Basic Gear for Home Repairs

The rain finally started coming down. Meteorolgists had been warning us for days about the “stormageddon” that was looming upon us. Businesses were asking people to stay home, schools were operating remotely…but all day it was dry. Finally, at about 4:30 pm it came down.

Not so long afterward, I heard a “drip, drip” in my office. My office is a converted garage and not-so-airtight. Or soundproof. Or clearly as I watched the rain pour in from the top of the garage door windows…waterproof.

Damn artisanal hand-crafted carriage doors! A grievance for another time.

To tackle severe draft problems, months ago I had shoved foam in between the middle of the carriage doors, added weatherstripping and aluminum flashing to the outside of the doors and placed draft blockers along the inside threshold. It was much more soundproof and draft resistant, but nothing was going to stop the water from pouring down the inside of the windows, pooling on the window ledge and then water-falling into my office all over the floor.

Upon noticing the catastrophe unfolding, I yelled for my partner, Josh, to survey the situation.

“Let’s grab a tarp, a few bricks and cover it up. We’ll drape the tarp off the roof,” he replied. Easy peasy.

We donned our slickers, grabbed a tarp, threw 10 brick pavers leftover from our patio paving project into a wheelbarrow, pulled some line out of the camping kit and grabbed the extension ladder.

Up to the roof we went.

In ten minutes we had secured the tarp on the roof with pavers and wrapped the line around each side of the garage to keep the tarp from flapping. Disaster averted.

As we walked along the side yard to return the wheelbarrow to its place, I commented on how glad I was that even though we are working on being more minimalistic, we had a ladder and some tarp.

Josh quickly replied, “Only a dumb minimalist wouldn’t have a ladder.” His words, not mine, but it got me thinking. The most important and useful items aren't even in our home, they are in our sheds - yes, plural - we have two sheds since my office is the garage.

While we are consciously trying to operate with less in our home, tools have been the thing that have been more difficult to let go of, in part, because most of them are so darn useful.

I can be confident in saying I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a zombie apocalypse or end-of-the-world scenario with an absolute minimalist. A few tools and emergency items are important to fend them off and make stuff.

That got me thinking about the items in our kit that have been most useful. While we have many more than what is listed below, these are what regularly get us out of jams:

1. Ladder - if you live in an apartment a step-stool or step-ladder may be sufficient, but anyone with a house should have an aluminum A-Frame ladder (or know a neighbor who does!). They are a must for painting projects, cleaning out gutters or reaching high light fixtures. We also have an extension ladder for easy access to the roof and climbing up our trees and I take this fabulous lightweight Gorilla step-ladder to all of my organizing jobs.

2. Rope - several lengths and types of rope are always handy.. We have a variety of Manila and polyester rope and nylon cord. Most of it is in our camping gear and we both have some in our car emergency kits.

3. Tarps and Drop Cloths - pre-packaged tarps, large pieces of plastic, visqueen, old sheets and packing blankets are items we use regularly. Right now we have the piece covering our garage doors, a tarp over patio furniture to protect it from the rain and we’ll be using visqueen and drop cloths for an upcoming painting project.

4. Basic Hand Tools - claw hammer, ratcheting screwdriver with multiple heads, Channellock pliers and a few sizes of nails are essentials. Just today I had to tighten a screw on a cabinet. We also have the shorty screwdriver for getting into tight spaces.

5. Leatherman - this is the perfect tool for the serious minimalist. With a good Leatherman or similar tool (beware of cheap imposters, a good one is usually $50 and up) one can MacGyver themselves out of most household jams.

6. Scissors and/or Retractable Blade - you need something to cut the rope with! I like snap-off knives. DeWalt, Stanley, Husky and Milwaukee are all good brands. I have used dollar-store versions and they usually fall apart. Make sure to buy one that has blades that can be easily replaced.

7. Tape - blue painter’s tape and gaff tape are our favorites. They provide a strong hold and don’t leave residue on surfaces. Duct tape also works well, but can leave a sticky residue and who wants that?

8. Zip Ties - kind of a wild card, but oddly handy. We just used several zip ties to help stake a few small trees. They come in a variety of sizes and strengths.

9. Small Flashlight or Headlamp - I lean toward the headlamp because of the hands-free capability. When we had to secure the tarp to the roof, headlamps were a necessity.

10. Tape Measure - a metal tape measure is a household imperative. Don’t guess it, measure it! We like this 16” Stanley tape.

Now, these are just some of the basics. Josh and I have many more tools than these, but if you’re not a regular DIYer, these are a few essentials that can get you through simple home repairs and help keep your place in good shape.

Another great way to get through basic home emergencies is to befriend a neighbor who loves to build things and has “an ultimate set of tools.” Those folks typically enjoy sharing their knowledge, fixing things for others and lending tools. My dad was that guy, my father-in-law is that guy, my neighbor is that guy and Josh is that guy, So, we’re covered.

NOTE: Don’t cheap out with your tools. Cheap crap is going to get you into trouble. Buy reputable brands, read reviews and ask for recommendations. If the price seems too good to be true, it is.