General tools

Tinsnips

Hand tool for cutting sheet metal.

Nail punch

A small blunt tool used with a hammer to drive nail heads beneath the surface of the timber, to avoid causing damage to the timber. The point of the nail punch should always be slightly smaller than the nail head.

Hosepipe

A long, flexible, hollow, plastic pipe for conveying water.

Scaffold tower

Sections of aluminium tubing that can be put together to make a tower to enable work to be carried out at height. Scaffold towers can be hired from tool hire companies and erected to the working height required. They can be used inside and outdoors.

Decorator's trestle

The top part of a steel trestle can be raised and lowered by moving steel pins to different holes at either side. Used in pairs the trestles can support scaffold boards to allow work to be carried out at height. When decorating a ceiling this eliminates having to keep moving a step ladder to a new position.

Bradawl

This hand tool is similar in design to a screwdriver but with a sharp point. It is used to start off holes for screws and for detecting joists in ceilings.

Garden roller

A heavy roller designed for lawn care but useful for compacting hardcore.

Panel lifter

This is an excellent machine for raising heavy plasterboard panels into position for fixing. They can be hired from most tool hire companies.

Arissing tool

An arising tool is similar in appearance to a float but is made from steel. It has one edge rounded over and is used to round off the edges of concrete before it hardens.

Compacting plate

A petrol driven machine fitted with a vibrating plate. It is use to compact large areas of hardcore and to bed down concrete paving blocks. Compacting plates are available to hire from most tool hire companies.

Sealant dispenser

Also called a cartridge gun. With sealants, fillers and adhesives now being supplied in a standard size cartridge, the sealant gun is an excellent tool for applying these compounds. The sealant cartridge fits into an open metal frame that has a trigger mechanism at one end. When the trigger is squeezed a bead of sealant is forced out of the nozzle.

Work platform

A platform constructed from scaffold boards supported by two decorators' trestles that allows you to comfortably reach the ceiling.

Mitre block

Used for accurately cutting mitred ends on cornices, coving, picture rails and skirting board.

Staircase platform

An aluminium tower designed specifically for use on the stairs. The height of the work platform can be adjusted to ensure safe working conditions at all times. The staircase platforms can be dismantled for transportation.

Garden fork

A standard four-pronged garden tool for breaking up compacted soil.

Block splitter

A hand-operated, hydraulic, block splitter will certainly speed up the cutting process if you are laying paving blocks over a large area. Available for hire at tool hire companies.

Nail bar

An alloy steel bar usually about 300mm (12 in) in length with one straight end and one curved pulling end. Used for removing nails and prising apart timbers.

Pincers

A versatile hand tool used for pulling nails and tacks from floorboards, but can also be used to trim the edges of ceramic tiles.

Slate ripper

A long, flat steel blade varying in length from 300mm to 380mm with an arrow-like head. The slate ripper is slid under the tiles or slates and manoeuvred until one of the barbs hooks onto a roofing nail holding the tile in place. Tugging the slate ripper sharply towards you cuts the nail. The process is then repeated to cut the second nail, freeing the tile.

Pulling bar

Metal bar used in laminate floor laying for closing up the joints at the end of each row. The ends of the bar are bent in opposite directions. The bar lays flat against the board with one end hooked over the edge of the board. The other end of the bar will point upwards and by tapping it with a hammer, the joints between the boards are closed.

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