There’s a wrench to fit every home-improvement nut. It’s an old joke, but true enough. Tools, sadly, are pricey if you’re after quality. Most contractors I know build up their tool collection over a period of years. They pack their trucks with the essential items, and carry indispensable tools in their belt.  As the adage goes, you need the tool the matches the job.

If you’re just putting together your tool set, look for used tools online or sales at home improvement stores. The exact tools you need vary by the jobs you intend to perform on your own. If you get in over your head, you can do more damage than it costs to call in a professional.

Essential Tools for Home Repair or Renovation

Experts at Popular Mechanics say a sledgehammer is the most-important tool, followed by a center punch, putty knife, adjustable wrench, socket wrench set, metal file, combination square, and combination wrench. I think you might survive without the sledgehammer if you’re doing home repair work on your own.

You can find this initial group of tools reasonably priced and put them together in short order. The power tools, of course, cost more and require stands, power cords and supply, and workshop space. Some of us are lucky enough to inherit tools from our parents or relatives, or have them around for myriad quick fixes around the house.

The second tier of tools, says Popular Mechanics, consists of a bow saw, jigsaw, coping saw, side-cutting pliers, crosscut saw, snips, roundhouse shovel, needle-nose pliers, and a cordless drill. The trio of indispensable tools for plumbing repairs include a pipe wrench, pliers of all sizes and adjustable models, and an adjustable and crescent wrench.

Squaring Away Your Repair Tools

Organizing your repair tools so they are there when you need them can be a project unto itself.  If you plan on doing work off property, you might want a toolbox for your truck.  In the garage, you can thrive with a well organized peg boards and hooks, shelves, and storage cabinets. Put each family of tools together in their own shelf, slot, or see-through plastic container.

While you’re building up your toolbox, consider whether you have duplicates and which tools are in need of oiling, repair, or replacements.  Relying on someone else for your tools can be tricky. Many home carpenters and fix-it enthusiasts are protective of their tools.

During repairs, you may want to strap on a tool belt with the leather pouches arranged intuitively with nails, hammer, screwdrivers, bolts, tape, and measuring tape in easy reach.

While the actual ideas for decorating your home for Halloween aren’t so scary–they’re easy and practical–the end results will be. Lighting your driveway on Halloween night not only dresses up the occasion, it provides a safe walkway for trick-or-treating kids. Window stencils, styrofoam critters, and carved pumpkins are fun and simple to make. And, to top it all off, a faux Halloween tombstone in your yard ought to scare just about everyone.

When it comes to decorations, you can decide how much to do and how much to spend. It’s guaranteed that someone else in the neighborhood will outdo you. On the other hand, getting the family involved in making and installing the decorations can be a fun event unto itself. And making your own, rather than putting out store-made decorations, means your home will have character. (Or at least, chilling characters.)

Lighting the Way
Luminaries have come into vogue in Asian or Southwest theme outdoor parties. Now you can make your own for Halloween out of plastic jugs. You can download free patterns online from Better Homes and Gardens that wrap around the jugs and attach with household tape. You simply paint the pattern and add details with markers. Pour sand into the bottom of the jug and install your candles.

Build Creepy Styrofoam Spiders
This one’s fun. Buy two sizes of styrofoam balls and paint them black. The smaller size is the head. Now build the limbs from black pipe cleaners. Glue additional facial details with construction paper. Dangle the spiders from the doorway where kids are bound to see them. You’ll find photographs of the models and the building process at Disney Family Fun.

Jumpy Jack O’Lanterns and Terrifying Tombsones
Pumpkin carving can be an art. You’ll need a serrated blade to cut off the top and paring knives to carve holes for the face. A hardy kitchen spoon should be ample to dig out the seeds. Make the pumpkin last a few days longer with store-bought, non-toxic preservation spray and by coating the insides with petroleum jelly to ward off mold.

The tombstone project is more demanding. You’ll need foam boards, spray adhesive, PVC pipe, and rebar. HGTV has the complete, detailed process online for creating an especially spooky tombstone. Once the foam tombstone is assembled, you use a stencil from your computer printer to add the details. Boooo!

The use of natural elements in home remodeling and energy-efficient products are more than a passing fling. Homeowners are looking at protecting their investment and the environment at the same time.  And while some so-called “green” lighting and flooring products can warm up the atmosphere of  your home, they can help you save money on your annual energy bills.

A great example is Toolbarn’s recommendation to replace existing light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. The energy efficient bulbs can use as much as 75 percent less electricity, lowering your costs nearly $60 over the seven-year life of the bulb. You can also cut your power costs by installing motion detector bulbs indoor and outdoors. You don’t have to leave the lights burning all night on your patio to scare off burglars.

Looking at Green Homes
Contractors are now offering so-called green homes in special subdivisions. That means you can borrow their ideas and retrofit your home with devices to lower your bills. A new home in Northern California’s “Carsten Crossings” neighborhood offers $1,400 in annual energy savings, according to developers.  Flooring products and sustainable paint materials feature materials that don’t release volatile organic compounds.

Today eco-sensitive homeowners are choosing natural fibers like wool or sisal for their rugs, linoleum in place of vinyl, recycled wood, cork, and bamboo for flooring.  HGTV has a nice pictorial presentation of green flooring products on its site.  Bamboo is known throughout Asia for its durability and easy maintenance.  Like bamboo, cork can be expensive to install, but it is also easy to clean with homemade water and vinegar solution. Both products lend a nice look and are efficient in baffling noise.

HGTV also recommends using recycled wood and reclaimed glass flooring products.  Recycled tiles are bright and you can choose colors that complement your decor.  You can even find ecological carpet flooring constructed out of recycled plastic bottles and corn sugar.

Don’t Forget Green Appliances
Green Home Guide authors recommend that you install “smart ceiling fans” during your home remodeling project. Fans that cost under $70 with retrofit materials that cost under $40 can curb your heating and cooling costs.  What makes these fans “smart” are the sensors that detect when people leave the room, shutting down the fan until occupants return. By using a fan, you can easily raise the thermostat on your air conditioning by 5 degrees or, conversely, drop your furnace temperature by 5 degrees in the winter.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to change the way you live.