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Tools I Actually Use In My Renovation

Renovating a 1930s house has forced me to try a lot of tools: some brilliant, some terrible, and some I reach for every single week.

This page is a simple list of the things that have genuinely helped me along the way.

Some links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you buy through them at no extra cost to you. It helps support the Reno Club and all the videos, guides, and experiments I share.

My Essential Tools (The Ones I Use Constantly)

SDS Drill

(for masonry, concrete, chasing, removing render)

My go-to for anything involving brick or concrete. If you are renovating an older property, an SDS drill is almost essential.

Angle Grinder

Perfect for cutting out old render, slicing through metal, and trimming materials. I use it constantly (with my homemade depth guard for mortar raking).

Multi-Tool

Probably the most underrated tool I own. Brilliant for cutting into awkward corners, trimming architrave, removing old fixings… anything fiddly.

Laser Level

For setting out stud walls, levelling battens, lining up tiles, and keeping everything actually straight.

Wet and Dry Vacuum

If you are drilling, sanding, or cleaning up the dust, this is a lifesaver. Keeps dust under control and stops your house turning into a fog machine.

Woodworking & Carpentry Tools

Track Saw

I use this for accurate sheet cutting (ply, MDF, OSB). Essential for building my own cabinets, wardrobes, and workbenches.

Mitre Saw

Great for framing, trims, architraves, skirting boards, and cutting battens quickly and repeatably.

Drill / Driver Set

Every DIYer needs this. One set up for drilling, one for screws. It saves a staggering amount of time.

Hand Tools I Wouldn’t Renovate Without

I reach for these on almost every job:

Safety Gear (Non-Negotiable)

Older houses mean dust, spores, and all sorts of surprises.

I always use:

Damp Investigation Tools

These are the tools I used throughout my own damp diagnosis.

Moisture Meter

Not perfectly accurate, but brilliant for comparing areas and spotting unusually high readings.

Hygrometers

Cheap little humidity meters that you can scatter around the house to see which rooms are worst.

Dehumidifier

Helps stay on top of condensation and speeds up drying when you are doing wet trades or damp fixes.
Dehumidifier I use at home

Dust & Cleanup Tools

The boring but essential stuff:

  • Wet & dry vacuum

  • Floor scraper

  • Brick acid (only for specific jobs, used carefully)

  • Stiff broom + dustpan

  • Buckets (you can never have enough)

 

🔧 Tools for Exterior Work

  • Long-reach ladders

  • Brick raking blades

  • Pressure washer (very gentle around old brick)

Tools I Built Myself

Mortar Rake Depth Guard

A custom 3D-printed guard I designed because everything I could buy was either bulky or too expensive. Perfect for grinding mortar out safely at a consistent depth.
Mortar Rake Depth Guard for Angle Grinder