Seven Basic Home Improvement Tools That Deserve an Upgrade

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When it comes to the common, everyday tools we use to do quick maintenance and repair work around the house, there’s a tendency to just stick with what you have. If you have a measuring tape or clamp in your tool chest, you’re probably not going to think about getting a new one until the old one breaks. Usually, that’s a good practice—if a tool is doing its job, why waste money on a new one? One reason is to upgrade that tool. Just because the standard spirit level you’ve been using for the last decade still does the job doesn’t mean an upgraded version won’t do the job better. These upgraded versions of common, everyday tools make every project just a bit easier—and that makes them worth the investment.

A waterproof notebook

If you’re like me, you have to make a lot of notes when you’re working around the house. I learned long ago that I need to be a “measure 15 times, cut once” kind of DIYer, so I tend to jot down measurements and other details in a little notebook—it's much better than writing on the wall, or your hand. That is, unless you’re working in damp conditions that turn your notebook into mush. That’s why buying a few of these weatherproof notebooks is such a powerful upgrade: Water, oil, dirt, sweat—it all just beads and rolls off, but you can write on it with a #2 pencil or a pen designed for all-weather use (you can use any old pen or pencil when its dry). Even when you’re knee-deep in a flooded crawl space, you’ll be able to make notes easily.

Improved markers

Though I like my little notebook, sometimes you’re in a tight space and you just need to mark something or make a notation anywhere. A standard marker is usually fine for this, but if you’re working in damp, dirty spaces, not only will standard markers fail, they’ll also get damaged. Enter these Inkzall markers. They’ll write on anything, even if it’s wet, dirty, or greasy. And if you’ve ever tried to write on a rough surface like concrete, you know that it will chew up a standard marker tip. These markers are made to handle rough surfaces, though, and will write just fine.

Double-sided measuring tapes

It’s such a small innovation, but having a tape measure with markings on both sides removes one minor frustration with standard tape measures: When the tape gets twisted around, or you need to hook it onto something but read from underneath. This tape measure from Lufkin is not only double-sided, it has hooks on both sides as well, so you can just slap it into place and get a measurement. Plus, the matte black finish means zero glare from work lights, and makes it a little easier to read in dim spots.

Crescent Lufkin 1-3/16" x 25' Black Widow Black Dual Sided Tape Measure - L1025B

$26.98 at Amazon

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$26.98 at Amazon

An adjustable clamp

Clamps are the DIYer’s best friend—they’re the second set of hands you need to get things done on your own. Standard bar clamps have one limitation: their length. If you need to clamp something larger than the span of the clamp, you’ve got a problem—unless you have this clever clamp. Using 2x4 lumber, you can create a clamp of just about any length on the fly. The heads can be positioned anywhere along the 2x4, secured in place, and moved as needed.

Stable work lights

Working in dark, constricted spaces can be stressful and frustrating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set up a work light in my crawl space or in a tight spot under a floor, only to knock it over when I’m awkwardly moving about. That’s why the Wobblelight is a godsend. It’s a powerful work light that you literally can’t knock over. It will just ... wobble, and right itself. This way, even if you do accidentally knock into it, you can just keep working without having to extricate yourself, retrieve your light, and re-insert yourself to get back to work.

A digital level

We all have a spirit level in our tool collection. Whether it’s a small, plastic number or a more robust version, they all work the same way: You place the level on top of something and then squint to see the tiny bubble and judge whether it’s exactly level or maybe just slightly off. And if you’re me, you always realize it’s “slightly off” after you’ve finished the job. That’s where a digital level comes in. With a large display screen (and a second display on top), you’ll get an extremely accurate measurement from various angles or from a distance. And an audible beep will tell you when you’re level, so you don’t even have to look at it while you work.

A universal socket

The standard procedure in my house when working with sockets is a) choose the wrong size; b) become frustrated; c) repeat until you pick the right socket. But with this universal socket, it just fits automatically every time. While you might not want to throw your socket set away in favor of this, you’ll definitely be using it less, especially for those random moments when you need a socket to remove a stuck bolt or have bolts of varying sizes to deal with.

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