Tools by job

Half the machines on a job are worth hiring. A plate compactor, a floor saw or a board lifter earn their keep for two days. What you buy is what will come back out on the next job: drill driver, rotary hammer, level, hand tools.

Laying a concrete slab

Dig out, compact, form up, reinforce, pour, level, cure: seven steps and the machines that are better hired.

Building a metal stud partition

Set out, fix the frame, run the cables, screw the boards, tape and joint: six steps and the kit that goes with them.

Tiling a floor

Base, setting out, adhesive, laying, cuts, grout: six steps, and the right tool for every cut.

Laying a floor screed, liquid or sand and cement

Prepare the base, isolate the edges, set the level, pour and dry: both methods and the kit each one needs.

Insulating a loft, cold or converted

Read the loft, fix what hides under the insulation, protect flue and downlights, insulate without compressing: both cases and the kit each one needs.

Building a timber deck

Prepare the ground, set the supports, fix the joists, screw the boards, finish the edges: the steps of a deck that stays put.