8 Essential Tools for Every Household

Hammer

There are more varieties of hammers than you think. All you need is a 16-ounce curved claw hammer. It's got enough weight to handle most nailing jobs, but it's not so heavy your arm will wear out after the ninth nail.

Use your full forearm and the weight of the hammer to fuel that swing. You get much more momentum and force by doing it that way. Practice hammering with this technique. You might miss the nail many times at first, but it won't take long before you perfect your aim.

The hammer's claw is used for more than just pulling nails; it's a great demolition tool. The blades of the claw can bust through drywall pretty easily and give you a "starter hole" for tearing down the rest of the wall. Or the claw can function as a lever when you need to pry off wood trim or baseboard.