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Building tool buying guide

Building tool buying guide

Introduction

The term ‘building tools’ covers a vast range of hand tools, all designed to be used for different stages of the building and construction process. There are simple, everyday essential tools that can cover a variety of tasks, plus more job-specific specialist tools.

This building tool buying guide explains the different building tool types. It looks in detail at bricklaying, roofing, load handling, and flooring tools, plus staplers and riveters. Next, it looks at the safety equipment you may need and gives advice on maintaining and cleaning building tools. Finally, it highlights some key things to consider before buying and answers some frequently asked questions.

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What Building Tools do You Need?

The type of building tools you need will depend on the job you are carrying out and the materials you are working on. For example, some tools are best for working with brick and concrete, while others are best for flooring, load handling, or roofing. However, all building jobs have different stages: preparation, measuring and marking, the main task at hand, and finishing. So, you will need tools for all of these stages. 

Types of Building Tools

In this section, we list the popular types of building tools used for various jobs and materials. There are building tools suitable for different budgets, professionals, and DIYers.

Bricklaying tools explained

Bricklaying tools are used for masonry projects such as building walls and laying paving slabs. They can be used to create new structures or for repairs and replacements across brickwork, stone, and concrete blocks. The range encompasses various products described in the bricklaying tools list below. 

Different types available:

Trowels: used for spreading, levelling, and shaping mortar and concrete. Types of trowels include:

  • Bucket trowel for scooping large amounts of mortar from a bucket.
  • Gauging trowel for mixing mortar and applying small amounts.
  • London and Philadelphia pattern trowels for spreading mortar or concrete over bricks and blocks.
  • Pointing trowel for shaping mortar into seams.
  • Finishing trowel for smoothing out mortar and concrete.
  • Internal corner trowel for forming and smoothing out plaster on inside corners.

Brick jointers: used to smooth and imprint grooves into mortar joints before it is set. This improves the lifespan of the mortar and leaves a neat finish.

Joint rakers: used to rake out excess mortar from between bricks.

Leaf and square small tool: used for spreading mortar in fine brickwork and plastering.

Builders line and chalk: marks long straight lines along flat surfaces. Types include chalk and line, line and pins, and plumb lines.

  • What is builders chalk? Chalk is used to coat the builder’s line. When using a chalk line, pull it taut across the surface to be marked, then snap it. This transfers the chalk onto the surface.
  • What are builder’s line and pins used for? Line and pins are used to mark out a reference guideline on materials you don’t want to mark with chalk. Pins can be staked into the brick course or ground, and the line is wrapped around the pins to stretch across two points to form a line.
  • What is a plumb line? The plumb line consists of a piece of string with a weight hanging on the end. It’s used to determine the vertical line of an upright surface. 

Brick tools: used for carrying, cleaning, and cutting bricks. Brick tools include:

  • Brick tongs are used like a clamp. They can grip and hold between 6-10 bricks, making them easy to carry. They can also be used to carry blocks and paving slabs.
  • Corner blocks are used in pairs and clip to the corners of walls as they are being built. The builder’s line is then attached to the blocks to provide a visual guide to help the builder lay bricks or blocks level.
  • Grit rub bricks are thick grit pads with a handle. They’re used for dressing down and removing marks from concrete or for cleaning brick.
  • Slab cutting guides are straight pieces of metal with a clamp at either end. They lock onto paving slabs allowing a safe and accurate straight cut.

Top things to consider:

  • When choosing the best bricklaying trowel for your needs, consider what type of bricks or blocks you'll be working on. For example, a London pattern trowel has a narrow blade best suited to laying bricks. In contrast, a Philadelphia pattern has a wide blade better suited to laying larger building materials like blocks and stone.

  • If you are a tradesperson who will use bricklaying tools for prolonged periods, the best ones to buy are those with an ergonomic design and soft-grip handles. 

View our range of tools for bricklaying.

Roofing tools explained

Roofing tools are specialist items roofers use to install, repair and maintain roofing. They include tools for cutting and shaping roofing materials and instruments designed for pre-heating and welding.

Different types available:

  • Slate cutters: for accurately cutting and trimming natural and fibre cement slate.

  • Slaters rippers: a long piece of shaped metal to remove roof slates without lifting them. They can be struck with a hammer to apply extra force.

  • Roofing torches: an essential tool used to bond roofing rolls to flat roofs. The torch is used with a gas cylinder to provide a naked flame that melts the roofing roll. Roofing torches are also used for drying, bitumen laying, pre-heating, field torching, etc.

  • Slaters hammers: used for roof repair and maintenance to replace old or damaged slates. They usually include a side claw for removing nails.

Top things to consider: 

  • On roofing torches, look for double valve economiser handles to save gas and a hose failure valve for safety.

  • If you’re buying roofing tools for frequent use, look for tools with extended guarantees, as they will be hardwearing and reliable. 

View our range of roofing tools.

Load handling tools explained

Load handling equipment and tools are used for moving loose heavy loads of materials, such as rubble, around a work site.

Different types available:

  • Rubble sacks: a heavy-duty version of a domestic black refuse sack. They are larger and stronger than standard bin bags, allowing loads up to 15kg.

  • Flexi-tubs: a flexible plastic tub with handles that’s usually larger than a standard bucket. Sizes vary, but the largest can hold up to 20kg. They have multiple uses, from lifting and moving rubble to a skip to mixing cement and plaster.

  • Mini skip bags: used to collect waste materials. These bags are made from tough polypropylene that’s tear resistant. It has four handles for easy lifting and folds flat for storage.

  • Plasterer’s mixing buckets: used for mixing and carrying plaster. These buckets have straight walls to make mixing easier.

  • Polypropylene rope: an extremely strong rope with multiple uses. For example, it can be used to secure materials in place on trucks.

Top things to consider:

  • When choosing load-handling tools, consider the weight and nature of the material. For example, rubble sacks can only carry weights up to 15kg, while flexi-tubs can handle bigger loads. And flexi-tubs or mini skip bags may be better for sharp materials than rubble sacks which could be punctured.

View our range of load-handling tools.

Flooring tools explained

Flooring tools are specialist items designed to easily fit carpets, laminate, and wooden flooring. There are also tools available for removing old floor tiles.

Different types available:

Floor tiling tools:

  • Floor scrapers: a long-handled tool with a blade on the end, used for removing floor tiles. It can also be used for removing plaster and general building use.

Carpet laying tools:

  • Knee kickers: a metal piece of equipment used for stretching carpets when they are laid. One end has a plate with teeth that grip the carpet. The other end has a soft pad that you kick with your knee to stretch the carpet closer to the wall.
  • Carpet tuckers: used to install carpet behind grippers for a rolled-edge finish, fixing carpet into tack strips, and creasing carpet along wall lines. This metal tool has a handle with a flat head.

Laminate flooring tools:

  • Flooring clamps: used to grip planks of glued or nailed flooring together to hold them in place while being fitted. The clamp has two metal pieces that slot over the flooring, connected by a nylon cord which can be adjusted in length.
  • Flooring pull bars: used for slotting planks together at the end of rows near walls. This tool has a clamp on one end, which slots over a flooring plank. A tapping block is hit with a mallet at the other end, so the bar pulls the flooring into place.

Engineered and solid wood flooring tools:

  • Flooring nail guns: used to fire nails into flooring quickly and effortlessly.

Top things to consider: 

  • When buying a knee kicker for stretching carpets, check what thickness carpets it can be used for to ensure compatibility.

  • When buying a laminate flooring pull bar, look for versions with a nylon tapping block which reduces noise and vibrations for user comfort. 

  • When choosing a flooring nail gun, check what thickness of flooring it can be used with to ensure compatibility.

View our range of tools for flooring.

Staplers and riveters explained

Staplers and riveters are tools used to bind two pieces of material together. Staple guns are loaded with staples that are best used to join wood and plastics. On the other hand, riveters fire rivets into pre-drilled holes so they can be used to join any materials.

Different types available:

Riveters: can fire two types of rivets: pop rivets or solid rivets.

  • Pop rivet guns fire blind rivets (called pop rivets) into materials. The rivet is installed only from one side of the material, so they are useful for joining materials where you can't access both sides of the workpiece.
  • Contractor-grade riveters are designed for heavy-duty use in construction.
  • Long arm riveters have long arms, which give extra reach and more power to the tool, reducing the amount of effort required by the user.
  • Lazy tongue riveters have a metal lattice extendable arm that extends and reduces in length as the handle is pulled and pushed to insert a rivet. These riveters are designed for repetitive work.

Staplers:

  • Staple guns are used to fire staples into a workpiece. Some models can also fire brads or nails. These tools work by squeezing a trigger to fire the staples.
  • Hammer tackers are used for fast tacking of carpets, roofing materials, insulation, and building paper and membrane. They fire staples by slapping the tacker down onto the workpiece in a hammering motion. Some models can also fire nails.
  • Cable tackers are used to tack down Telecoms cables to walls, skirting boards, etc. This is a faster and neater alternative to hammering in cable clips.

Top things to consider:

  • When choosing a rivet gun, check the diameter of the rivets it can deliver to ensure it is compatible with your needs.

  • When choosing a stapler or tacker, consider the type and thickness of the material it will be used to join as different models fire different-sized staples, brads, or nails.

  • Riveters are available as manual hand tools or as battery-powered tools. When choosing between the two types, consider the size of the rivets you’ll work with and how frequently you’ll use them. A battery-powered riveter will work quicker and take less effort to use.

View our range of staplers and riveters.

Other types of building tools and accessories

We’ve covered the most essential building tools above, but here are a few other less critical tools that are helpful:

  • Wire brushes: used for removing rust and old paint from surfaces such as aluminium, iron, and wood. The bristles can be made from carbon steel or stainless steel. There are also brass wire versions that can be used on most materials.

  • Board lifters: used to allow one person to lift plasterboard to hold it in place while it's being fitted. One side of the lifter slides underneath the board, and the other is pressed down by foot to raise the board.

  • Glazing tools: include suction lifters to lift, hold and move glass and glass cutters, allowing users to cut glass easily and safely to size.

  • Mortar guns: used to dispense lines of mortar for pointing and filling the gaps between tiles and paving slabs.

  • Tools for paving: include tampers, which have a long handle and heavy square base used for compacting and levelling soil and rocks, tarmac rakes for raking and topping tarmac and asphalt, and a paving maul for bedding down heavy-duty paving slabs.

  • Props and supports: long telescopic rods that temporarily support plasterboard and ceilings.

Building Safety Equipment

Most building tools come with risks, so it’s essential to consider each tool, what the risks might be and how you can protect yourself and others. For example, some tools have sharp blades, and when they are used, they produce shooting debris and dust. And manually handling building materials can scratch or damage hands and clothes. So, consider wearing PPE such as goggles, gloves, knee pads, dust masks, and protective clothing where necessary.

How to Maintain and Clean Building Tools

To ensure building tools are kept in excellent working condition, always ensure they are cleaned after every use and properly maintained. 

How to maintain building tools:

  • Wipe tools down with a rag to remove dust, grease, and debris after every use.
  • Wash trowels that have mortar on them in clean water and thoroughly dry them after every use.
  • Periodically, lightly spray the metal parts of tools with an all-purpose oil such as WD-40 to prevent corrosion and rust. 
  • Ideally, keep tools in an area with minimal moisture exposure and drastic temperature changes.
  • Sharpen bladed tools once per year or more often, depending on how frequently they are used.
  • If rust forms on metal tools, wash and dry them, then scrub the rust with an abrasive material to remove it (i.e., a scouring pad, sandpaper or steel wool). Once the rust is gone, lightly coat the metal in WD-40.

Key Considerations When Buying Building Tools

The information above hopefully gives you a good overview of the different types of construction tools available and what they can be used for. But here are the key things you need to consider before buying:

  1. What materials are you working with?
    When buying building tools, it's often important to know what materials you'll be working on to ensure they are compatible. For example, for bricklaying, you'll need a London pattern trowel, but for blocks and stone, you'll need a Philadelphia pattern trowel. For flooring, the types of tools you need for working on carpet differ from those you need for laminate flooring. And when load handling, a flexi-tub is better for sharp waste materials than rubble sacks.

  2. What frequency are you using the tools?
    If you're a professional who uses building tools frequently, consider buying the best quality your budget will allow. You may pay more initially, but it will be worth it in the long run. Also, think about how comfortable they'll be to hold and use over long periods. Ergonomic, soft-grip handles are best for prolonged use.

  3. Do you have the proper storage for the tools?
    Building tools are best stored in their own dedicated tool storage boxes. This helps keep them safe and easy to find when needed. But it also prevents the risk of injury from accidentally touching exposed sharp blades on tools such as slate cutters, floor scrapers, and carpet tuckers.

  4. Do you have the safety equipment you need?
    It's important to assess the risks posed by using any building tools and consider whether you need to wear any PPE such as goggles, gloves, knee pads, dust masks, and protective clothing. Other safety equipment you may need includes ceiling and wall props if you'll be temporarily removing any supporting beams.

FAQs on Building Tools