that looks like a cross. Sometimes you need a flat head. This is self explanatory. A screw driver with multiple bits usually has a little storage compartment at the end of the handle where the bits are kept. This is very handy if you're not sure what the repair requires. Also, make sure the handle rotates. This means that you'll make a half turn and then the handle will click back to a staring position. This kind of screwdriver gives you more torque (turning power), so you can handle those hard to turn screws. The handle can also be switched to a position that allows you to unscrew things, too.

Screw and fastener kit - Once again, hardware stores like Home Depot carry a variety of these kits. They are a must for home repair. They are kits that are full of various types of screws and nails. They usually will handle any pictures you need to hang or drawer handles you need to re-fasten. They don't take care of the heavy duty stuff, but they definitely help with the things you'll be doing the most.

Adjustable Wrenches - An adjustable wrench is that wrench with the funny little rolling pin near the head of the wrench. When you roll it, the wrench head gets bigger or smaller so that you can fit it exactly to a nut or bolt. You don't have to dig around for exact sizes of wrenches. You adjust to the size you need. I recommend having an 8" and a 10". These will take care of pretty much any repair inside the house that involves nuts and bolts.

Socket wrench set - Socket wrench sets aren't as common in home repair as regular wrenches, but they are a must. Socket wrenches are little "tube" wrenches that fit over the top of a nut or bolt. The tube is at a right angle to the wrench handle so that you get much better fastening or unfastening power. The wrench heads ("tubes") are interchangeable. They usually fit on an interchangeable screwdriver, so make sure yours comes with the attachment for socket wrenches. Socket wrenches are great if you have to reach down into something to work.

Allen wrench set - these are those metal "sticks" with multiple sides that are shaped like an "L." You mostly see them in use with bicycle tool kits, but in home repair, they are used to unscrew fasteners that are hidden.

Pliers - You'll want to have both regular pliers and needle nose. Pliers aren't so great for screwing or unscrewing things, but they are perfect for holding one end of whatever you're using your wrench for.

Hack saw - this is that straight edge saw with the thin blade. It's usually used to cut pipe, but can be used to cut about anything in a pinch. It's much easier to use than a regular saw.

Power Tools - Every woman needs power tools! You will need an electric drill and a set of drill bits. You'll find that trying to screw things in with the drill is not so easy. Use the screwdriver, but you can use the drill to make a "starter hole" so that your screw goes in easier. Also, invest in a jig saw and a circular saw. The jig saw is the little electric saw with the straight blade. The circular saw has the round blade. The jig saw is good for cutting PVC pipe and getting to funny angles. The circular saw is a must for cutting boards. I recommend the circular saw have a laser guide so that you can keep your cut straight.

Miscellaneous - A few things I also recommend you keep around are, duct tape, zip ties, tape measure, level, heavy gauge extension cord, 5 gallon can of gas, Mag Light, Coleman lantern, and possibly a plumber's snake. A plumber's snake is a coil of tightly wound metal that is unrolled down a toilet to unclog it. Once it's way down in the sewer pipe, you wind it back up with a handle (kind of like a fishing reel). In principal, it will pull up or push down whatever is clogging the pipes. Ladies, this is the biggest home repair problem you'll have. Clogged toilets. In a later post, I'll explain some plumbing basics that will save you the expense and embarrassment of having to call the plumber. And a note on extension cords. Go for those big, fat orange or yellow ones. The fatter it is, the better. I recommend getting at least a 50 foot extension. You just never know where you'll need electricity for your power tools.

As I stated earlier, there are complete home repair kits ready to buy, but you'll need to look and see what is missing and supplement these things. Tools are expensive, but necessary, so a final bit of advice: Never loan your tools. I think once you see that total bill at Home Depot, you'll understand why. But the cost savings in repair bills will make them worth the cost.