Construction tools are pieces of equipment used by hands while building buildings. From ancient times, people use timber, antler, bone, stone, and metal to make necessary cutting, hammering, scraping, and moving the materials more comfortable.
Nowadays, modern tools are powerful and enable more accurate and faster construction activities without too much physical labor and effort.
Necessary Construction Tools for Building
Construction tools are re-useable units, but you need to check their conditions from time to time. Defective pieces may cause a lot of complications, including injuries, delays of works, or improper installation.
We can roughly classify all the tools into several groups:
1. General tools
Often, we include some essential, old pieces in this group, such as shovels, rakes, hoes, or hammers.
2. Hand tools
You can include different units in this group, such as screwdrivers, trowels, brushes, crimpers, wrenches, knives, and clamps.
3. Power tools
They can work just if you provide electricity, liquid fuel, compressed air, or hydraulic power, depending on the model you choose. The most common pieces belonging to this group are mixers, cutters, saws, breakers, drills, and grinders.
4. Machine tools
These machines are more complicated, and you can use them to shape necessary materials by cutting, grinding, or boring.
5. Specialist tools
Most measuring and electrical devices belong to this group. Keep in mind that some of them are multi-functional.
An Inventory of the Most Common Construction Tools
6. Brick bolster
You can use this chisel-like tool to cut bricks accurately, clearly, and efficiently. However, it is suitable for cutting stone, as well. The sharp edge for cutting is wider than the brick, which will make the job more comfortable for you.
7. Brick hammer
Thanks to a flat, traditional face and a chisel-shaped blade, you can use this tool to cut off small pieces of brick or stone efficiently. It is particularly useful for cutting bricks that come out of the line for some reason.
8. Bump cutter (screed)
It is a useful tool while making a floor. You should use it to level the concrete surface.
9. Bull float
Use this wide-bladed piece of tools on a long handle to fill voids in the concrete and level possible ridges. You should use it after finishing screed work to prepare the surface for troweling.
10. Chisel
Even though it is an excellent tool for woodwork, it can be highly useful for removing the excess concrete on an already hardened surface. You can also use this steel piece to work soft stone, as well.
11. Circular saw
It is irreplaceable for precise cutting the wood frames and boards. You can choose a right-handed or left-handed model, which depends on the position of the blade relative to the engine.
12. Crimpers
It is a piece of tool you need for twisting two pieces of metal to get them together or cutting wires.
13. Compactor
It is a helpful piece helping you to compact the stone, biomass, or waste material. You can use it to flatten and prepare the surface before placing the concrete slab.
14. Concrete mixer
It is one of the most useful construction tools for building. You will need it to mix the fine aggregate, cement, and coarse aggregate with water to get the ideally mixed concrete.
15. Concrete vibrator
Use it when you need to compact the concrete. It will help you get rid of trapped air pockets from the concrete mix. That way, you will keep the concrete strong, with a smooth finish surface.
16. Crowbar
If you use this tool as a lever, you will quickly force apart two objects. It is highly efficient for opening a nailed wooden crate, removing the roots of trees from the ground, and prying apart boards.
17. Drill machine
You need this piece of a tool when you want to make holes in the wall, window frame, door, or any slab.
18. Digging bar
It is a solid metal rod with a pin-shaped top. You can use it for digging the hard ground and loosening rocks, ice, or concrete.
19. Earth rammer (tamper)
You should use this convenient hand tool to level the surface after the excavation of the ground. That way, you will make it compact and well-prepared for any project that needs a flat surface.
20. Float
You will need this wooden tool with a handle for smoothing the surface of the plastered concrete. It is irreplaceable when you should achieve maximum precision.
21. Grinder
The process of grinding has primarily aesthetic effects. At the end of work, you will use it to finish over-trowelled slab surfaces or remove excess material. It is a multi-purpose tool thanks to the different discs, including polishing pads, cut-off discs, grinding stones, abrasive grinding discs, wire brush wheels, and sanding discs.
22. Hand saw
It is a wide-used tool for cutting the wooden windows, doors, and slab panels. Even though it is an excellent piece, it is a less precise tool than a circular saw.
23. Head pan
Since it is made of iron, this tool is sturdy enough for lifting the concrete, cement, or excavated soil in construction sites.
24. Hoe
Whenever you plan to excavate the soil, you will need this simple but highly useful hand tool. In most cases, you will use it to prepare the ground for future construction work.
25. Jack plane
You will use it for precise woodwork, especially when you need to smoothen the wooden surface of windows and doors.
26. Ladder
Without this particular piece of tool, you won’t be able to finish your work at a greater height. It is necessary when you want to paint the walls and ceiling or to transport the material needed for the upper floor.
27. Level (spirit level)
It is an old tool made of wood or hard plastic. There is a tube in the middle, partially filled with alcohol, with an air bubble helping you to check the level of the surface during masonry. You will know that the surface is appropriately leveled when seeing the bubble positioned in the middle of the tube.
28. Line and pins
It consists of a thread connected with two pin-pointed metal rods. You can use this guideline piece to level the bricks while laying them. Insert the tool into a brick course, wrap a string, and stretch it taut between the two points.
29. Mason’s square
That L-shaped tool is an excellent piece for achieving a perfect angle of the wall. Place the first layer of bricks at a 90-degree angle by using this tool. Then set out next rows based on that first one.
30. Measuring box
It is an ancient, but still a necessary tool. You will need it to measure the right quantity of aggregate, cement, sand, and mortar when making concrete. Its standard volume is 1 cubic foot (0.03 m3) and dimensions (length x width x depth) are 11.8 x 11.8 x 15.75 inches (300 x 300 x 400 mm). So, you don’t need to weigh the material over and over again.
31. Measuring tape
You can use this flexible ruler to check the length, thickness, or widths of walls, trenches, and foundation beds, as well as the distance between two points.
32. Measuring (surveyor) wheel
If you have this convenient tool, you will make measuring the lengths much more comfortable. Thanks to a wheel of known diameter, you can calculate the distance between two points by recording the number of its complete revolutions. Keep in mind that you will get the most accurate measurement when the surface is flat.
33. Pick Axe
That T-shaped hand tool has a metal head attached to a wooden handle. It is an excellent choice for excavating the soil, especially the hard ones difficult to dig with a hoe.
34. Pincers and pliers
You need these simple hand tools when working on the construction site. Use pincers to cut, pull, or pinch wires and to remove nails out of a material they are applied to. On the other hand, pliers are a better choice for squeezing since they have a different type of head.
35. Plumb bob
You can’t imagine working in construction without this piece of tool, which is basically a solid metal bob attached to a thread. It is necessary when you need to check the proper verticality of a built structure.
36. Plumb rule
You will need this tool to check whether the vertical line of the wall is perfect. It contains a straight wood board with a plumb bob in the center. When you make the wall well, the plumb bob will be in the groove line when you place the tool vertically with the wall.
37. Polisher (buffing machine)
You will like having this piece of a tool when you need to smoothen the surface of wood, soft metals, tiles, or plastics. The result of polishing is a smooth and beautiful finish.
38. Putty knife (spatula)
You need this particular tool for leveling the putty finishing, working putty around the glass edges, or reducing the thickness of the finish.
39. Rake, concrete rake, and come-along rake
Using these tools will help you spread the freshly-poured concrete more uniformly. The difference is that a come-along rake has both edges sharp, while the other edge of concrete rake has tines. It is highly helpful when you need to lift mesh or rebar before hardening the concrete.
40. Screwdriver
It is a manual or powered tool with a handle made of wood, plastic, or rubber. The attached steel shaft with the tip of the proper shape is crucial for screwing and removing screws.
41. Shovel
You should use a square-ended shovel to spread the concrete evenly and fill in gaps left after the process of pouring.
42. Sledge-hammer
It is an excellent tool you can use when you need to deal with the hard ground full of rocks. You can use this massive metal head sticks to the wooden handle to break hard concrete and stones.
43. Spade
It is a highly useful tool containing a metal plate on the wooden handle. You will use it for digging when you want to make foundation trenches. The metal tip increases the efficiency of working.
44. Tamper
It is a useful piece when you need to push the aggregate below the surface of the slab. You can pick out the standing type of the tool when working with the wet concrete or the roller type used for the slab edge.
45. Tile cutter
When the size of the tiles is more sizeable than required, you will need this piece of tool to cut it off. It is the necessary process, especially when you need to place tiles at the corners.
46. Trowel
You need this hand tool while applying the cement mortar on the wall, especially if it is about a small work area. The pointed or bull-nosed steel part attached on a wooden handle is also practical for smoothing concrete surfaces and making finish coats.
47. Vacuum blower
You will need to have this tool when it comes to cleaning the surface area from dirt. It is the most useful after the final phase of construction work.
48. Wheelbarrow
It is an ideal thing intended for the transport of your tools, concrete, sand, or other material necessary for construction.
Protective Gear Indispensable on the Construction Site
Regardless of whether you work with the tools that people have been using for centuries or contemporary pieces, the crucial thing is to protect yourself adequately. Keep yourself safe from injuries and accidents, and enjoy your work!
49. Gloves
They will save your hands from direct contact with paint and concrete, as well as prevent injury while using various tools and machines.
50. Rubber (work) boots
They will protect your feet from direct contact with chemicals or possible physical accidents. While wearing them, you will be safe during hard construction works.
51. Safety belt
You should wear it while working at great heights. The harness made from cable or rope, with locking hardware, may protect you from injury.
52. Safety glasses (goggles)
They will keep your eyes safe during direct contact with harmful materials and possible mechanical injuries. Their advantage is that it encloses and protects the entire area surrounding your eyes. Always use them while drilling, sawing concrete, grinding, or trowelling.
53. Safety helmet
Never forget to put on the safety helmet on your head while working on construction! It can save you from injuries and even fatal accidents.