handheld saw that uses
a powerful "back and forth" mo-
tion with a single heavy duty blade. There are interchange-
able blades ranging from metal cutting to drywall. Use this
saw to cut out a rotted piece of molding or to demo a door
frame without having to smash the entire structure to pieces.
sometimes be purchased in packs, ranging from
small detail knives to large surface knives. Putty
knives are used to scrape excess material off of a
finished surface. They are great for backsplashes and
other tile work because the flexible blade gives you
enough wiggle room to remove clumps easily and ensure
a smooth, even surface all over. By applying pressure with
your finger to run through grout grooves, you can sometimes
take off too much or too little, and your lines won't look even.
With the putty knife, you bypass that issue, and with a little warm
water and a rag, the material will wipe right off of your tile once
you've scraped it. Putty knives can also be used for many other
projects, such as removing old caulking and other clumps of
dried paint from your walls, as well as roof patching with hot tar,
and even designing a custom wall pattern by scraping grooves
into wet stucco.
permanent nailing you may want to do around the house. Nail
guns are better for projects that require overall accuracy, be-
cause of their speed and precision. With a pull of the trigger, you
can nail 50 feet of molding down in less than 10 minutes. That
same project would take you an hour with a hammer.
around odd angles, you'll want a wet saw. They release water
over the tile as they cut to prevent breakage. If you're not sure
about whether to buy one for a single project, stores will allow
you to rent a wet saw. However, if you're a hardcore DIYer, in-
vesting in a wet saw isn't a bad idea. Manual tile cutters work
just as well, but are harder to get angles and round cuts out of.
When purchasing a manual tile cutter, be sure to buy one that is
capable of making angled cuts and is wider than the tile you're
cutting by at least two inches.
especially when painting big surface areas, such as the
exterior of your home or staining a large deck. These are
multi-purpose tools and usually come in interior and exteri-
or versions. The main difference is the exterior models have
more power packed in them for a greater spraying distance
and some come with extension handles for doing multi-story
homes. The sprayers do not use a lot of paint so you'll have to
spray three or four coats on, but this will take you less time than
hand-rolling or painting just two coats.