Must Have Tools for Homeowners to Prevent Damage and Save you Money!
Check out these must have tools for homeowners. Think deeper than your everyday hammer and screwdriver, these tools can save you stress and money!
Infrared Thermometer
When we raised the ceilings in our entryway and hallway, we installed solar tubes at the same time. We LOVE the light it lets in but don’t love the additional heat!
My husband has been telling me for months he thinks the tubes are letting in hot air from our attic. I never doubted him but you know how things go; you put it off and every month when you see the bill, you tell yourself you’ll look after it but put it off again, repeat. Yikes!
When I showed him my new Bluetooth ToolSmart™ Infrared Thermometer, he got giddy. HA! Nothing like a new tool to make your man’s day!
He immediately started scanning everything:
- Were the canned lights letting in hot air? YES.
- Did the meat on the grill cook to the correct temperature? YES. Phew!
- Is the oven temperature on our 20 year old oven accurate? Luckily, YES.
Let’s address those pesky canned lights!
The canned lights were installed well before we moved in and we never thought to double check that they were sealed. SURPRISE: they weren’t.
How to use an Infared Thermometer
To use it, you literally point and shoot. CANNOT get any easier! The laser beam will hit your mark for you, showing you the temperature you’re aiming at. Simple!
The infared tool makes identifying hot or cold spots in our home foolproof. We suspected the canned lights weren’t airtight but with the the free ToolSmart™ app, we were able to apply temperature readings to images for quick reference; perfect for figuring out where insulation/caulking/sealing is needed.
The kitchen wall was 79 degrees whereas the canned lighting was 101.2 degrees. We discovered that we needed to caulk the canned lights indoors as well as insulate around it in the attic, above the lights.
No more wasting energy which helps to save money and it made our family more comfortable. With our record high of 117* today, we need all the cool comfort we can get!
Moisture meter
The MM8 Pinless LCD Moisture Meter with Tricolor Bar Graph is the tool you need to keep an eye out for moisture. When Nate was out of town for 6 weeks and I was on summer break with the kids, our bathroom flooded which cost several thousand dollars in damage. Even after insurance, we still took a big hit and literally still have concrete floors in the family room.
The moisture meter is ideal for measuring the moisture content of wood and construction materials. Since we renovate often, this has been a really handy tool! In fact, Kristi and her husband Cory just gutted her guest bathroom and are working on plumbing this week. She was mortified that her toilet had been leaking since she moved in 2 years ago.
how to use a pinless moisture meter
To use it, just choose between WOOD and BLDG and the meter will show it your items are DRY or WET. Can’t get any easier than that!
After scanning the area with the meter, she confirmed the leakage was under the tile which is why she could never get ride of the smell, no matter how much bleach she used. Gross.
I wish I had these tools in my arsenal when my bathroom flooded! It’s an affordable preventive without having to hire out for a simple task.
leave your favorite tools in the comments
What did we miss? What’s your go-to tool? Your favorite tool for new homeowners?
We’d love to hear, leave your thoughts in the comments 🙂
Thanks to General Tools for sponsoring this post. As always, opinions belong to us. Read our full disclosure.
I love all your nifty and cheap fixes! I and my husband bought a 100+ year old home that we’re trying to improve and beautify on limited retirement income. It’s a good thing we can do the work ourselves. Keep your nifty tricks coming!
Will do, thanks so much! Best wishes on your 100 year old home 🙂