© Disconnect plumbing pipes and electrical cables in areas about to be demolished—and check with a voltage tester to be sure the power’s off. Be methodical and work slowly.
Wrecking bars have differing lengths and end configurations. Most are crowbars with crooked
ends for better leverage. The longer the bar, the better the leverage.
L-bars are wrecking bars with a flat L-shaped end instead of a crook. Drive the L into lumber that’s nailed together and twist the tool to pry the pieces apart.
Flat bars (also called Wonderbar® or handy bars) are the best tool to ease off delicate trim without damaging it. Pry the trim up gradually along its length.
A cat’s paw is the tool of choice if you’re pulling a lot of nails out of framing. It bites into wood pretty deeply, so don’t use this tool on trim.
A small cat’s paw with a punch point is small enough to remove finish nails, and its pointed end doubles as a nail punch.
An 8-in. prybar/nail puller lifts trim gently and pulls finish nails.
Sawhorses support work at a comfortable height. The metal-leg variety, which nail to lengths of 2×4, are sturdy and easy to collapse and store. Black & Decker’s® Workmate® has an integral clamp in its benchtop; it also folds flat for compact storage and transport.
Electrical and plumbing tools are covered in other chapters. But don’t be without a voltage tester (see the bottom photo on p. 235) to make sure the power’s off, slot and Phillips-head screwdrivers with insulated handles, and needle-nose and lineman’s pliers. And every toolbox should have a
pipe cutter, large and small adjustable open-end wrenches (commonly called Crescent® wrenches), slip-nut pliers, and a pair of pipe wrenches.
Earth tools include round-point shovel, pickax, hatchet or ax, and wheelbarrow.
Most contractors own the tools listed in this section, but occasional users should probably just rent them. The decision depends on how often or how long you may need the tools and how passionate you are about collecting them.
SAFETY, SCAFFOLDING, AND JACKS
Inside or out, scaffolding gives you secure footing and peace of mind. Instead of hanging precariously from a ladder, you can concentrate on the task at hand. That said, anyone who’s not comfortable working at heights, shouldn’t. As one contractor put it, "If it feels unsafe on a roof, it probably is.”
Pipe-frame scaffolding. Have the rental company set up and tear down exterior scaffolding. It takes experience to set scaffolding safely, especially on uneven ground, and units must be attached to the building.
Pipe scaffolding typically consists of two rectangular end frames and diagonal braces secured with wing nuts or self-locking cleats. Once the first stage is assembled, the installer adjusts the self-leveling feet until the platform is level.
To raise successive stages, the installer stacks end frames over coupling sleeves and locks the pieces in place with uplift and cotter pins. Additional lock arms may join the bracing. Platforms should be planked their entire width with 2x lumber or metal planks provided by the rental company. Guardrails are a must on all scaffolding. If your platform is 10 ft. or higher, most safety codes require mid-rails and toe boards as well.
Interior scaffolding has rollers that let you move it around a room (see the photo on p. 351). Before you mount a platform, always lock the roller locks, and dismount before unlocking the locks for any reason. It’s unwise to move an unlocked scaffold while someone is atop it.
Ladder jacks. Ladder jacks offer an inexpensive, quickly adjustable setup, which can be safe if both ladders are well footed. Many jack brackets pivot so that scaffolding planks can rest under or over the ladder. Consult the operating instructions supplied with your ladder jacks. In general, avoid platform heights higher than 8 ft.
Pump jacks. Pump jacks work fine when new, but after a few seasons of rain and rust, they often bind, which produces eye-popping free falls
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or blind rage, when you’re 15 ft. in the air and the jacks refuse to go up or down. Consequently, most rental pump jacks have been hammered silly for their failings. Granted, such abuse does not improve any equipment, but where the issue is your safety, be wary of rental pump jacks.
Laser levels, ingenious layout devices, are usually too expensive for nonprofessionals; but once you see one in action, you’ll want one. A self-leveling five-beam laser shoots a beam straight up (plumb) and four beams perpendicular to it (and each other). A rotating laser can be mounted to a wall or a tripod, from which it will project a level reference line all around the room, which is invaluable if you’re setting cabinets.
