ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR WINTER DIY JOBS
If you haven’t done it already, now is the time when we prepare our homes and gardens for colder, wetter and windier days. An essential part of that maintenance is the use of proper power tools. These essential tools for DIY jobs allow us to build, repair and maintain, keeping our properties in good condition throughout autumn, winter and beyond.
Below, the experts at MyJobQuote.co.uk, the UK’s leading trades-matching site, look at some of the essential power tools you should have and the jobs that are made easier because of them.
Cordless Drill
A cordless drill is one of the most versatile tools you’ll own. It can be used to drill into wood, metal, plastic and brick using a variety of drill bits. You can also use it as a powerful screwdriver if you don’t have an impact driver.
Jobs you can tackle with your cordless drill include:
● Making sure your fencing is secure and refastening any loose boards
● Inspecting your shed roof and re-attaching any loose felt
● Checking all guttering and downpipes are securely fastened
● If you don’t have draught excluders on your external doors, fit them now
These are just some jobs that you can do with the help of your cordless drill, but there are plenty more internal and external tasks that it can facilitate. Keep one or two spare batteries charged for when you have bigger jobs to tackle, but be aware that in colder weather, the battery will lose its charge more quickly.
Circular Saw
Powerful, fast and versatile, a circular saw is an essential tool for all your timber cutting needs. It can rapidly and easily cut wood to size, and with specialist blades, it can be used on metal and masonry.
Tasks that a circular saw can be used for include:
● Cutting fence posts and rails to size
● Trimming sheet material, such as ply or OSB, to re-roof your shed
● Internal renovations or improvements, such as built-in storage or new skirting
Due to its portability, a circular saw can be used anywhere, in the house, garden, loft, garage or shed, making it one of the most useful pieces of equipment in your toolbox.
Impact Driver
No DIY enthusiast should be without an impact driver as part of their tool kit. This smaller, lighter version of a drill is indispensable for a huge number of tasks around the house and garden.
For this month’s DIY jobs, use an impact driver to:
● Tighten up or replace screws in your fence, shed or gate
● Repair or replace your shed roof before winter
● Install a water butt to harvest rainwater for your garden
● Fit draught excluders to doors in your home before the cold weather
● Screw down squeaky floorboards
You can use an impact driver for any job that requires fasteners, such as screws, to be driven into material. It can also be used to tighten bolts.
Orbital Sander
An orbital sander is used for a variety of jobs around the house and garden. This handheld tool produces a smooth finish on surfaces and leaves fewer sanding marks than other types of sanders. Whether you’re working with new wood or removing rust from metal, an orbital sander produces a clean, smooth surface.
DIY tasks that are perfect for your orbital sander include:
● Removing old paint from wooden garden furniture to refresh it for next summer
● Cleaning rust off metal surfaces, such as balcony railings, to repaint and protect them for winter
● Sanding down filler in walls to produce a smooth surface for painting
● Preparing kitchen cabinet doors for repainting
For tough jobs, use a belt sander first and then finish off with the orbital sander for a clean, smooth finish.
Jigsaw
When you need more than a straight cut, a jigsaw is the ideal tool for the job. With this versatile saw, you can master intricate shapes, curves and bevel cuts, all with the kind of control you don’t get with most other saws.
Some DIY jobs you can tackle with your jigsaw are:
● Hob or sink cut-outs in worktops as part of a kitchen renovation
● Cutting laminate flooring around pipes and door frames
● Internal improvements and DIY projects that require precision or decorative cuts
With the right type of blade, you can use a jigsaw to cut metal, plastic and different kinds of wood for a variety of projects.
Mitre Saw
A mitre saw is used for precise cuts and specific angles in woodworking projects. It is used for trimming skirting boards, architraves and larger pieces of wood for building furniture. The accuracy of a mitre saw makes it an essential piece of equipment for serious DIY enthusiasts.
Winter jobs you can use a mitre saw for include:
● Making precise cuts in mouldings, skirting or floorboards for renovation or extension projects
● Creating bevel, compound, mitre and crosscuts when building structures in the garden or home
● Craft or hobby projects
● Building bespoke pieces of furniture or cabinetry
Any project that calls for precise cuts and accurate angles will benefit from the use of a mitre saw.
Nail Gun
A nail gun reduces the amount of time and effort it takes to complete many jobs that require this form of fixing. Where a hammer was once the chosen method, a nail gun can now do a better, faster and more accurate job. And there are different nail guns for different tasks, including framing, fencing and flooring.
Use a nail gun for:
● Building a deck base
● Roofing repairs or construction
● Fencing
● Creating a framework
Whatever winter DIY tasks you’re about to take on, a nail gun can help you get them done quicker and with less effort.
Final Thoughts
As a DIYer, you will build up your collection of power tools over time. Starting with what you use most, whether that’s a drill, circular saw or sander, you will gradually work out which tools will serve you best. You can then add to your toolbox, as and when you have a need for additional equipment. But with these seven essential power tools, you’re ready to tackle any autumn DIY job and get your home and garden winter-ready.
THOMAS GOODMAN
Thomas Goodman has worked as a property and construction expert for MyJobQuote for six years and has worked in the construction industry for over twenty years. Thomas continues to work on building projects while providing expert construction and property advice to industry professionals and DIY enthusiasts.
