Basic tools you'll need for DIY

Anyone doing DIY will need some basic tools to hand when doing repairs around the house, but what should you have in your basic tool kit?

DIY Tools are often offered in complete sets at bargain prices, but they tend to be of a lower quality. The best way is to build up a good quality DIY tool kit over time and spread the cost.

Let's get down to business and work out a basic DIY Tool Kit...

Screwdriver

Yep. One of the most basic tools for doing anything from screwing in screws to opening tins of paint! Screwdrivers with a flat slotted bit in three sizes (small, medium, large) and two of each type of cross-headed drivers (small, large) are all you need for your basic tool kit.

An electrician's screwdriver with a voltage tester would be a useful addition as well.

Tape Measure

A good tape measure is an esential tool for measuring up before you buy.

Spirit Level

Essential for most jobs that require levels. A long and a short one would be ideal.

Hammer

A claw hammer is great for knocking in nails and good for pulling them out if you bend them!

Pliers

A pair of pliers or Lineman's pliers to be correct, are good for gripping, cutting and stripping wire and generally squeezing things together.

Mole Grips

Locking pliers sometimes called vice grips. Great for applying real pressure and gripping things.

Spanners

A few combination spanners are best with both open and round ends. A selection from 6mm to 12 mm. Invest in reasonable quality where possible.

Adjustable Spanner

A useful tool but beware of cheap ones which might make a mess of your nut.

Stepladder

A good step ladder is a useful tool to have. Storage may be an issue, if so, go for one that folds up neatly.

That should be enough for starters, and of course a nice tool bag would be useful to keep them all in.

A man stole two power tools from a Worcester DIY store due to long queue

What an excuse! Amazing and true! The man could not be bothered to queue up and pay, a court was told. Stephen Kearney, of Warndon, Worcester, went into Homebase at Elgar Retail Park on Sunday, December 20, with two large hessian carrier bags.

Lisa Mayne, prosecuting at Worcester Magistrates Court, said a sales manager noticed Kearney heading towards the till area with the two bags which looked full. The 31-year-old then bypassed the tills and went out through the exit.

Ms Mayne said: "The defendant was asked to stop but he just kept walking away. He then turned around and said, ‘Do you know who you are talking to?’"

Unfortunately the reply was not reported but was probably something like "Yes. A shoplifter".

Kearney eloquently swore at the store worker, "%@*(&%@$!!!!", before getting into a car and driving off. The police were called and CCTV footage was checked which showed the two power tools being taken off the shelf and put into the bags.

Kearney was arrested and interviewed at Worcester police station on Wednesday, December 30.
He told officers he had gone into the store to buy Christmas decorations and said he had £500 cash on him to pay for them.

Ms Mayne said: "He saw the tools then concealed them in the two bags. He said there was a large queue and couldn’t be bothered to wait and pay for the items."

The court was told how Kearney was given a two-year conditional discharge in January last year for two similar shoplifting offences.

In October 2008 he stole perfume worth £32 from Debenhams in High Street, Worcester, and in November 2008 he stole two pints of milk and three legs of lamb worth £38 from Tesco in Warndon, both we assume with long queues too, but not reported.

He then pleaded guilty to the theft from Homebase and also admitted breaching his conditional discharge. He was sentenced to a six-month community order with six months of supervision.
Kearney was also given a four-month curfew order from 7am to 7pm and has to pay £79 compensation to Homebase and £85 in costs.

Chairman of the magistrates Elaine Bell said: "We really don’t want to see you back in court and I’m sure you don’t want to go to prison."

Apparently the access to the court was relativeley unfettered by long queues, so no one is holding their breath.

Worcester News was the only member of the media at this hearing and thanks to them for reporting on this gem!

Get yourselves some DIY tools and pay for them.

Sorry no queues!

Buy more spanners...

According to Kamasa Tools, consumers are most likely to consider buying a new set of spanners when they come to do a job and discover one missing, says Kamasa.

With that in mind, Kamasa's latest counter-top display is designed to action that thought when placed near the till in a DIY Store.

Spanner Money-Saving Tips

• Make sure you put the spanner back after use – never think I'll put it back later!
  
• Don't lend individual spanners out – you won't get them back!
  
• Shop somewhere with no counter-tops or tills – such as DIYsupermarket.com

Types of Spanner

• Spanners
• Adjustable Spanners
• Combination Spanners
• Open Ended
• Ring Spanners
• Ratchet Spanners

Yes, we know. We don't sell any spanners yet, but we will in the near future!

In the meantime, try our tools and kit section.