As the Festive Season and Christmas approaches rapidly, I thought it would be a great idea to provide a gift list for tools you can be used throughout the year.

Being a Journeyman Carpenter, I have a lot of hand and power tools which I use around my own home for the day to day and for larger maintenance projects and home improvements.

A drill that is cordless with a battery of 14 amps or up to 18 volt. Ideally, the drill should be chuckless for quicker changing of bits and thus eliminate the need for a chuck key. Chuck keys get misplaced or lost unless the drill or cord has a convenient place for storage. It is really handy to have a variety of screwdriver bits. Slot head, Phillips, and Robertson are the standard bits to own. Each bit comes in a variety of sizes. In addition, a variety of spade bits and other drill bits should be a requirement. Drill bits can be bought in sets or on an individual basis. You should buy an assortment of different screws, preferably Robertson screws. Screws range in length from 3/8 to over 4 or larger and in size from a number 2 to a number 14. A set of hand held screwdrivers matching the heads mentioned in the above paragraph would be helpful.

I have been doing some checking on the variety of cordless drills on the market. As most of the drills are produced in China, the only way you can check the quality of the tool is to buy well-known Brand names. Also consider the voltage shown on the box as the lower the voltage usually means the less the ability of the tool to do heavy-duty work. I have also been told the cordless batteries on the drills should be used on a regular basis or they eventually die. The cost of a battery for cordless tools is sometimes higher thanthe cost of the tool.

1. A measuring tape with a retractable blade to measure longer objects and with a wide blade the tape can be held out longer distances. The blade should be 1 in width with a length of 25'and have both imperial and metric units. I would also suggest the tape show feet and inch measurements rather than only inches.

2. A good quality steel hammer with a wood or fibreglass handle with a weight of 16 oz and a claw for nail removal.

3. A split bubble level, which is at least 24 in length.

4. Pliers and vise grips. A variety of these tools are suggested. Slip lock, needle nose, and electricians are some of the typical types of pliers available at your nearest hardware dealership.

5. An adjustable wrench which can open to 1 1/2. These are commonly referred to as crescent wrenches.

6. A combination square which assists in squaring lumber to be cut. The combination square can be used for several tasks including measuring items.

7. Saws. A variety of cross cut, rip, backsaw and a hacksaw are always handy to own.

8. Socket sets. Sets may range from a simple ratchet to multi- socket sets. Also have a few nuts and bolts around.

9. A staple gun. Buy a variety of different sized staples. Some staplers often don't use other firm's staples.

10. Safety goggles, earplugs, or other forms of protection.

11. Disposable dust masks.

12. A good set of chisels. Buy a honing stone so your chisels stay reasonably sharp. Better still own a grinding wheel and learn how to sharpen your chisels. Chisels often end up being used for the purpose they were not designed for. Sometimes they will substitute for a screwdriver, a wrecking bar, or for some other uses, therefore becoming dull.

13. A utility knife with a replaceable and retractable blade.

14. A caulking gun. Most caulking guns take the smaller cartridges while you can also buy the industrial size that uses larger capacity tubes.

15. A drop cloth, a wire brush, paintbrushes and a variety of sand paper.

16. A good quality metal or plastic toolbox is useful for storing all of your tools in one place.

17. A framing square either metric or imperial.

18. A job jar with a honey do list is the most important of all.

Additional tools to own are: cold chisels, mitre box, planes (since you bought a grinder, you can also learn to sharpen the plane irons and hone them on a stone), a chalk line (buy powdered chalk), a wooden mallet to hit your chisels, a plumber's helper (such as a plunger or auger), clamps, a stud finder, and a wrecking bar (goose neck or 'wonder' bar).

This is just a basic list of tools that are useful in carrying out your basic home maintenance. As your skill level increases, it just may be necessary to buy specific tools for other jobs you plan to complete. For most homeowners a circular saw should be high on the list as a useful power tool. Remember safety issues are an important consideration when using any tool, especially if the tool is a powered one.

When buying tools there is quite a price difference between offshore made products and those with national brand names. You pay for what you get; quality tools last longer, so you only buy once and have them for life. I have a power drill and a circular saw that are over 35 years old. Some of my hand tools are even older.

I want to extend all the best at this time of the Christmas season and may you all have a Happy New Year.

-The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Calgary Real Estate News. Paul Tobolski RHI, DIPL. A.A. & T. (Architectural Technology) is the owner of Ability Home Inspections and can be reached at 519-6038 or 286-HOME(4663). Paul has over 35 years experience in the areas of design, construction, maintenance and inspection of homes. He has been a member of CAHPI (Ab.) since 1993 and is the past president of CAHPI (Ab.).