There are those men—and women—in all societies who consider themselves quite dynamic when it comes to the knowledge and usage of tools.
But let’s be honest: The rest of us mere mortals are as clueless as they come. Putting a tool in simply anyone’s hands can actually cause a safety risk without proper supervision. Owning tools can even seem like a waste of money.
That’s why most of us would rather hire equipment instead of buying it, right? And then we may even ask a friend to ask a friend—one of those in the know—to do the work or simply how to use them.
Does that describe you to the T? Then you’ve found a very helpful article, guiding you through a few important tips.
Be Prepared for Anything
Yes, equipment hire makes sense. You don’t want to spend too much of your budget on tools that will only clutter your space, only occasionally using it.
But do some calculations and you’ll realize that you need a different long term solution.
First of all you’re spending unnecessary money on hiring small items. And let’s be clear: Borrowing it from neighbors is a risk as breaking a tool may be just what sparks a feud.
The solution? Compiling a small set of equipment, with basic items, will spare you a few dollars.
In addition, remember that DIY projects not only apply to making objects—it’s most often about REPAIRING things. And that may require swift, emergency action. Calling a local hardware store simply to hire a hammer won’t get the situation under control very quickly.
Certain items need to be on hand, in your equipment tool kit at all times:
- Hammer
- Screw drivers
- Pliers
- Knife
- Tape, such as duct tape
- Tape measure
- Safety glasses (safety is vital always)
- A flash light
Some of these can help you manage the problem, as well as gather information to describe to the professional when you ask them to come.
Stop Doubting Yourself—Educate Yourself
Improve Your Knowledge
Does it sound too daunting to do it yourself? You can quickly make DIY work less stressful by giving yourself some first hand knowledge:
- The internet: Luckily you have technology on your side. You can stroll on over to our trusted friend YouTube for some tutorials on how to handle your average electric drill or nail gun.
- A workshop: Want to use your weekend dynamically? Why not join a workshop at your local community center. You may also find local woodwork guilds or schools will be happy to host one. Gather a few friends like yourself and make your worlds a little safer than before.
- Hardware suppliers: Many vendors create user friendly experiences, so asking the hardware shop attendants for assistance may lead you to friendly, appropriate advice.
This isn’t only for those who dream of future DIY projects. Learning how to use your own or hired equipment is a matter of safety, so prepare now for anything that could happen in future.
Save Some Money
You’ll already have enough knowledge after following those tips to do a lot of the DIY repairs yourself. Pro and equipment hire will become less necessary.
But here’s a great bonus to every home owner of gaining some knowledge: Service providers won’t be able to swindle you anymore.
It’s easy for pros to overcharge you, do more damage than good, or do more than is really necessary, just to get more money out of you. But if you know the basics about repair and maintenance work you can discuss upcoming work in depth before they start. Sounding knowledgeable will deter them from trying to trick you.
What You Use is as Important as What You Do
Here’s the next thing that determines just how safe your project will be: Are you using the right equipment?
Whether you’re opting for equipment hire or using your own kit, one of the riskiest things you can do is thinking one tool is good for all jobs.
That’s a lie.
Using the wrong tool has various consequences:
- Wasting time because it’s not as effective as it can be
- Becoming unsafe because the tool doesn’t have the safety features relevant to the job at hand
- Wasting money if you cause damage rather than fixing the problem
Check Before You Start
Another big time waster and possible safety risk is not having all your tools on hand. Imagine you’re working on a simple job such as painting a door. Someone runs past and bumps over the container. You’ll have paint all over the place, but did you think of having rags and paint remover on hand?
Of course, you’re a neat worker and will probably never use it, but you can’t control everything in a situations. Make sure your kit for the day includes everything you could probably need pertaining to the type of work.
You also don’t want to ruin a DIY job by not planning well. If you just need a small piece of pipe to finish the plumbing job because you didn’t measure well enough before you started, it will require another trip to the hardware store.
This becomes a huge problem if you’re working with glue or cement that may be dry by the time you get back.
Also, if your job requires equipment hire, don’t assume they’ll have your items available. You may have to book well in advance, pushing back your DIY schedule for a few days.
Last Tip: Enjoy it
It’s important not to let DIY seem like a chore only.
After this insightful and educational tidbit on all things equipment, do you think you could tackle a building project on your own? Doesn’t it sound extremely exciting to build a veranda with your own two hands!
Handy tip: Small beginnings, don’t judge yourself too harshly.
It is never an easy task starting any building project but the end result sure is worth it. It’s a beautiful thing to witness an idea you thought about come to life by your own hands and creativity.
Why not share your victories below?
