Читать книгу Landscaping For Dummies - Lance Walheim - Страница 92

Be sure you have the necessary tools on the job before you start. You don’t need to purchase all of these tools. You may be able to borrow some from family members, friends, and neighbors (just make sure to return them clean and in a timely manner). Or rent from big box home-improvement stores.

Here are some tools to add to your toolbelt and toolchest:

 Basic carpentry tools: A tape measure, hammer, square, screwdriver, handsaw, power/circular saw, power drill, and chalkline (a simple gadget that looks a bit like a tape measure; it helps you easily mark straight lines in chalk; see Chapter 2) — more than likely also a wheelbarrow, stepladder, and sawhorses.

 Carpentry tools: A jigsaw or even better, a reciprocating saw.

 Digging tools: Both square and round shovels, a good trowel, and perhaps a garden rake.

 Specialty tools: For instance, a power auger (to dig post holes), scoop loader (for hauling bulk materials), masonry-cutting saw (for brick, tile, or stone), plate compactor (for compacting gravel and sand), or ditch excavator (for irrigation, drain, and electrical pipes),These specialty tools are perfect examples of ones you can rent or borrow rather than buy.

 Hose: Not necessarily a tool per se, but having a nearby hose is never a bad idea. Rinse off dirty or muddy tools at the end of each work day. Blast soil or dirt out of your way. If you use mortar, you’ll need water.

Meanwhile, you’ll need stakes and levels for your hardscape projects:

 Stakes: The stakes that we refer to are called hubs or construction stakes. They’re made of wood, and the standard size is 2 x 2 inches (5.1 x 5.1 cm), with lengths varying between 8 and 24 inches (20.3 and 60.1 cm). They’re sold in bundles at any lumber yard or home-supply store.

 Levels: Levels are very handy. The three main kinds are as follows:Line level: A smaller-size gadget (3 or 4 inches, 7.6 or 10.1 cm long) that can be hung on a taut string (via little hooks); has a bubble level embedded in it.Carpenter’s, spirit, or I-beam level: The classic metal, wood, or plastic item, typically 2 feet (.6 m) long (but you can get them up to 8 feet/2.4 m long — the longer the level, the greater the accuracy), with one or more bubble levels embedded; fine to use for smaller projects.Laser level: This newer gadget is a game-changer, making formerly time-consuming jobs so much easier. Some look like a carpenter’s level, and some look like a tin can; they mount on a tripod and rotate (manually or automatically) while emitting a red laser beam. You can rent the setup.