Owning a home is usually not a passive experience…it takes work to maintain it
There are plenty of regular maintenance tasks that need to be completed if you want your home and garden to stay pristine
Most tasks can be completed with little more than the tools you probably already own for use in DIY projects. There are, however, some specialist tools that can make your life a lot easier when completing maintenance on the outside of your home and keeping your garden in check.
This is a very quick practical guide to the tools every proud homeowner should keep in their shed for maintenance purposes.
Lawn Mower
Lawnmowers, much like the lawn itself, are relatively recent inventions. The first lawnmower was created by Edwin Beard Budding, who was inspired to create his grass cutting machine after seeing cloth cutters at work in a factory.
Early mowers were made of cast iron and featured a heavy roller that flattened blades of grass left behind in the wake of the spinning blades. Modern lawn mowers come in all shapes and sizes, but the best ones are powered by electric. Unlike old petrol mowers, electric mowers are a no-mess solution for out-of-control grass and weeds.
Fast and effective cutting for your lawn
For people with a large garden (and a large budget), there are even robotic lawn mowers that automatically maintain your garden while you put your feet up. These devices are just coming into maturity.
Power Washers
Power washers are perfect for cleaning outside. They use a highly concentrated jet of water to blast away dirt, paint and plant life from materials like brick and on patios.
The water typically exits the hose of the power washer at 1500 to 3000 PSI. Care needs to be taken when operating a power washer, and you should not to point it towards a a person, animal or any soft ground.
There are some risks for those nearby because of the power it has. Soft ground can quickly get churned up by the extremely powerful jet of water emitted by the washer and could cause real damage.
Therefore, if you are considering cleaning the outside of a property, in particular, brick buildings, it might benefit you to reach out to professionals.
Caulk
The areas around your door frames and windowpanes are likely to develop cracks in the spring – especially if they are made of wood. Luckily, caulk or silicone filler is usually enough to seal these cracks before they have any effect on your home’s insulation.
Cracks appear more in the spring due to a combination of heat expansion and water damage. Try and find caulk in the colour of your window frames.
Hedge Trimmer
Operating using much the same principle as a chainsaw, a hedge trimmer is slightly less dangerous and much less expensive. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean it is free from danger. They should still be operated with care. Always read the manual before using one and if you are not certain of being able to use it correctly, bring in a professional instead.
Always take care when using a hedge trimmer
Although not useful for cutting down large branches, a trimmer is perfect for ridding your home exterior or garden of overgrown foliage. Trimmers usually have overlapping blades which work like a pair of scissors as opposed to a spinning chain. Modern electric trimmers have an automatic stop function that prevents them from running after hitting a wire, for example.
Trowel
It might not be the most glamorous of tools, but the humble trowel is indispensable for sorting out one of the most annoying seasonal maintenance tasks: cleaning the gutter of leaves.
Falling Autumn leaves have a habit of clogging up gutters, leading to drainage problems and potential leaks inside the home. Naturally, these gutters need to be cleaned, and there are tools out there to help, like a trowel and ladder. However, due to the dangers that it poses, the safer option would be to get in professionals who know how to tackle this job correctly and to a high standard. They have the knowledge and skills that you may not.
