5 Carpentry Skills Every DIY Capable Homeowner Should Know
The health of your home says a lot about a person, that’s why we believe it is every homeowner’s duty to maintain their home as best they can. We want to see men and women who are ready and able to fix leaky faucets, replace broken door knobs and repair or restore broken furniture.
Being your own handyman or handywoman is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, but you need to start with some basics before thinking about ditching the pros. Here’s a list of carpentry skills we think you ought to know.
Taking Measurements
Knowing how to properly read a tape measure goes a long way. Many projects require cutting and resizing varying material, so it’s important that you aren’t just eye-ballin’ it. Taking measurements is a good habit as well, since it allows for you to consistently check your work and make certain you’re on the right track.
Using A Saw
Unless you live in a giant shoe, it’s likely that your home consists mainly of wood. A mastery of various saws (hand saw, circle saw, miter saw) will bring you one step closer to having control over the material state of your home. Start out using a hand saw and move up to powered saws only when the size of your projects begin to demand it. If you aren’t making a lot of cuts, a hand saw will save you money and the worries regarding safety.
Operating A Drill/ Screw Gun
Now that you’ve measured and cut whatever material you’re working with, it comes time to join those materials together. Being able to confidently use a powered drill has many benefits, since screws are the glue which hold together much more than just our bedside tables.
Finishing Touches
Adding the finishing touches involves more than one skill, really. However, any kind of work you do will look unusual should you leave out steps like sanding, painting, staining, or leveling.
Sanding is one to remember, as few people enjoy getting splinters when relaxing on patio furniture. Check out this beginner’s guide to sanding by Angela Marie Made to get you started.
Patching Drywall
While the outer sides of our homes are tasked with handling the elements, our interiors face the wrath of children, chaos, and clumsiness. While our walls seem strong, one misplaced kick during a WWE reenactment can lead to your child’s foot penetrating drywall. Knowing how to place a bandaid on this kind of injury should ease your mind while you’re pulling your little one’s foot out from the wall. Lucky for you, drywall kits make this job easy when the damage is minor.
If you’re anything like us, your first small projects will inevitably pull you into the world of DIY and you will soon upgrade your toys. Therefore, it’s always good to have a working knowledge of your tools and how to maintain them. Check out our story from just a few days ago for some help with choosing some of the most useful handyman tools every beginner should own.
Knowing the skills above is a good place to start, but there is always much more to learn. Working with an expert on FixMate is a great way to acquire new skills and get remote help on your first projects. Visit us at www.fixmate.io to learn more!
