How to Fix Everything For Dummies
Cover of How to Fix Everything for Dummies book with cartoon character and repair tips.
Explore Book
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How to Fix Everything For Dummies
Cover of How to Fix Everything for Dummies book with cartoon character and repair tips.Explore Book
Buy NowSubscribe on Perlego

Whenever you’re about to start a maintenance project, run through these lists to ensure that you have all the tools you need:

Basic Equipment Other Handy Equipment
Bucket, 5-gallon Brass brush, toothbrush-size
Caulking gun Chisels, cold and wood
Circular saw Construction screws, assorted
Clamps Cutting oil
Claw hammer Duct tape
Combination square or speed square Nails, assorted
Drill, cordless, 3/8-inch variable-speed reversible Nylon scrub brush
Drill bit set Paintbrush
Flashlight Plunger
Flat scraper or putty knife Rags and towels
Glue, wood and all-materials (not Super Glue) Shims
Hand saw, small, multipurpose Silicone lubricant, waterless and oil-free
Ladder, 6-foot fiberglass Shop vacuum cleaner
Level, 36- or 48-inch aluminum Small sledgehammer
Pliers, standard (slip-joint), long-nose, Channellock, and wire-cutter (diagonal) Sponge
Gloves, rubber gloves and leather Toothbrushes
Safety goggles Wood screws, assorted
Sandpaper and sanding block
Sawhorse
Screwdrivers, several sizes of both flathead and Phillips
Tape measure, 25-foot
Utility knife and extra blades
Wrenches, basic set of open-ended crescent wrenches, set of ratcheting socket wrenches, and set Allen wrenches

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

James Carey is an award-winning, licensed contractor with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. He also appears regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.

Morris Carey Jr. is an award-winning, licensed contractor with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. He also appears regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.