There are few things as satisfying as pulling up to your garage at night, pushing a button, and seeing the door raise to reveal a pristine, clean, and welcoming parking space.
What is even better is when you know that your garage is well-equipped to handle any of the significant life challenges into which you might run.
Having a garage that is prepared to support your household needs takes years of conscientious preparation.
Here’s a list to get you started.
Organization
Before you load it up with too many tools, you’ll want to start creating a system for organizing your job.
Most people do it the other way. They begin buying tools and then decide that they need to buy a place to put those tools. You will most likely have already lost a tool or two between the time you buy them and the time you buy the things you need to organize them.
At the least, you’ll want a workbench and two to three shelves. If you’re going to buy a shelving unit with doors, that will create an even cleaner look.
You don’t need to buy the most expensive garage organization setup. A simple but well-built set of shelving will help you keep your tools organized and easily accessible.
Tools can provide peace of mind. However, if they are strewn about your garage, they only serve to increase your stress levels.
Get a plan to keep them organized.
If you are driving, you will not get any garage facilities. In that case, you can use a toolbox to carry and organize your tools. You will get a few awesome toolbox ideas on the damntools blog.
Hand Tools
Everyone seems to get started by purchasing a few tool kits. It would help if you had a hammer, tape measure, screwdrivers, sockets, and hex wrenches at a bare minimum.
Add a few pliers, and you can fix just about anything in the house.
Instead of buying one of those pre-packaged tool kits, it is better to buy each tool separately. Buy a good hammer, good-quality screwdrivers, and a quality socket set.
These tools don’t have to be very expensive, but if you buy a decent quality brand, they’ll last for a long time and form a foundation for all of the projects that are yet to come.
Drills
The first time you try to screw something into drywall with a screwdriver, you’ll understand why they invented cordless screwdrivers.
With an excellent cordless screwdriver and drill set, you are well-enabled to do most of the common home repair projects.
One of the things that you’ll discover pretty quickly is that even simple things like installing a decorative shelf into sheetrock are tough to do without a drill. To properly hang something like that, you need to drill a hole into the wall, insert a sheetrock anchor, and then screw the shelf into place.
Once you get a drill, you will be using it everywhere.
Saws
A saw is one of those tools that you can get along without for a surprising amount of time. And then, once you buy one, you will wonder how you ever functioned without it.
A circular saw is a must-have. It is so versatile, easy to use, and can do most of the cuts you need.
From there, it is a great idea to get a reciprocating saw. You can cut tree branches and other rough cuts with a reciprocating saw, making it a very versatile tool.
If you get serious about your home DIY projects, you have to learn more about the different types of saws and how they work. A miter saw, or table saw are two other excellent tools to upgrade to. These enable you to do straight and angled cuts more rapidly. And don’t forget the table saw stand!
Air Compressor
One might argue that the air compressor should be higher on the list. Most of us get our car tires aired up at the shop during an oil change. If they need to be aired up more often than that, there is probably something that needs to be repaired, and we take it to the tire shop.
The real power of an air compressor is unleashed when you begin using air-powered tools. Nail guns, finish nailers, air ratchets, and impact wrenches are just some of the tools that can be powered by an excellent air compressor.
To get enough power for all of these attachments, you’ll need to buy a 30-gallon air compressor or more significant. However, once it is set up, you can take on your projects with the same tools that the professionals use.
While you are at it, make sure to buy plenty of air hose and a hose reel to make sure you can move quickly around the shop.
Electrical Repair Kit
Wiring is one of those repairs that most of us don’t want to think about.
However, you’ll find that most electrical repairs are relatively simple and quite rewarding to take on. The first time you wire a ceiling fan in, you’ll wonder why you didn’t decide to be an electrician.
The tools for doing electrical work are quite simple. Keeping a multimeter, an outlet tester, some wire strippers, and wire nuts in a separate toolbox is an excellent idea. Anytime you need to take on an electrical problem, grab your dedicated toolbox and get to work.
Plumbing Tools
Plumbing is reasonably simple to do as well, and the tools are more affordable. However, plumbing projects always end up being excessively complicated. It seems that the pipes are always situated awkwardly, forcing you to work harder than normal to access them.
Having a hacksaw, some Teflon tape, pipe glue, and your pipe wrenches in a special box makes it easier to get the job done without chasing tools around.
Your collection of tools will grow slowly over the years. The key is to keep them organized as you get each one.
Knowing where each tool is located provides the secret to carefree home maintenance and a garage that you can be excited to come home to.
