Summer leads to a lot of projects for homeowners. People work in their gardens, honing their landscaping skills. Others opt to repaint the home, build bookcases, work on cars—the options for home improvement projects are seemingly endless. But if you want a successful project, then the tools you use have to be up to par. Proper tool maintenance is essential to the ease and success of a project. Make sure that your tools can hold up to your needs; here are some important tool maintenance tips for homeowners.
Make Sure You’re Storing Them Correctly
Probably one of the most important tool maintenance tips for homeowners has to do with how you’re storing them. Whether it’s paintbrushes or saws, how you store items makes a difference in how they’re used. If you keep paintbrushes upside down, you’ll ruin their bristles. If you keep your nails and screws out in the elements, they’ll rust faster. Do yourself and your projects a favor by following proper tool storage tips. It’s quite simple—take care of the tools and they’ll take care of your projects.
Inspect Before Using
This is such an essential safety tip. For all of your tools—power tool, hammer, screwdriver, whatever you have—you need to make sure that you’re looking it over before use. Especially if you’re in the habit of using a power tool every day, it can be easy to let poor performance go unnoticed. Take a moment before using your tools to see if they need extra attention. It may seem like overkill but paying attention to your tools can provide the opportunity to fix small issues before they become big problems.
Clean After Using
If you’re going to inspect before using your tools, you should follow through with cleaning after use. Again, this may seem excessive, but it makes a big impact on how long your tools last and their performance quality. Of course, cleaning methods will vary from tool to tool, but you can always start with wiping dirt and dust from the casing. Even these little wipe downs will keep particles from building up and getting into any important internal mechanisms.
Bonus tip: keep a can of compressed air in hand so that you can easily spray dust out of small areas.
Sharpen What You Can
Eventually, depending on how often you’re using your tools, they will dull down. Saw blades will get worn down, drill bits will dull down to a flat surface. Though it may still get the job done, it’ll take a lot more effort on your end and for the tool—not to mention, it will make the overall process take longer. When you strive to regularly sharpen bits and blades, you’ll make it easier on the tools you’re using, helping them last longer.
Lubricate When Necessary
Our last tip is another essential tool maintenance tip that will make an incredible difference on performance. Lubrication is one of those often-neglected steps that can majorly affect tool performance. When you don’t take this step with your tools, it causes issues like chafing that lead to the quick deterioration of different parts. If you kept the owner’s manual handy, that should explain the tool’s proper lubrication practices.
With the help of these tool maintenance tips, you can take your summer home improvement projects to the next level. If you’re not afraid to put in the work, these tips can make your project into a resounding success!
Van Rundell is a writer and author who specializes in transportation, travel, guidance, health & fitness. With over 10 years of experience in the industry as a driver and an entrepreneur, he has seen it all. His tone is professional but friendly with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. In past, he has been advising, educating and writing about transport for the public and professionals alike.
A qualified fitness instructor with over 5 years’ experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, Van brings his deep knowledge of health and exercise science to his articles on health & fitness.
