The tools and protection each trade needs

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Paint under later coats in older housing can be lead-based, and sanding or heat-stripping it produces lead dust that is especially harmful to children and to anyone pregnant. Test before you disturb it — this is a job for a tested, controlled method, not a better mask.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• Joint-compound dust is very fine and travels: a P1/FFP1 mask is the minimum, and a damp-sponge finish avoids most of it.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Loose sheeting, trailing leads and offcuts turn every trip across a room into a fall: tape protection down at every edge, run leads along the walls, and keep the way in clear of waste.
• Biocide and fungicidal washes, masonry stabilising solutions, and heating-system cleansers and inhibitors, are biocides, acids, alkalis, resins or corrosion chemicals, and the dirty water a wash or a flush brings out carries them: read the product's safety data sheet before opening it, wear waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374 and sealed glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1, and wash a splash off skin or out of an eye with clean running water at once.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• abrasive discs
• caulk and sealant cartridges
• masking tape
• plastic sheeting
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves
• sanding screens or paper

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Joint-compound dust is very fine and travels: a P1/FFP1 mask is the minimum, and a damp-sponge finish avoids most of it.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• drill and driver bits
• oscillating blades
• replacement blades
• sanding screens or paper
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Pole sander — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Tape and finish joints: Flattening from the floor; the whole wall has to be one plane.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Hang plasterboard: Score the paper, snap the board, cut the back.

  Hang the mass-loaded vinyl: Cutting the drops and round every box.

  Fit acoustic putty pads to the back boxes: Cutting each pad to its box before it is moulded round it.

  Seal every edge with acoustic sealant: Cutting the nozzle to the size of bead the gap needs.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Tape and finish joints: Joint compound dust is very fine and travels.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended
• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Hang the mass-loaded vinyl: The top of each drop.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Joint-compound dust is very fine and travels: a P1/FFP1 mask is the minimum, and a damp-sponge finish avoids most of it.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Biocide and fungicidal washes, masonry stabilising solutions, and heating-system cleansers and inhibitors, are biocides, acids, alkalis, resins or corrosion chemicals, and the dirty water a wash or a flush brings out carries them: read the product's safety data sheet before opening it, wear waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374 and sealed glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1, and wash a splash off skin or out of an eye with clean running water at once.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work

Replaster the treated wall in the backing coat specified: Laying a backing coat is within reach of a competent plasterer. Which plaster goes back on the wall, and to what height and thickness, is the damp specification's, and this site never prescribes it; what it does flag is that a gypsum plaster laid straight onto a wall that has held salts takes them up and breaks down again, which is why the specifications this item follows name a renovating plaster or a sand and cement coat instead. Over a mesh-faced cavity drain membrane the salts stay behind the membrane, and the plaster on its face is the one the membrane's maker allows, which may be a gypsum plaster; this site names neither.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• cutting and diamond discs
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Filling knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Make good after services: Filler into the narrow chases and round the boxes.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Render the outside wall: Cutting beads to length at corners, reveals and the base.

  Apply the basecoat and reinforcing mesh: Cutting beads to length at corners, drips and stops.

  Make good the reveals inside and out: Cutting angle bead to each reveal's height.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Roller frame, sleeves and tray — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply the render finish (EIFS finish coat): The primer on the cured basecoat before the finish.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Prepare the wall face: Hacking off hollow and loose render with a chisel bit, back to sound wall.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Render the outside wall: Setting the beads plumb and level, since the render follows them.

  Apply the basecoat and reinforcing mesh: Beads plumb and level, since the render follows them.

  Make good the reveals inside and out: Each reveal plumb and square to the frame.

  Replaster the treated wall in the backing coat specified: A straightedge across the coat, so the finish coat goes on flat.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply the basecoat and reinforcing mesh: Cutting the mesh to length and the patches for the corners of openings.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Prepare the wall face: The stabilising solution on a dusty or chalky face.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)

Form the movement joints in a tiled floor: Where a tiled floor needs movement joints and how far apart they go are set by the tile and adhesive makers and the tiling standard the specification names; this site lists the joints and never sets their spacing.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• chalk refill
• diamond tile blades
• grout sponges
• impact driver bits
• jigsaw blades
• replacement blades

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Grout and seal tiling: Internal corners and the joint at a bath move, and grout there cracks.

  Form the movement joints in a tiled floor: Filling each joint with its flexible sealant.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Paddle mixer — described under PlasteringEssential

  Mix adhesive or mortar: Slake it, remix it, and do not add water to bring it back.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Lay floor tile: Every tile to one plane, checked as you go, not after.

  Tile a wall: A wall tile job is only as straight as the first row.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Form the movement joints in a tiled floor: Trimming the backing strip or the profile to length.

  Fix the tile backer board: Scoring a board to snap it along a straight cut.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringOptional

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Textured ceiling coatings, board behind panels, floor tiles and bitumen adhesive in older buildings — built before asbestos was banned or phased out where you are — can contain asbestos, and drilling or sanding them releases fibres. Do not disturb it — have it sampled first. This is not a job for better PPE.
• Stop and check first. Paint under later coats in older housing can be lead-based, and sanding or heat-stripping it produces lead dust that is especially harmful to children and to anyone pregnant. Test before you disturb it — this is a job for a tested, controlled method, not a better mask.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.
• Loose sheeting, trailing leads and offcuts turn every trip across a room into a fall: tape protection down at every edge, run leads along the walls, and keep the way in clear of waste.
• Rags, applicator pads and the dust bag of a sander used over an oiled floor, once wet with an oil finish or an oil-based stain, can heat up by themselves as the oil cures and catch fire hours later with no spark near them: spread them flat outdoors to dry or seal them in a metal container filled with water, and never leave them screwed up in a heap, a bin bag or the sander's bag.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools
• a lidded metal container half filled with water, for used rags and pads

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• buffing pads
• circular saw blades
• drill and driver bits
• edger discs, by grit
• jigsaw blades
• mitre saw blades
• oscillating blades
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves
• sanding sheets or belts, by grit
• screening pads
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply the floor finish: Cutting in along the skirting and into the corners.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Prepare the boards for sanding: Before any screw goes down through a board, for the pipes and cables beneath.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Make good the floor where the wall stood: Fixing new noggins and boards to the joists either side.

  Fit threshold and transition strips: Fixing the strip or its track to the floor.

  Prepare the boards for sanding: Screwing down loose boards.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Sand the wood floor: The dust the machines' bags miss, between grits.

  Apply the floor finish: Vacuuming the floor before each coat.

• Filling knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fill the gaps between the boards: Working the resin filler into the narrow gaps.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Roller frame, sleeves and tray — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply the floor finish: A short-pile or lacquer roller for a lacquer or polyurethane.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential
• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Make good the floor where the wall stood: The patch flush with the floor on both sides.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay click-lock flooring: Underlay, and scoring vinyl plank to snap it.

  Fit the perimeter edge strip (expansion strip): Cutting the strip round corners and door frames, and trimming it flush once the screed has gone off.

• Jigsaw — described under TilingRecommended

  Lay click-lock flooring: Around pipes, door casings and anything not straight.

• Paddle mixer — described under PlasteringRecommended
• Rubber mallet — described under TilingRecommended

  Fill the gaps between the boards: Tapping glued slivers home.

• Scraper — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Sand the wood floor: The corners and under the radiators, where neither machine reaches.

• Oscillating multi-tool — described under Drywall and tapingOptional

  Lay click-lock flooring: Undercutting a door casing so the floor runs under it.

• Plastering trowel and hawk — described under PlasteringOptional

  Make good the floor where the wall stood: A screed or levelling patch on a concrete floor.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingOptional

  Fit the perimeter edge strip (expansion strip): Holding the strip to a timber skirting line where its adhesive will not grip.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Paint under later coats in older housing can be lead-based, and sanding or heat-stripping it produces lead dust that is especially harmful to children and to anyone pregnant. Test before you disturb it — this is a job for a tested, controlled method, not a better mask.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Trim the stair opening: Cutting joists takes away support a floor relied on. The trimmers that carry the cut ends, and their hangers and bolts, are sized by an engineer or from span tables the building authority accepts, and this site never sizes them. Until the stair and its guarding are in, the opening is an open edge to fall through.

Fit new floor joists: The joists' size, grade, centres and bearings follow from the engineer's design or accepted span tables for the load and the span, and this site never sizes them. Working across open joists means working over a ceiling that will not hold a person's weight.

Frame the roof structure: Rafters, joists, purlins and trusses, and the ties and straps that hold them, are sized by an engineer, a truss maker or accepted span tables, and this site never sizes them. A count of rafters or trusses at a chosen spacing is a quantity to order against; what each member must be is not something a count can say.

Frame the dormer and its cheeks: Framing a dormer means cutting into a roof that is carrying load. The trimmers, the front frame and the dormer's roof members are sized by the engineer's design, and this site never sizes them; the rafter lengths it works out are geometry for cutting, not a check that any member is adequate.

Repair roof timbers found decayed: How much timber is decayed cannot be measured until the roof is opened, which is why this item is provisional. Replacing a member with one the same size is carpentry; doubling a joist, adding a new one or changing its section is decided by an engineer or from accepted span tables, and this site never sizes a member. Decay usually has a cause, a leak or condensation, that the repair alone does not cure.

Fit the staircase: Fitting a flight is joinery. Its rise, going (run), pitch, headroom and guarding are set by the building regulations or code the work falls under, and this site flags a geometry that falls outside them rather than approving any stair.

Hang the fire doors: Hanging a door is carpentry, but a fire door is only as good as its whole assembly: door, frame, seals, hinges, closer and gaps must match the tested doorset, installed to its maker's instructions. Which doors a layout needs comes from the building-control drawings or the fire strategy, and this site does not certify any door.

Break out the hearth and make up the floor: Filling the gap with joists like those either side, or with concrete on a solid floor, is carpentry and groundwork. Where the trimmers round an old hearth are altered or new joists span further than the ones beside them, their size comes from an engineer or accepted span tables, and this site never sizes them.

Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Lifting and relaying boards is carpentry. How deep a joist may be notched and where a hole may be drilled through it are set by the building regulations or code the work falls under, and a joist cut beyond those limits needs an engineer's view; this site does not approve any notch or hole. A board cut over a live cable or a filled pipe is where the hazard is, so what runs below is traced or isolated first.

Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: Bedding a threshold and fixing a weatherbar is joinery within reach of a competent builder. Whether the threshold must be level for step-free access, how far it may stand above the floor inside, and how water is kept out where it is level (a drainage channel, a sill tray or pan under it, the ground outside kept below it) are set by the regulations or code where the house stands and the door maker's details; this site does not design a level threshold or its drainage, and counts the thresholds only.

Hang the external door and fit its ironmongery (hardware): Hanging a door and fitting its hardware is joinery. Whether the door needs a tested security rating (PAS 24 for new homes in England), a lock to an insurer's standard such as BS 3621, safety glass in its glazed panels, or a fire rating where it opens from an integral garage is set by the regulations where the house stands, the insurer and the door maker; this site does not rate a door's security, glazing or fire resistance.

Strut the floor joists: How many rows of strutting a span needs and where they go come from the engineer's design or the span tables the building authority accepts, and this site never decides them. Until the boards are down, the strutting is fitted from crawl boards laid across the joists, never from the ceiling below.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• abrasive discs
• brad nails
• caulk and sealant cartridges
• chalk refill
• circular saw blades
• drill and driver bits
• framing nails
• fuel cells
• impact driver bits
• jigsaw blades
• mitre saw blades
• oscillating blades
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Seal the worktop's cut edges: Working the sealant or varnish into every cut edge.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang the kitchen wall units: Before every fixing hole into the wall.

  Fit the tall units: Before each fixing that holds a tall unit or a wardrobe carcass back to the wall.

  Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Before any cut into a board, since what runs below it cannot be seen.

  Hang the wardrobe doors or fit the sliding door track: Before each fixing for the track into the ceiling, the floor or the wall: the lighting cables cross the ceiling joists.

  Fit the wardrobe's rails, shelves and drawers (closet system): Before fixing into the wall where no carcass backs the section.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fix skirting and trim: The line along the top, which shows once painted.

  Lay the floor deck: Glue in the tongue and groove, which stops the floor creaking.

  Cut and fit the worktop: The joint along the wall once the worktop is down.

  Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: An unbroken bed of sealant under the threshold and at each end where it meets the frame.

  Fit the window board: Adhesive under the board and the seal where it meets the frame.

  Seal the worktop's cut edges: Where the sealant its maker names comes in a cartridge.

• Chalk line — described under TilingEssential

  Frame a stud wall: Snapping the plate line across the floor.

  Fix sheathing and panel boards: Marking the fixing lines over the framing you can no longer see.

  Lay the floor deck: Marking the joist lines across the boards before screwing down.

• Circular saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Trim the stair opening: Cutting the joists back square to the line of the trimmer.

  Fit new floor joists: Cutting the joists to length and square at each bearing.

  Frame the roof structure: Plumb and seat cuts on rafters and joists to the same pattern.

  Frame the dormer and its cheeks: Cutting the existing rafters back to the line of the trimmers.

  Repair roof timbers found decayed: Cutting the decayed length out square, back to sound timber.

  Fix the firrings to the falls: Cutting the taper along a firring, or trimming ready-cut ones to length.

  Lay the floor deck: Cutting boards so their ends land on a joist.

  Cut and fit the worktop: Straight cuts across the worktop with a guide.

  Fit end panels and fillers: Straight cuts on panels and fillers with a guide.

  Break out the hearth and make up the floor: Cutting joists and boards to fill the opening.

  Trim the internal doors (undercut): Taking the bottom off each door straight, run against a guide with tape on the cut line so the face does not splinter.

  Strut the floor joists: Cutting the struts or the blocking to the gap between each pair of joists.

• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential

  Fix skirting and trim: Pins and lost-heads where there is no nailer.

  Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Drawing the old nails the boards leave in the joists.

  Strut the floor joists: Where a nailer cannot reach between the joists.

• Combination or framing square — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Frame the roof structure: Marking the cuts from one rafter that is proven to fit.

  Frame the dormer and its cheeks: Marking the dormer's rafter cuts from its own pitch.

  Fit the staircase: Marking the cut at the foot from the pitch.

  Cut and fit the worktop: Marking cuts square to the front edge.

  Hang the external door and fit its ironmongery (hardware): Marking the hinge and lock positions square to the door's edge.

  Trim the internal doors (undercut): Marking the cut square to the door's edge.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the kitchen base units: Fixing units to each other and to the wall.

  Fit the tall units: Fixing the housing back to the wall so it cannot tip.

  Fit plinths, cornice and pelmet: Fixing cornice and pelmet up into the units.

  Fit end panels and fillers: Fixing panels and fillers to the units from inside.

  Hang the fire doors: Hinges, the closer and the ironmongery, with the screws they were tested with.

  Hang an internal door: The latch and handle holes and the hinge screws.

  Break out the hearth and make up the floor: Fixing hangers, noggins and boards.

  Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Screwing the boards back down, and holes through the joists where the rules allow.

  Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: Fixing the threshold down and the weatherbar to the door or frame.

  Hang the external door and fit its ironmongery (hardware): Hinge screws, the keep and the lock's fixings.

  Trim the internal doors (undercut): Taking the door off its hinges and hanging it again.

• Filling knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Repair the joinery found decayed: Pressing the resin filler in and shaping it before it sets.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Cut framing lumber: No cable, no battery, and fine for a handful of cuts.

  Trim the stair opening: Finishing a cut the circular saw cannot reach against a wall.

  Fit the staircase: Cutting the strings to the floor at the foot and the trimmer at the head.

  Hang the fire doors: Trimming the door only within what its maker allows.

  Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: Cutting the threshold to the frame's width and its horns into each jamb.

  Repair the joinery found decayed: Cutting the splice and the new piece of timber.

  Fit the wardrobe's rails, shelves and drawers (closet system): Cutting rails and shelves to each section's width.

• Impact driver — described under TilingEssential

  Frame joists and a deck: Long structural screws without camming out.

  Trim the stair opening: Fixing the hangers and the bolts through doubled joists.

  Repair roof timbers found decayed: Bolting or screwing a new member to the old where the design says so.

  Lay the floor deck: Screwing the deck down at the centres its maker gives.

  Fit the staircase: Fixing the strings to the wall and the trimmer.

• Jigsaw — described under TilingEssential

  Fit the kitchen base units: Cutting back panels round pipes and sockets.

  Cut and fit the worktop: The sink and hob openings, from a drilled starting hole.

  Fit end panels and fillers: Following a scribed line where the wall or floor is out of true.

  Fit the window board: Notching the board round the plaster at each end of the reveal.

  Hang the external door and fit its ironmongery (hardware): The letter plate's slot through the leaf.

• Mitre saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Fix skirting and trim: Mitres and scribes are the whole job.

  Cut framing lumber: Repeatable crosscuts to one length.

  Fit plinths, cornice and pelmet: Mitres and square ends on plinth, cornice and pelmet.

  Fit the handrail and balustrade: Rake cuts on the handrail and balusters at the stair's pitch.

  Fit the window board: Square ends and returns on the board's front edge.

• Oscillating multi-tool — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang the fire doors: Recessing hinges and the strips' grooves where the frame is not pre-cut.

  Hang an internal door: Trimming a floor finish or architrave where the lining goes in round it.

  Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Cutting a board across over a joist, so it has something to bear on when it goes back.

  Repair the joinery found decayed: Cutting out the soft timber back to sound wood.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang the kitchen wall units: Fixings into masonry for the hanging rails.

  Break out the hearth and make up the floor: Breaking out the old hearth slab down to the joists or the oversite.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Frame a stud wall: Plumb on every stud, level on both plates.

  Trim the stair opening: The trimmers level with the floor they carry.

  Fit new floor joists: A level floor from joists that sit true on their hangers or bearings.

  Frame the dormer and its cheeks: The front frame and cheeks plumb, which the window depends on.

  Fix the firrings to the falls: Checking the fall along each run against a level line.

  Fit the staircase: Treads level and newels plumb.

  Fit the kitchen base units: Every unit level along the run and front to back, set on its legs.

  Fit the tall units: Tall housings plumb, or the doors will not hang true.

  Hang an internal door: The lining plumb on both jambs, or the door swings open or shut on its own.

  Fit the handrail and balustrade: Balusters plumb along the flight.

  Break out the hearth and make up the floor: The new floor flush with the floor either side, or the finish will show the patch.

  Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: The threshold level across the opening and falling outwards along its depth.

  Fit the window board: The board level across the opening, which the eye picks up against the frame.

  Hang the external door and fit its ironmongery (hardware): The leaf and frame plumb, so the door neither swings open nor shut on its own.

  Hang the wardrobe doors or fit the sliding door track: The track level and the doors plumb, or sliding panels drift open.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Hang the kitchen wall units: Reached from a ladder opened fully on a level floor.

  Hang the wardrobe doors or fit the sliding door track: Fixing the head track.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the tall units: The appliance's own opening size inside the housing.

  Hang the fire doors: The gaps round the door, which are part of what was tested.

  Fit the handrail and balustrade: The rail's height and the gap between balusters.

  Trim the internal doors (undercut): The gap above the finished floor each door needs.

• Wrecking bar — described under FlooringEssential

  Repair roof timbers found decayed: Levering out the old member and its fixings.

  Lift and relay floorboards for the service runs: Easing boards up along their nails without splitting the tongue.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Cut and fit the worktop: Cutting worktops indoors fills the room with fine dust without it.

  Trim the internal doors (undercut): Sawing indoors without one puts the dust through the house.

• Hole saw set — described under TilingRecommended

  Fit the kitchen base units: Clean holes through a carcass for pipes.

  Hang an internal door: Boring the latch hole through the door's edge and face.

• Laser level — described under TilingRecommended

  Hang the kitchen wall units: One level line round the room for every wall unit.

  Hang the wardrobe doors or fit the sliding door track: A level line for the head track along a long run.

• Moisture meter — described under FlooringRecommended

  Repair roof timbers found decayed: Finding how far the wet runs beyond the decay that can be seen.

  Repair the joinery found decayed: Finding how far the decay runs, since soft timber is often wetter than sound.

• Random orbital sander — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Repair the joinery found decayed: Taking the filler back flush to the profile.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fit the door threshold and weatherbar: Cutting the sill tray or sill pan's membrane to the opening.

• Plastering trowel and hawk — described under PlasteringOptional

  Break out the hearth and make up the floor: A screed over a filled hearth on a solid floor.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Biocide and fungicidal washes, masonry stabilising solutions, and heating-system cleansers and inhibitors, are biocides, acids, alkalis, resins or corrosion chemicals, and the dirty water a wash or a flush brings out carries them: read the product's safety data sheet before opening it, wear waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374 and sealed glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1, and wash a splash off skin or out of an eye with clean running water at once.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• chalk refill
• circular saw blades
• cutting and diamond discs
• diamond blades
• drill and driver bits
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• tie wire

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringEssential

  Fix reinforcement: Cuts bar if there is no cutter, with sparks and noise a cutter avoids.

  Saw-cut cured concrete: With a diamond disc, and water or extraction at the cut.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fit the isolation (expansion) joints against the house: Sealing the top of each joint once the slab has cured.

• Circular saw — described under FlooringEssential
• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential

  Fit the isolation (expansion) joints against the house: Pinning the strip to the forms or the wall so the pour cannot push it over.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Saw-cut cured concrete: Dry cutting masonry without extraction is the silica exposure §17 is about.

• Screed bar or rail — described under FlooringEssential
• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential
• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Erect formwork: The form follows the line, and the concrete follows the form.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay the damp-proof membrane: Cutting the sheet round pipes and to the wall line.

  Cure the concrete: Cutting the sheeting or the blankets to the slab.

  Fit the isolation (expansion) joints against the house: Cutting the filler strip to the slab's depth.

• Chalk line — described under TilingRecommended
• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended
• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Saw-cut cured concrete: Breaking out between cuts, and every fixing into the slab afterwards.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Bed the padstones: Bedding a padstone is bricklaying, but its size and material, and whether the wall under it can take the load it spreads, are part of the engineer's design for the beam; this site never sizes a padstone. The pocket is cut only with the propping already carrying the structure above.

Tie the new walls into the house: Fixing a starter profile to its maker's instructions is bricklaying. Whether the new wall is tied in, bonded or kept on a movement joint, and which system is used, is part of the design the building's approval covers; this site does not specify the tie system.

Insert cavity trays above the new roof: Building in a tray is bricklaying, but each length cut out takes support away from the wall above it while it is open. How long a length may be, and the order they are done in, come from the tray maker's instructions and, where the wall carries floors or a roof over the abutment, from the engineer; this site never sizes or designs that support.

Set the lintels: Setting a lintel is bricklaying, but which lintel spans an opening and carries the wall and floors above it is chosen from its maker's load tables or an engineer's design, and this site never sizes one. The bearing length at each end is part of that choice.

Build up the garage door opening: Building the infill is bricklaying, but the new wall needs something to stand on. Whether the old slab edge will carry it or a new footing is needed is decided by building control or an engineer, and this site never sizes the footing.

Build in the cavity tray and DPCs at the new opening: Building in a tray or a damp-proof course is bricklaying. Whether the lintel chosen needs a separate tray, and how the new jambs and sill are closed, come from the lintel and closer makers' details and the drawings the building's approval covers; this site measures the lengths and never sizes the lintel the tray sits over. The tray over the new lintel is counted here, by length, and not again with the lintel.

Cut out and replace spalled bricks: Replacing a spalled brick here and there is within reach of a competent bricklayer, and how many need it is known only once the joints are raked out, which is why this item is provisional. A crack that runs through bricks, steps through the joints, reopens after pointing or comes with the wall leaning or bulging is a structural question: this site flags it, never assesses its cause and never sizes a repair, and taking down or rebuilding any part of the wall is not part of this item.

Repoint the mortar joints (tuckpointing): Pointing is within reach of a competent bricklayer. The mortar is chosen by what is already in the joint and how hard the brick is: a lime mortar goes back into a lime joint, and a cement one is never stronger than the brick and the old mortar; which one, its mix and its colour are the specification's or the surveyor's, and this site never prescribes a mix. On a listed building or in a conservation area the mortar may need the local authority's agreement first, which is not part of this item.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• cutting and diamond discs
• diamond core bits
• drill and driver bits
• impact driver bits
• masking tape
• oscillating blades
• plastic sheeting
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringEssential

  Lay brick: Cutting closers and bats.

  Builder's work in connection with services: Two parallel cuts that set the sides of a chase, with a diamond disc.

  Bed the padstones: Cutting the sides of the pocket square before it is broken out.

  Insert cavity trays above the new roof: Cutting the bed joints out along each length, with extraction at the disc.

  Build up the garage door opening: Cutting off the old door frame's fixings flush with the piers.

  Build in the cavity tray and DPCs at the new opening: Cutting the bed joint above the lintel where the tray goes in, with extraction at the disc.

  Set the sill (cill): Cutting a stone or precast sill to length, with water or extraction at the disc.

  Rake out the mortar joints: A mortar raking disc on long runs of hard cement mortar only, under an extractor shroud.

  Cut out and replace spalled bricks: Cutting through the spalled brick's face and bed joints first, under an extractor shroud.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Builder's work in connection with services: Before every chase and every hole, because a cable shows nowhere on a finished wall.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Builder's work in connection with services: Chasing masonry puts silica into the air of an occupied house; extract at the tool.

  Insert cavity trays above the new roof: Cutting mortar joints throws silica dust across the roof below.

  Rake out the mortar joints: An M or H class extractor on the grinder's shroud; a grinder run dry without one fills the scaffold with silica.

• Dust sheets and masking — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Repoint the mortar joints (tuckpointing): Hessian or plastic sheeting hung clear of the fresh joints against sun, wind, rain and frost while they cure.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Close the cavity at the openings: Cutting closers to the height of the jambs and the width of the head.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Repoint the mortar joints (tuckpointing): Knocking up small batches, so no mortar is used after it has begun to set.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Builder's work in connection with services: Holes through masonry, and breaking out a chase between two cuts.

  Bed the padstones: Cutting the pocket for the padstone out of the wall below the bearing.

  Tie the new walls into the house: Drilling the house's wall for the starter's fixings, into sound brick or block.

  Insert cavity trays above the new roof: Breaking out the bricks between the cut joints.

  Build up the garage door opening: Drilling the piers for the wall starters that tie the infill in.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Mix mortar: Gauging is done by the shovel, so use the same one throughout.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Bed the padstones: Both padstones level with each other, so the beam sits true.

  Lay the DPC and cavity trays: Checking the course runs level along the wall.

  Tie the new walls into the house: Each starter plumb, so the new wall rises true against the old.

  Insert cavity trays above the new roof: The trays lapped and falling outwards along the run.

  Set the lintels: Level along its length and across its width.

  Build in the cavity tray and DPCs at the new opening: The tray falling outwards along the head.

  Set the sill (cill): The sill falling outwards along its length and level across the opening.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Lay brick: Every course is laid to the line, never by eye.

  Build up the garage door opening: Keeping each course in line with the brickwork either side.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Set the lintels: The bearing at each end, which is part of the lintel's specification.

  Set the sill (cill): The opening's width plus the horn at each end.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay the DPC and cavity trays: Cutting the roll to length and the trays round the openings.

  Close the cavity at the openings: Trimming the insulation to fit tight in the cavity.

  Build in the cavity tray and DPCs at the new opening: Cutting the tray, its stop ends and the damp-proof course to length.

  Reseal the movement joints (mastic or caulk): Cutting the old sealant out.

• Wheelbarrow — described under ConcreteEssential
• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Repoint the mortar joints (tuckpointing): A soft-bristled brush for brushing the face down once the mortar has set, never while it smears.

• Cement mixer — described under PlasteringRecommended

  Lay brick: Anything beyond a few square metres.

  Mix mortar: Consistent batches, continuously, while you lay.

• Hole saw set — described under TilingRecommended

  Builder's work in connection with services: Holes through timber and board for pipes and cable.

• Impact driver — described under TilingRecommended

  Tie the new walls into the house: Driving the starter's screw fixings home.

• Scraper — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Reseal the movement joints (mastic or caulk): Cleaning the joint's sides back to sound brick.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingOptional

  Close the cavity at the openings: Fixing a closer back where its maker asks for a screw.

• Oscillating multi-tool — described under Drywall and tapingOptional

  Builder's work in connection with services: Notching a boxing round a pipe or a joist round a cable.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Digging blind strikes gas, water and power every day: get the plans, scan with a cable avoidance tool, and hand-dig trial holes over anything you find.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cable avoidance tool and signal generator

Excavate by machine: Operating an excavator is a trained and, in most markets, formally certified activity, and hiring one does not include that training. Underground services must be traced before any machine dig. This list covers the tools, not the competence.

Trace the buried services before digging: This site does not locate buried services, and a plan or a scan is a guide rather than a guarantee. The utilities' records, a trained operator with a cable avoidance tool and signal generator, and hand-dug trial holes are what find them: in the UK that is the approach HSG47 sets out, in the US a call to 811 before digging is required by law, and Canada and Australia have their own one-call services.

Lay the below-ground drains: Laying pipe to a fall is groundwork within reach of a competent builder. This site does not design a drainage system: the pipe's size and fall, where water may be discharged, and whether a soakaway works in the ground are set by the regulations or plumbing code and by the ground itself. In the UK, building over or near a public sewer, or connecting to one, needs the sewer owner's agreement, and new drains are inspected and tested by building control or the plumbing inspector before they are covered.

Drive the ground screws (screw piles): This site does not size, count or specify ground screws and publishes no tool list for driving them. How many go in, how long each is, where each sits and the torque each must reach come from the supplier's design for the building's weight and the ground, often confirmed with a test screw on the day, so the screws are a provisional item: their number is known only once the base is designed and the ground is tried, and this site never sizes the base. Buried services are traced before any screw is driven.

Underpin the walls and lower the floor: This site does not size, design or sequence underpinning or a lowered floor and publishes no tool list for either. The depth, the length of each section, the order the sections are dug in, the new slab and whatever holds the ground back while it is open come from a structural engineer's design that building control accepts, and where a wall is shared in England and Wales, from a party wall award as well; this site never sizes any of it. What the ground and the old footings are like is found only by digging, which is why this item is provisional.

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Excavate by hand: Before the first spade goes in, not after something is struck.

  Excavate by machine: A machine finds a service faster than anyone can stop it.

  Trace the buried services before digging: Scanning the whole area to be dug, with the signal generator, before any of it is marked clear.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Lay the below-ground drains: Cutting pipe square, then chamfering the end so it enters the seal without rolling it.

• Plate compactor — described under ConcreteEssential

  Lay and compact the hardcore: Each layer compacted before the next goes on, never the whole depth at once.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Excavate by machine: The last of it, and the bottom, are always hand-trimmed.

  Trace the buried services before digging: Hand-dug trial holes over anything the scan finds, before a machine goes near it.

  Lay and compact the hardcore: Spreading each layer to its depth.

  Lay the below-ground drains: Trimming the trench bottom and placing the bed and surround by hand.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Lay the below-ground drains: Checking the fall along each pipe length.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Trace the buried services before digging: Recording where each service runs from fixed points, so the drawings show it.

• Wheelbarrow — described under ConcreteEssential

  Lay and compact the hardcore: Moving hardcore from the heap into the footprint.

• Laser level — described under TilingRecommended

  Lay and compact the hardcore: Checking the top of the hardcore to one level across the footprint.

  Lay the below-ground drains: Setting the invert at each end of a run so the fall between them is even.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingRecommended

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Digging blind strikes gas, water and power every day: get the plans, scan with a cable avoidance tool, and hand-dig trial holes over anything you find.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• cable avoidance tool and signal generator

Lay the drainage behind a retaining wall: The drainage a retaining wall needs (how deep the stone goes behind it, whether it is wrapped in fabric, the pipe at its foot and where the water goes) is part of the wall's design, from the block maker's guide or an engineer, and this site never designs it. A wall that holds back more ground than the maker's guide covers is an engineer's to design before anything is built.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• circular saw blades
• cutting and diamond discs
• drill and driver bits
• replacement blades

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Set fence posts: Post holes are exactly deep enough to find a service.

• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential
• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Plate compactor — described under ConcreteEssential

  Lay paving: Sub-base and bedding, or it settles.

• Rubber mallet — described under TilingEssential

  Lay the edge restraint: Bedding each unit to the line.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential
• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Lay paving: Laid to a fall, away from the building, and checked every row.

  Set fence posts: Plumb on two faces, on every post.

  Lay the drainage behind a retaining wall: Keeping the pipe at its foot on a fall to the outlet.

  Lay the edge restraint: The edge sets the level, and the fall, for the whole field.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Lay the edge restraint: The edge runs to the line the paving will finish at.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay turf: Trimming at the edges.

  Lay the drainage behind a retaining wall: Cutting the filter fabric where the design wraps the stone in it.

• Wheelbarrow — described under ConcreteEssential
• Block splitter — described under Brick and blockRecommended

  Lay the edge restraint: Cutting edging units at corners and curves.

• Circular saw — described under FlooringRecommended

  Fix fence panels or boards: Cutting rails and boards to length on site.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringOptional

  Lay paving: Shaped cuts a splitter cannot make.

  Lay the edge restraint: Cuts a splitter cannot make.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Textured ceiling coatings, board behind panels, floor tiles and bitumen adhesive in older buildings — built before asbestos was banned or phased out where you are — can contain asbestos, and drilling or sanding them releases fibres. Do not disturb it — have it sampled first. This is not a job for better PPE.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• Mineral and glass wool irritate skin, eyes and airways: cover your arms, wear a P2/N95 respirator while cutting, and rinse in cold water — hot water drives fibres in.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Torch work ignites dust and joists hours later: use a heat mat, keep an extinguisher to hand, and re-check the area an hour after the last flame.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• long sleeves and gloves
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• heat-resistant gloves
• extinguisher and heat mat within reach
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work

Lay shingles: Roof work is the commonest cause of serious fall injury on domestic sites. Edge protection or a properly erected tower is the equipment that matters most here, and a roof that is steep, high, brittle or wet is a job for a roofer with the right access, not a longer ladder.

Fix roof sheeting and soffit panels: Roof work is the commonest cause of serious fall injury on domestic sites, and profiled sheeting adds a danger of its own: older fibre-cement and plastic sheets, and the rooflights set among them, can give way under a person's weight without warning. Edge protection or a properly erected tower is the equipment that matters most here, and a roof that is fragile, steep, high or wet is a job for a roofer with the right access and staging, not a longer ladder.

Fit a rooflight or roof window: Fitting a rooflight between rafters, or on a kerb on a flat roof, is carpentry and roofing to its maker's instructions. Where a rafter or joist has to be cut to make an opening wider than one bay, the trimming that carries the cut ends is sized by an engineer or from accepted tables, never by this site.

Lay a hot-applied bitumen membrane: This site does not publish a tool list for torch-applied roofing. A gas torch on a roof is hot work that starts fires in timber decks, insulation and eaves hours after the crew has gone; it is done by roofers trained for it, under the hot-work controls the insurer and the site set, with a fire watch after the torch goes out. Cold-applied and self-adhesive membranes remove the flame altogether.

Fit the eaves and ridge ventilation: Fitting vents and trays is roofing. How much free vent area a roof needs at the eaves and the ridge is set by the regulations or code the work falls under and by the underlay's maker, and this site counts the parts rather than judging whether a roof is ventilated enough.

Fix the roof hooks or flashed mounts for the solar rails: Fixing hooks and weathering the tiles round them is roofing work within reach of a trained installer on a scaffold. How many hooks or mounts go in, their spacing and the fixings into each rafter come from the mounting system's design for the wind and snow on that roof, and whether the rafters can carry the array at all is a structural question for an engineer; this site flags it and never sizes the roof, the hooks or their fixings. The count is known only once the rafters are found, which is why this item is provisional.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• chalk refill
• cutting and diamond discs
• drill and driver bits
• impact driver bits
• mitre saw blades
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringEssential

  Fit flashings where the roof meets a wall: Cutting the chase into the mortar joint, with extraction at the disc.

  Batten and tile or slate the roof: Cutting tiles at the verges and valleys, with water or extraction at the disc.

  Form the ridge, hips and valleys: Cutting tiles to the line of the hip and the valley, with water or extraction at the disc.

  Form the verges (rakes): Cutting half tiles and tile-and-a-half to the verge, with water or extraction at the disc.

  Weather the pipes and vents through the roof: Cutting the tiles round the pipe, with water or extraction at the disc.

  Fix the roof hooks or flashed mounts for the solar rails: Notching the underside of the tile over each hook so it lies flat, with water or extraction at the disc.

• Brick trowel and jointer — described under Brick and blockEssential

  Form the ridge, hips and valleys: Bedding ridge and hip tiles where they are set in mortar.

  Form the verges (rakes): Bedding the verge tiles where the verge is mortared.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Form the upstands and kerbs: The sealant bead along the top of the termination bar.

  Fit flashings where the roof meets a wall: Sealant into the chase once the flashing is wedged.

• Chalk line — described under TilingEssential

  Lay shingles: Course lines up the roof, so the exposure stays constant.

  Fix roof sheeting and soffit panels: Fixing lines over purlins that the sheet now hides.

  Batten and tile or slate the roof: Marking the batten gauge up the rafters before the first batten is fixed.

  Fix the roof hooks or flashed mounts for the solar rails: Lining the hooks up so the rails run straight.

• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential

  Strip the old roof covering: Drawing or driving home the nails the covering leaves in the deck.

  Batten and tile or slate the roof: Nailing battens and the tiles or slates to them.

  Form the ridge, hips and valleys: Nailing tiles and the ridge fixings where the roof is dry-fixed.

  Clad the dormer cheeks: Fixing battens and hanging tiles or slates.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit a rooflight or roof window: Fixing the frame and the flashing kit to the maker's pattern.

  Form the upstands and kerbs: Fixing the termination bar at its fastener spacing.

  Fit the edge and drip trims: Fixing the trims to the deck edge at the maker's centres.

  Fix the fascia and soffit: Fixing boards to the rafter ends at the maker's centres.

  Fit gutters and downpipes: Fixing brackets and pipe clips.

  Form the verges (rakes): Fixing dry verge units or verge clips to the batten ends.

  Fit the eaves and ridge ventilation: Fixing over-fascia vents and a vented ridge to the maker's pattern.

  Cap and ventilate the redundant flue: Fixing the cap's straps to the pot and the vent to the wall.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Fit a rooflight or roof window: Cutting the opening and the kerb or lining timbers.

  Fit the edge and drip trims: Cutting trims to length and at the corners.

  Batten and tile or slate the roof: Cutting battens to land on a rafter.

  Clad the dormer cheeks: Cutting battens and boards to the cheek's shape.

  Fit gutters and downpipes: Cutting gutter and pipe square to length.

  Form the verges (rakes): Cutting the battens and the undercloak off flush along the gable.

• Impact driver — described under TilingEssential

  Fix roof sheeting and soffit panels: Self-drilling screws with sealing washers, driven square and not overtightened.

  Fix the roof hooks or flashed mounts for the solar rails: Driving each hook's screws into the rafter.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix roof sheeting and soffit panels: Trims and cuts across the profile, cold, so the coating at the cut edge is not burnt off.

  Fit the edge and drip trims: Metal drip trims, cut rather than sawn.

  Fit flashings where the roof meets a wall: Cutting flashing to length and at the steps.

  Clad the dormer cheeks: Lead or metal soakers where the cheek meets the main roof.

  Weather the pipes and vents through the roof: Trimming a lead or metal flashing to fit the course.

  Cap and ventilate the redundant flue: Trimming the cap's straps to the pot.

• Roller frame, sleeves and tray — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay the EPDM membrane: Rolling bonding adhesive onto the deck and the underside of the sheet.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Strip the old roof covering: Scraping loose chippings and debris off the deck.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit a rooflight or roof window: The kerb and the frame true, which the flashing kit depends on.

  Fix the fascia and soffit: A fascia that runs level, which the gutter will show up if it does not.

  Fit gutters and downpipes: Downpipes plumb down the wall.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Lay the roof underlay: Holding the underlay in place until the battens go over it.

  Clad the dormer cheeks: The breathable membrane on the cheek before the battens.

  Fit the eaves and ridge ventilation: Holding rafter trays and baffles in the bay until the covering goes over them.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Form the ridge, hips and valleys: Keeping the ridge straight from end to end.

  Fit gutters and downpipes: The fall from the stop end to the outlet, before any bracket is fixed.

  Form the verges (rakes): A straight verge from eaves to ridge, which the eye picks up at once if it wanders.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Cap and ventilate the redundant flue: Each pot's outside diameter, which the cap is bought to.

  Fix the roof hooks or flashed mounts for the solar rails: The hook spacing the mounting system's layout gives, and each rafter's centre.

• Tower scaffold or trestles — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Lay shingles: Edge protection and a platform. This is the tool that matters most here.

  Fix roof sheeting and soffit panels: Edge protection and a platform, at the eaves and under the soffits. This is the tool that matters most here.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay shingles: Hook blades for cutting shingle.

  Strip the old roof covering: Cutting old felt and membrane into strips a person can carry to the edge.

  Lay the roof vapour control layer: Cutting the layer round outlets and to the roof's edges.

  Fit a rooflight or roof window: Cutting the underlay or membrane back round the opening.

  Lay the EPDM membrane: Trimming the sheet at edges and round outlets.

  Form the upstands and kerbs: Cutting the covering at internal and external corners of the upstand.

  Lay the roof underlay: Cutting the underlay at the verges and round pipes.

  Fit the eaves and ridge ventilation: Cutting trays, vents and the underlay round them.

  Weather the pipes and vents through the roof: Cutting the underlay round the pipe so it can be taped to it.

• Wrecking bar — described under FlooringEssential

  Strip the old roof covering: Lifting battens, tiles and the nails that held the old covering.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Lay the EPDM membrane: Adhesive and primer into corners and upstands the roller cannot reach.

• Crawl boards — described under Carpentry and framingRecommended

  Fit the eaves and ridge ventilation: Baffles fitted from inside the loft, across the joists.

• Mitre saw — described under FlooringRecommended

  Fix the fascia and soffit: Clean square and mitred cuts at joints and corners.

• Rubber mallet — described under TilingRecommended

  Fit flashings where the roof meets a wall: Dressing soft metal to the roof's profile without marking it.

  Weather the pipes and vents through the roof: Dressing a lead slate down to the tiles' profile without marking it.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Cap and ventilate the redundant flue: The hole through masonry for the vent where the flue is closed off.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Hardwood dust is a recognised carcinogen: extract at the tool and wear a P2/N95 respirator when cutting or sanding indoors.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)

Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Fixing battens is carpentry. Their section and centres, how they are fixed through any insulation into the wall behind, and for panels on rails the bracket and rail layout, come from the cladding maker's system and, where the wind load calls for it, a fixing design; this site never sizes the battens or their fixings. The battens are measured here, by length, and not again with the boards.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• chalk refill
• circular saw blades
• drill and driver bits
• impact driver bits
• mitre saw blades
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Chalk line — described under TilingEssential

  Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Marking the stud or fixing lines across the membrane.

• Circular saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Cut fibre-cement board: With a blade made for fibre cement; a timber blade dulls in minutes and throws more dust.

  Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Cutting battens to length and ripping counter-battens to size.

• Combination or framing square — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Cut fibre-cement board: A square cut is a tight butt joint.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the cladding trims and vented closers: Fixing trims and closers to the battens at their maker's centres.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Cut fibre-cement board: Respirable crystalline silica comes off every cut. Take it at the blade with an extractor rated for it, and cut outdoors where you can.

• Impact driver — described under TilingEssential

  Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Driving the batten screws into the studs or the wall plugs.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the cladding trims and vented closers: Cutting metal trims, flashings and insect mesh to length and at the corners.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang siding or cladding: The first board sets every board above it.

  Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Battens plumb, which the boards over them will follow.

  Fit the cladding trims and vented closers: Head and base trims level, which the boards above them follow.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix a weather-resistive barrier: Holds the wrap until the cladding goes on; where its maker specifies cap fixings, use those.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Tower scaffold or trestles — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Fix a weather-resistive barrier: The top of the elevation, with both hands free for the roll.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fix a weather-resistive barrier: Cutting the roll, and opening the wrap at each window and door.

• Mitre saw — described under FlooringRecommended

  Fit the cladding trims and vented closers: Timber and composite trims mitred at the corners.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Fix the cladding battens (furring strips) or rails: Plug holes into masonry where the battens fix back to a solid wall.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Textured ceiling coatings, board behind panels, floor tiles and bitumen adhesive in older buildings — built before asbestos was banned or phased out where you are — can contain asbestos, and drilling or sanding them releases fibres. Do not disturb it — have it sampled first. This is not a job for better PPE.
• Stop and check first. Paint under later coats in older housing can be lead-based, and sanding or heat-stripping it produces lead dust that is especially harmful to children and to anyone pregnant. Test before you disturb it — this is a job for a tested, controlled method, not a better mask.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Mineral and glass wool irritate skin, eyes and airways: cover your arms, wear a P2/N95 respirator while cutting, and rinse in cold water — hot water drives fibres in.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• long sleeves and gloves
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Fixing boards with adhesive and anchors is within reach of an installer trained on the system. The board's type and thickness, the adhesive pattern, how many fixings go in and how long they are for the wind on each part of the wall, and whether the system's fire classification suits the building come from the system holder's specification (in North America, the EIFS maker's code-evaluated details); where the wall is of unknown strength the system holder has pull-out tests done on site before the fixings are set; this site does not set or interpret them. This site never sizes the fixings or the thickness and does not certify the system. It measures the area.

Survey the walls before they are filled: This site does not judge whether a wall can be filled, does not certify a fill or its installer and publishes no tool list for the survey. In the UK the system's certificate (a BBA certificate, for example) sets which walls, cavity widths, heights and exposures it covers, and the installer's trained surveyor decides against it; the building-control notification, usually made by a registered installer under a competent person scheme, and the guarantee (from CIGA, for most UK cavity fill) are the installer's, and this site names both and promises neither. In North America the installer checks each bay for knob-and-tube wiring, which the National Electrical Code (Article 394.12) does not allow to be enveloped in insulation; this site flags it and never judges a wall suitable.

Blow the fill into the cavity or dense-pack the stud bays: Filling a cavity is the work of an installer approved under the system's certificate, which sets the product, its density, the drilling pattern and the walls it covers; this site does not certify an installation, never judges a wall suitable and gives the bags only to discuss and order against. Fill that reaches a flue or blocks a vent is what the check after filling looks for, and an open-flued boiler, fire or stove in the house is then spillage-tested by the engineer its fuel needs, listed as its own item.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• bagged loose-fill
• caulk and sealant cartridges
• chalk refill
• drill and driver bits
• masking tape
• plastic sheeting
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Brick trowel and jointer — described under Brick and blockEssential

  Sleeve the air bricks and vents across the cavity: Bedding the air brick back in once its sleeve is through.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Cut and fit rigid insulation board: Foam or adhesive where the maker bonds the boards rather than fixing them.

  Fit the extended window sills: Sealing the sill to the frame and the end caps into the reveal.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the extended window sills: Fixing the sill to the old sill or the frame.

  Drill the fill holes: Driving the hole saw, and taking off a course of siding to drill behind it.

• Crawl boards — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Blow loose-fill insulation: Kneel and crawl on these, not on the ceiling between the joists.

  Lag the pipework: Pipes in a loft, reached across the joists rather than along the ceiling between them.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringEssential

  Cut and fit rigid insulation board: Thick boards, which a knife will not cut square through.

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Cutting boards to fit round openings and at the corners.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix the starter track (EIFS base track): Trimming PVC track and cutting it at the corners.

  Fit the extended window sills: Cutting pressed-metal sills to length and turning their end caps.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Make good the fill holes: Gauging a small batch of the matched mortar from its bagged powder (the silica and the burn).

• Paddle mixer — described under PlasteringEssential

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Mixing the adhesive to an even consistency.

• Plastering trowel and hawk — described under PlasteringEssential

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Buttering adhesive onto each board in the system's pattern.

• Plugging chisel and club hammer — described under Brick and blockEssential

  Sleeve the air bricks and vents across the cavity: Cutting the air brick's joints out so it comes away whole.

• Pointing trowel and hawk — described under Brick and blockEssential

  Make good the fill holes: Filling each hole with the matched mortar and pointing it to the joint's profile.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix the starter track (EIFS base track): Plug holes along the track's line into the masonry.

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Drilling through the boards into the wall for the mechanical fixings.

  Drill the fill holes: A masonry wall: a bit of the diameter the certificate gives, into the mortar joints.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix the starter track (EIFS base track): The track level along the whole wall, since every row of boards follows it.

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Each board flat and in line with its neighbours.

  Fit the extended window sills: The sill falling outwards along its depth.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit batt insulation: Membrane and netting.

  Fix a vapour retarder: Fixing the sheet to the studs where the lap tape will cover the staples.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Blow loose-fill insulation: Depth is the whole specification — laid short is the commonest fault and it is invisible once the loft hatch shuts.

  Sleeve the air bricks and vents across the cavity: The cavity's width, so the sleeve spans it.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fit batt insulation: Cut batts slightly full so they friction-fit without being compressed.

  Fix a vapour retarder: Cutting the sheet, and round each box and pipe.

  Cut and fit rigid insulation board: Scoring and snapping thinner boards, and trimming to a tight fit.

  Lag the pipework: Cutting sleeves to length and mitring them at the bends.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Make good the fill holes: Touching in the paint over a patched hole on painted siding or stucco.

• Chalk line — described under TilingRecommended

  Fix the starter track (EIFS base track): Marking the track's line along the wall.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Blow loose-fill insulation: Only where the machine has to run inside.

  Drill the fill holes: At the bit, drilling masonry beside an open window or a neighbour's door.

• Dust sheets and masking — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Blow the fill into the cavity or dense-pack the stud bays: Under the holes, to catch the fill that blows back.

• Extension ladder — described under RoofingRecommended

  Blow loose-fill insulation: Getting bags and a hose up, which is most of the day.

  Drill the fill holes: The upper rows of holes, where the job lists no tower or scaffold.

  Blow the fill into the cavity or dense-pack the stud bays: The upper rows of holes.

• Filling knife — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Make good the fill holes: An exterior filler over a plug in stucco or render.

• Hole saw set — described under TilingRecommended

  Drill the fill holes: A stud wall: through the siding or the sheathing into each bay.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fix a vapour retarder: The head of the wall.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingRecommended

  Fix the external wall insulation boards (EWI, EIFS): Keeping the rows straight across the elevation.

• Laser level — described under TilingOptional

  Fix the starter track (EIFS base track): Carrying one level round every elevation of the house.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. A smell of gas means stop: operate no switch and nothing that sparks, open the windows, turn the supply off at the meter's emergency control valve or the cylinder valve if it is safe to reach, leave, and call the gas emergency number. Work on the pipework itself is for a registered gas engineer, not for better equipment.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Torch work ignites dust and joists hours later: use a heat mat, keep an extinguisher to hand, and re-check the area an hour after the last flame.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.
• Loose sheeting, trailing leads and offcuts turn every trip across a room into a fall: tape protection down at every edge, run leads along the walls, and keep the way in clear of waste.
• Pipework under test pressure stores energy that a failing joint releases all at once: test with water rather than air unless the pipe maker allows air, stand clear of joints while pumping, and let the pressure off before touching a fitting.
• Biocide and fungicidal washes, masonry stabilising solutions, and heating-system cleansers and inhibitors, are biocides, acids, alkalis, resins or corrosion chemicals, and the dirty water a wash or a flush brings out carries them: read the product's safety data sheet before opening it, wear waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374 and sealed glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1, and wash a splash off skin or out of an eye with clean running water at once.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• heat-resistant gloves
• extinguisher and heat mat within reach
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Cut and prepare copper pipe: Cutting and joining pipe is within reach of a competent DIYer; the system it joins may not be. Work on a gas supply, an unvented cylinder, or a sealed heating system is restricted to a registered installer in most markets, and a tool list is not a qualification.

Cut and join plastic pipe: Push-fit and solvent-weld plumbing is within reach of a competent DIYer. The regulated parts of the system — gas, unvented hot water, and anything notifiable — are not, whatever tools are to hand.

Solder a copper joint: Torch work inside a building starts fires in dust and joists that smoulder for hours after you finish. Where a joint is in an enclosed space or against a timber, a press fitting or a compression joint removes the flame entirely and is usually the better answer.

Isolate the gas supply: This site does not publish a tool list for gas work. In the UK the law requires anyone working on a gas fitting to be competent, and anyone doing it for payment to be Gas Safe registered; elsewhere this site serves, disconnecting and capping a supply needs a licensed gas fitter, or at least a permit and an inspection. Turning the supply off at the meter's emergency control valve, which anyone may do, is not the same as isolating it for work.

Pressure-test new pipework: Testing water pipework with water, to the pressure and period its maker or the local plumbing rules give, is within reach of a competent DIYer, and it is the only evidence the joints hold before they are hidden. A tightness test on gas pipework is a different test, carried out by a gas fitter or witnessed by the inspector in every market this site serves.

Hang and connect a radiator: Hanging a radiator and connecting its valves is within reach of a competent DIYer. Draining and refilling a sealed system, restoring its inhibitor and bringing it back to pressure is heating work, and whether the boiler or heat pump can carry the extra radiator is a question for the heating engineer.

Second-fix plumbing: sink, taps, waste and appliances: Connecting a sink, its taps and waste and an appliance's valve to pipework already run is within reach of a competent DIYer. Every fitting on the mains must meet the water regulations or plumbing code the work falls under, including the backflow protection an appliance needs; a gas hob or cooker, and an appliance's electrical connection, are separate work for a registered engineer and an electrician.

Connect the gas hob or cooker: This site does not publish a tool list for gas work and does not certify it. In the UK anyone working on a gas fitting must be competent, and anyone doing it for payment must be Gas Safe registered; elsewhere this site serves, connecting an appliance needs a licensed gas fitter, or at least a permit and an inspection.

Run or upsize the gas supply pipe: This site does not publish a tool list for gas work and does not certify it. The pipe's size, from the appliance's gas input and the length of the run, comes from the regulations' or the fuel gas code's tables applied by a registered gas engineer or licensed fitter, who also tests the installation for tightness; this site's gas pages give a flow and a table row, never a pipe size to install.

Run the condensate drain: Running plastic pipe to a fall is within reach of a competent DIYer. Where the condensate may discharge, the pipe's size and fall, and how an outside run is kept from freezing, are set by the appliance's maker and the regulations or plumbing code, and a connection to a soil stack or drain needs a trap the rules accept.

Fit the hot-water cylinder (water heater tank): This site does not publish a tool list for fitting a hot-water cylinder and does not certify one. An unvented cylinder in England and Wales is fitted by an installer competent in unvented hot water (Building Regulations Part G3), and in North America a water heater's relief valve and its discharge pipe follow the plumbing code, usually under a permit; the immersion heater's circuit is electrical work. The cylinder's size is the heating designer's, never a count here. Full, a cylinder weighs several times what a combination boiler on a wall does, and it often stands in a cupboard or a loft on a timber floor: whether that floor carries it is a structural question this site flags and never sizes.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• cutting wheels
• drill and driver bits
• gas cartridges
• inhibitor for the refill
• masking tape
• neutraliser
• plastic sheeting
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• solder and flux
• system cleanser

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang and connect a radiator: Before every bracket hole.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Second-fix plumbing: sink, taps, waste and appliances: The sink's seal to the worktop, where its maker asks for one.

  Fit the sanitaryware: WC, basin, taps and trims: Sanitary silicone between the bath, the tray, the basin and the tiles.

  Fit the shower screen or enclosure: Silicone on the outside of the channels and along the tray only.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Run the condensate drain: Fixing clips close enough that the pipe cannot sag and hold water.

  Set the bath or the shower tray: The bath's wall brackets, or the tray's frame.

  Fit the sanitaryware: WC, basin, taps and trims: Through the tile with a tile bit for the pan, cistern and basin fixings.

  Fit the shower screen or enclosure: Through the tile with a tile bit, then into the wall.

• Dust sheets and masking — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Cleanse and power-flush the system: Under every radiator worked on, since dirty system water stains whatever it reaches.

  Dose the system with inhibitor: Under the radiator or filter used for dosing.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang and connect a radiator: Bracket fixings into masonry.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Hang and connect a radiator: Brackets level, or the radiator will not bleed fully.

  Run the condensate drain: The fall along every length, all the way to the drain.

  Set the bath or the shower tray: Level both ways, or the water stands against the seal instead of running to the waste.

  Fit the sanitaryware: WC, basin, taps and trims: The basin and the cistern level, and the pan square to the wall.

  Fit the shower screen or enclosure: The wall channels plumb, or the doors will not close and seal.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential
• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Isolate and drain down the water: Catching what drains from the lowest point once the valve is shut.

  Cleanse and power-flush the system: Catching a sample of the water, which shows when it runs clear.

  Set the bath or the shower tray: A mortar bed, where the tray's maker asks for one.

• Rubber mallet — described under TilingRecommended

  Cleanse and power-flush the system: Tapping each radiator while it flushes, to loosen the sludge in its base.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fit the sanitaryware: WC, basin, taps and trims: Trimming the sealant's nozzle and cutting back old sealant.

  Fit the shower screen or enclosure: Trimming the sealant's nozzle.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Textured ceiling coatings, board behind panels, floor tiles and bitumen adhesive in older buildings — built before asbestos was banned or phased out where you are — can contain asbestos, and drilling or sanding them releases fibres. Do not disturb it — have it sampled first. This is not a job for better PPE.
• Stop and check first. Paint under later coats in older housing can be lead-based, and sanding or heat-stripping it produces lead dust that is especially harmful to children and to anyone pregnant. Test before you disturb it — this is a job for a tested, controlled method, not a better mask.
• Stop and check first. A smell of gas means stop: operate no switch and nothing that sparks, open the windows, turn the supply off at the meter's emergency control valve or the cylinder valve if it is safe to reach, leave, and call the gas emergency number. Work on the pipework itself is for a registered gas engineer, not for better equipment.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Joint-compound dust is very fine and travels: a P1/FFP1 mask is the minimum, and a damp-sponge finish avoids most of it.
• Torch work ignites dust and joists hours later: use a heat mat, keep an extinguisher to hand, and re-check the area an hour after the last flame.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.
• Loose sheeting, trailing leads and offcuts turn every trip across a room into a fall: tape protection down at every edge, run leads along the walls, and keep the way in clear of waste.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• heat-resistant gloves
• extinguisher and heat mat within reach
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Scaffold the elevation: This site does not publish a tool list for scaffolding. In every market it serves, a scaffold is put up, altered and taken down by trained scaffolders to a design or a standard configuration, and is inspected before first use and at the intervals local rules set. The face area is here to discuss and to hire against; the scaffold is the scaffolder's job, and so is the inspection record that goes with it.

Provide temporary services: Running leads from a socket that is still live is within anyone's reach, and a portable RCD (a GFCI in North America) at the socket protects everything plugged in after it. A temporary board, a supply taken from a circuit that has been disconnected, or a builder's supply from the network is electrical installation work for an electrician, and in some markets for the network operator as well.

Survey for asbestos before disturbing the fabric: This site does not publish a tool list for asbestos sampling, because taking a sample disturbs the material. A survey ahead of refurbishment is normally carried out by an accredited surveyor or licensed inspector, with the samples analysed by an accredited laboratory. What it finds cannot be quantified before it is done, which is why this item is provisional.

Reinstate services after the work: Each service goes back on in the hands of whoever answers for it. The water can be reopened by the person who closed it, watching every joint that was disturbed; a circuit is re-energised by the electrician who tested the new work; and gas is turned back on, purged and the appliances relit by a registered gas engineer.

Notify building control or take out the permit: This site does not publish a tool list for building control and does not obtain approval for, inspect or certify any work. Whether a job needs notice or a permit, which body deals with it and which stages it inspects are set by the regulations, code or permit rules where the building stands: in England and Wales a loft conversion, an extension, a garage turned into a room and the removal of a load-bearing wall are all notifiable, and across North America most of them need a permit. Work a registered installer carries out under a competent person scheme, such as a new circuit or a replacement window, is notified by that installer. The completion certificate or the final inspection comes from that body, never from a calculator.

Hot-work permit and fire watch: This site does not publish a tool list for hot work and does not issue, grant or check a hot-work permit. The permit's conditions, including how long the fire watch lasts after the last flame and who may carry it out, are set by the building's insurer, the main contractor or the site's own rules, and the roofing trade's own guidance; the torch-on membrane row counts the rolls and never the controls round them.

Prop and needle the structure above: This site does not design temporary works and publishes no tool list for them. How many props and needles go in, where, and what each bears on come from the engineer's or the temporary-works designer's scheme for that wall and the loads above it; the scheme often cannot be settled until the structure is opened up and seen, which is why this item is provisional.

Test the old paint for lead: This site does not publish a tool list for lead testing and does not say whether a paint contains lead. In the US, paid work that disturbs paint in a home built before 1978 falls under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which asks for a certified firm and lead-safe work practices; in the UK, HSE guidance and the Control of Lead at Work Regulations apply to paint old enough to contain lead. What a test finds cannot be known before the samples are taken, which is why this item is provisional.

Provide the escape window or route from the basement: This site does not design or certify a means of escape and publishes no tool list for one. Whether a basement room needs an escape window or door, a protected stair or more than one, the window's clear opening, how high its sill may be and the size of the well outside it are set by the regulations where the house stands (in England, Approved Document B; in the US, the emergency escape and rescue opening rules in IRC R310; in Canada, the National Building Code's egress window rules). Cutting a new opening in a basement wall is structural work, and this site never sizes the lintel or header over it.

Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: Taking off and refixing brackets, downpipes and dishes is within reach of a competent builder. Extending a boiler flue through the new layer is gas work for a registered engineer, listed as its own item where a job needs it; an outside light's or socket's cable is electrical work, isolated before it comes off; and extending a soil stack's or a waste pipe's branches through the layer is plumbing, tested where the regulations or plumbing code ask. A gas or electricity meter, its box and the gas pipe to it are moved only by the supplier, the network operator or a registered gas engineer, and no job here lists that work. This site publishes no tool list for the gas, electrical or plumbing work and does not certify any of it.

Survey the damp and find its cause: This site does not diagnose damp, does not choose or prescribe a remedy and publishes no tool list for the survey. A surface moisture meter reads high on salts in old plaster whether or not the wall behind it is wet, so it cannot say that damp is rising; which cause is at work (damp rising from the ground, rain or ground water coming through from outside, a leak, or condensation) and which remedy answers it are the surveyor's, in the UK often a surveyor qualified in remedial damp work, such as the Property Care Association's CSRT, or an independent building surveyor. This site lists the items of the remedy the specification names, flags the outside causes and any timber found decayed in the wet wall, and never says that a remedy will cure a wall; whether a guarantee is offered, and what backs it, is the installer's and is never promised here.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• chalk refill
• drill and driver bits
• masking tape
• plastic sheeting
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Adjustable spanner and grips — described under PlumbingEssential

  Reinstate services after the work: Opening valves slowly and nipping up a joint that weeps as the pressure returns.

  Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: Downpipe clips and the outside tap's fittings.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: Before each new fixing hole near an outside light's or socket's cable.

• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential

  Keep the opened building weathertight: Nailing battens over the sheet's edges so the wind cannot lift them.

  Keep a temporary way up while the stair is out: Cleats on the floor below so the ladder's foot cannot slide.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: Taking off and refixing brackets and fittings.

  Keep a temporary way up while the stair is out: Fixing the ladder's tie and a guard rail across the open edge of the landing.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Builder's clean: Vacuuming rather than sweeping, which puts the finest dust back in the air.

• Dust sheets and masking — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Protect retained finishes: The sheeting and tape the protection is made of, down before the first dusty job.

  Protect the access route and stairs: Under the hard protection where the floor below would mark.

• Extension ladder — described under RoofingEssential

  Keep a temporary way up while the stair is out: The way up while the flight is out: tied at the top, footed at the bottom and standing well above the landing so there is something to hold stepping off.

• Moisture meter — described under FlooringEssential

  Allow a drying-out period: Readings in the new plaster or screed, which say when it is dry; the calendar does not.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: New plug holes through the finished face into the masonry behind.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Segregate and remove waste: Rubble and plaster off the floor and into the barrow.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Put up a mobile access tower: The base levelled on its adjustable legs before the second lift goes on.

  Snag the work before handover: Doors, frames, worktops and sills that look out of level.

  Take off and refix the services and fixtures on the wall: Refixed downpipes plumb and lights square.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Set out and check dimensions: Pegs and a tight line outdoors, which is the setting out itself.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Set out and check dimensions: Both diagonals as well as the sides: equal diagonals are what prove a rectangle square.

  Snag the work before handover: Checking a dimension on the drawings where something looks out of place.

• Tower scaffold or trestles — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Put up a mobile access tower: Built to the maker's sequence, with every guard rail in before anyone stands on the platform.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Protect retained finishes: Trimming sheet and tape to an edge rather than tearing it.

  Protect the access route and stairs: Cutting hard sheet and runner to the treads and the turns of the route.

  Keep the opened building weathertight: Cutting sheeting to the opening and clear of the scaffold.

• Wheelbarrow — described under ConcreteEssential

  Segregate and remove waste: Moving waste to the skip or the bags without carrying it.

• Chalk line — described under TilingRecommended

  Set out and check dimensions: Indoors, where a line cannot be pegged.

• Scraper — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Builder's clean: Paint and plaster splashes off glass, with a new blade held flat.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Keep the opened building weathertight: Holding a sheet in place while its battens go on.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Builder's clean: Tops of doors, frames and high sills, where the dust settles.

  Snag the work before handover: The tops of frames, units and high sills, where snags hide.

• Laser level — described under TilingOptional

  Set out and check dimensions: One level carried round a room or across a plot to a single datum.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. Textured ceiling coatings, board behind panels, floor tiles and bitumen adhesive in older buildings — built before asbestos was banned or phased out where you are — can contain asbestos, and drilling or sanding them releases fibres. Do not disturb it — have it sampled first. This is not a job for better PPE.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work

Take down the wall or break out the opening: Taking a wall down, or breaking an opening through one, is within reach once it is supported. Whether it carries a floor, a roof or another wall, and what holds that up afterwards, is decided by a structural engineer before the first brick comes out; this site lists the tools for the demolition, and never sizes or designs the support. An opening through a cavity wall leaves both leaves and the cavity to be closed at the new jambs.

Take down the chimney breast: Taking a breast down is demolition within reach once what it carried is supported. Whether the stack above may be left, what holds it up, and whether a breast on a party wall may be cut back at all are decided by a structural engineer, building control and, on a party wall, the neighbour's agreement; this site never sizes or designs that support. An old flue can hold an asbestos liner or cement flue pipe, which is surveyed before it is broken.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• cutting and diamond discs
• oscillating blades
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: Checking the wall for cables and pipes again after the isolation.

• Claw hammer — described under FlooringEssential

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Drawing the nails the bar leaves behind.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Tile and screed off a wall or floor with a chisel bit.

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: Breaking out masonry from the top with a chisel bit, a course at a time.

  Take down the chimney breast: Breaking the breast out from the top with a chisel bit, a course at a time.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Take down the chimney breast: Soot and rubble off the floor and into bags before it is walked through the house.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Cutting through sealant and silicone before anything is levered.

• Wrecking bar — described under FlooringEssential

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Levering units and linings off along their fixings.

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: Levering out bricks, studs and the head and sole plates.

  Take down the chimney breast: Levering out bricks and the old fire surround's fixings.

• Adjustable spanner and grips — described under PlumbingRecommended

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Disconnecting fittings once the supply to them is isolated.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: Breaking out indoors puts silica dust through the house without extraction.

  Take down the chimney breast: Breaking out indoors puts silica dust and soot through the house without extraction at the tool.

• Oscillating multi-tool — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Strip out fixtures and finishes: Cutting fixings flush where a bar would tear the wall that stays.

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: Cutting fixings flush where the wall meets the ceiling that stays.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Take down the wall or break out the opening: The top courses, which come out first.

  Take down the chimney breast: The top courses under the ceiling, which come out first.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringOptional

  Take down the chimney breast: Cutting the wall behind back to a clean line where the breast was bonded in.

Protection this work requires

• Stop and check first. A smell of gas means stop: operate no switch and nothing that sparks, open the windows, turn the supply off at the meter's emergency control valve or the cylinder valve if it is safe to reach, leave, and call the gas emergency number. Work on the pipework itself is for a registered gas engineer, not for better equipment.
• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Mineral and glass wool irritate skin, eyes and airways: cover your arms, wear a P2/N95 respirator while cutting, and rinse in cold water — hot water drives fibres in.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.
• Digging blind strikes gas, water and power every day: get the plans, scan with a cable avoidance tool, and hand-dig trial holes over anything you find.
• Loose sheeting, trailing leads and offcuts turn every trip across a room into a fall: tape protection down at every edge, run leads along the walls, and keep the way in clear of waste.
• Pipework under test pressure stores energy that a failing joint releases all at once: test with water rather than air unless the pipe maker allows air, stand clear of joints while pumping, and let the pressure off before touching a fitting.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• long sleeves and gloves
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools
• cable avoidance tool and signal generator

Commission the heating appliance: This site does not publish a tool list for commissioning a heating appliance and does not certify one. A gas boiler is commissioned by a registered gas engineer, an oil boiler by a competent oil technician and a heat pump by its installer, each to the maker's procedure, and the record they complete is often a condition of the maker's warranty.

Commission mechanical ventilation: Measuring a fan's airflow with a meter is within reach of a careful DIYer, and it says whether the fan moves the air it was sized for. Wiring the fan is electrical work, and where a market requires the measured rates to be recorded for a building authority, the record comes from the installer or a competent tester, not from this site.

Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: Fixing the fan or hood and running its duct is within reach of a competent DIYer. Wiring it into a circuit is electrical work, and where the room also holds an open-flued appliance, how much air the fan may pull is a question for the gas or oil engineer, not for this site.

Fit the new boiler: This site does not publish a tool list for fitting a boiler and does not certify one. A gas boiler is fitted by a registered gas engineer (in the UK, Gas Safe registered) and an oil boiler by a competent oil technician, under a notification or permit in every market this site serves. The boiler's size comes from a heat-loss calculation for the house, never from a count.

Fit the flue and its terminal: This site does not publish a tool list for flues and does not certify one. A flue is part of the appliance's installation: its route, length, terminal position and clearances come from the maker's instructions and the regulations or fuel gas code the work falls under, and a flue that spills into a room is a carbon monoxide risk that only the installer's commissioning checks rule out.

Fit the heating controls: Fitting radiator valve heads and a wireless thermostat is within reach of a competent DIYer; wiring controls into the boiler's supply or a wiring centre is electrical work. Which controls a new boiler must have is set by the regulations where the house stands (in England, time and temperature control, and for a combination boiler one of the further measures the rules list), not by this site.

Fit the carbon monoxide alarm: This site does not publish a tool list for carbon monoxide alarms, does not certify one, and does not say where one goes or which type is needed. Whether an alarm is required, in which rooms, and whether it is a sealed battery or a mains alarm are set by the regulations or code where the house stands (in England, with a new or replacement fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker; across North America, when permitted work is done in a house with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage) and by the alarm's maker; a hard-wired alarm is electrical work for an electrician. An alarm warns of carbon monoxide; it does not replace the installer's commissioning checks on the appliance and its flue.

Survey and design the heating or ventilation system: This site does not design a heating or ventilation system, publishes no tool list for the survey and sizes no heat pump, radiator, loop, fan or duct. A room-by-room heat-loss calculation (BS EN 12831 in the UK and Europe, ACCA Manual J in the US, Canada's CSA F280), the equipment chosen from it, the airflows a ventilation system is designed to (Approved Document F in England, ASHRAE 62.2 in the US) and the noise check for an outdoor unit's position are the designer's. In the UK a heat pump grant asks for an installer certified under MCS, whose standard sets how the design is done; this site names that sign-off and never claims it. Every heat-load, heat pump, radiator-output, airflow and duct-size page on this site is sizing, and none is ever a takeoff's step.

Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Bedding slabs level or fixing brackets is within reach of a competent builder. How far the unit must stand from walls, windows and the boundary, how high it sits above the ground, what it stands on and whether a wall can carry it on brackets come from the heat pump maker's installation manual and the noise check for its position; this site never sizes the base or the brackets and does not say where the unit may go.

Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: Laying and clipping pipe to a drawn layout is within reach of a competent installer. The loop layout, the spacing, how long each loop may be and the flow temperature it runs at are the heating designer's; this site never sizes the loops, and its radiant floor page measures the pipe for a spacing it is given. The loops are pressure-tested before anything covers them and kept under pressure while a screed goes down, which is the pressure test's own row.

Fit the underfloor heating manifold and its pump and mixing set: Fixing a manifold and connecting the loops is within reach of a competent plumber. Whether a mixing set is needed, the pump's duty and the flow temperatures are the heating designer's, connecting the flow and return to a sealed system or a heat pump is heating work, and wiring the pump, the actuators and the wiring centre is electrical work; this site sizes none of it.

Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): Hanging the unit and connecting its ducts is within reach of a competent installer following the maker's manual. Which unit and fan speeds a house needs come from the ventilation design, the unit's electrical supply is electrical work, and where the rules ask for the measured airflows to be recorded, that record comes from the installer or a competent tester; this site sizes no unit and certifies none.

Run the ductwork and its fittings: Running, supporting and sealing duct is within reach of a competent installer. The duct sizes, routes and fittings come from the ventilation or air-handling design, and this site never sizes a duct; where a duct passes through a fire-separating wall or floor, the damper or fire-stopping it needs is set by the fire strategy and is the fire-stopping row's, not this one's. The hanger, mastic and wrap pages measure the run they are given.

Balance the loops and warm the screed up: Purging loops and turning a flow setter is within reach of a careful installer. The flow each loop is set to comes from the heating design, and the start-up heating a screed takes comes from the screed's maker and the underfloor heating standard (BS EN 1264 in Europe); this site sets neither, and a screed heated too fast cracks.

Set and connect the heat pump: This site does not publish a tool list for fitting a heat pump and does not certify one. Connecting its refrigerant circuit is work for a technician certified to handle refrigerants (F-gas certification in the UK, EPA Section 608 in the US), its supply is electrical work for an electrician, and in the UK a heat pump a grant pays towards is fitted by an installer certified under MCS; this site names that sign-off and never claims it. The heat pump's size comes from a heat-loss calculation for the house, never from a count.

Spillage-test the open-flued appliances (combustion safety test): This site does not publish a tool list for testing a combustion appliance and does not test, inspect or certify one. The spillage test is the work of the engineer the appliance's fuel needs: in the UK a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas, an OFTEC-registered technician for oil and a HETAS-registered installer for solid fuel; in North America a combustion appliance zone (worst-case depressurisation) test, often by a BPI-certified technician after weatherisation. An appliance that spills is left off until that engineer puts it right, which is not part of this item.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• chalk refill
• diamond core bits
• drill and driver bits
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels
• staples

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Adjustable spanner and grips — described under PlumbingEssential

  Fit the heating controls: Radiator valve bodies, with the system drained or the valve isolated.

  Fit the underfloor heating manifold and its pump and mixing set: Each loop's fitting and the flow and return connections.

  Balance the loops and warm the screed up: Opening each loop's valve and setting its flow at the manifold.

• Cable and pipe detector — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: Before the core and every fixing hole.

  Fit the heating controls: Before every fixing hole for a thermostat or programmer.

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Before digging for the base or drilling for brackets near an outside cable.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: Fixing the fan or hood and the duct clips.

  Fit the heating controls: Fixing the thermostat and programmer backplates.

  Fit the underfloor heating manifold and its pump and mixing set: Fixing the manifold's brackets to the wall or cupboard.

  Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): Fixing the unit's brackets and the platform it stands on.

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Fixing hangers, clips and brackets at their spacing.

  Fit the room valves (grilles) and outside terminals: Fixing each valve's collar and the outside terminal.

• Diamond core drill — described under Brick and blockEssential

  Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: The duct's hole through the outside wall.

• Plastic pipe shears — described under PlumbingEssential

  Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: Cutting each loop square at the manifold so its fitting seats fully.

  Fit the underfloor heating manifold and its pump and mixing set: Trimming loop ends to length at their ports.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Taking off the topsoil and forming the compacted bed under the slabs or plinth.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the heating controls: Backplates level, which the faceplates show.

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: The base level both ways, since the unit's drain tray and fan rely on it.

  Fit the underfloor heating manifold and its pump and mixing set: The manifold level, so its air vents sit at the top.

  Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): The unit level, so its condensate runs to the outlet.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Commission mechanical ventilation: Ceiling grilles, reached from a ladder opened fully on a level floor.

  Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: Ceiling fans and ducts in the void above.

  Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): Up through the hatch, and to a cupboard or ceiling unit.

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Duct runs above a ceiling or through a hatch.

  Fit the room valves (grilles) and outside terminals: Ceiling valves are fitted from it.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the heating controls: The thermostat's height and its distance from heat sources.

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: The unit's clearances to walls, windows and the boundary from its installation manual.

  Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: The spacing between runs, which decides the floor's output.

  Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): The clearance in front of the unit to change its filters.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: Cutting panels round pipes, frames and corners.

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Cutting flexible and semi-rigid duct and its insulation wrap to length.

  Fit the room valves (grilles) and outside terminals: Cutting the ceiling board and the duct's end to the valve's collar.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Brushing mastic over the joints of rigid duct where the system uses it.

• Chalk line — described under TilingRecommended

  Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: Setting out the loops' first runs on the insulation.

• Crawl boards — described under Carpentry and framingRecommended

  Fit the ventilation unit (MVHR, HRV or ERV): Working across open joists in a loft to reach the unit's position.

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Working across open joists in a loft along the duct's route.

• Hole saw set — described under TilingRecommended

  Fit the extract fan or cooker hood: Duct holes through timber or a ceiling.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Run the ductwork and its fittings: Cutting rigid metal duct and its fittings.

• Moisture meter — described under FlooringRecommended

  Balance the loops and warm the screed up: Whether the screed is dry enough for its finish once the warm-up has run.

• Rubber mallet — described under TilingRecommended

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Tapping each slab down level on its bed.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Anchor holes for wall brackets or a ground frame's fixings.

• Staple gun — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Lay the underfloor heating pipe loops: A clip tacker where the pipe is stapled to the insulation rather than pressed into panels.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingOptional

  Set the heat pump's base or wall brackets: Mortar for bedding the slabs where they are not laid dry.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)

Fit the window and door frames: Fitting a frame into a prepared opening is within reach of a competent builder. In England and Wales a replacement window or door is notifiable work, done by a registered installer or notified to building control, and other markets have their own permits; new windows in an extension are part of that building's own approval. This site does not certify the installation.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• replacement blades
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fit the window and door frames: Sealing the frame to the reveal, inside and out.

  Seal the frames and trims with mastic (caulk): An even bead, pushed rather than pulled so the sealant is pressed into the joint.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the window and door frames: Holes through the frame into masonry for the frame fixings.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the window and door frames: Frames plumb, level and square before the fixings go in.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the window and door frames: Both diagonals, which prove the frame is square in the opening.

  Seal the frames and trims with mastic (caulk): The joint's width, which decides the bead and the backing rod.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fit the window and door frames: Trimming packers and the flashing membrane.

  Seal the frames and trims with mastic (caulk): Cutting out the old sealant, and the nozzle to the bead's width.

• Scraper — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Seal the frames and trims with mastic (caulk): The last of the old sealant off the frame and the wall, so the new bead bonds.

Protection this work requires

• Cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, screed, tile or fibre-cement board releases respirable silica: cut wet or extract at the tool, and wear a P2/N95 respirator at minimum — a nuisance dust mask does not filter it.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Wet cement and lime burn skin and eyes painlessly until the damage is done: waterproof gloves to EN 374, safety glasses whenever the mix can splash, and never kneel in wet mix in permeable trousers.
• Saws, grinders and breakers run above 85 dB, where hearing damage accumulates and does not recover: defenders or plugs for every cut, not just the long ones.
• Breakers and grinders cause permanent nerve damage: limit continuous trigger time, keep hands warm, and stop if fingers tingle or blanch.
• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Nailing, chiselling and cutting all throw fragments: glasses to EN 166 or ANSI Z87.1, and goggles rather than glasses overhead.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.
• Biocide and fungicidal washes, masonry stabilising solutions, and heating-system cleansers and inhibitors, are biocides, acids, alkalis, resins or corrosion chemicals, and the dirty water a wash or a flush brings out carries them: read the product's safety data sheet before opening it, wear waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374 and sealed glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1, and wash a splash off skin or out of an eye with clean running water at once.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator (P3/FFP3 for prolonged dry cutting)
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• waterproof chemical-resistant gloves to EN 374
• waterproof knee pads
• ear defenders or plugs rated for the tool
• anti-vibration gloves
• planned breaks rather than continuous running
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• goggles for overhead work
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): Applying a slurry or a coating to its maker's instructions is within reach of a competent builder. Which grade of dry space the basement needs (in the UK, BS 8102's grades 1 to 3), whether a barrier on its own will do or a drained cavity is needed with it, and how every joint, penetration and junction is detailed are the waterproofing designer's, and the standard asks for a waterproofing specialist in that design; this site flags the grade and never chooses it. A barrier on the inside face holds back water under pressure only where the wall behind it can carry that pressure, a structural question this site never sizes. On a wall that holds back no ground, where a damp specification names this protection, that specification sets which walls and how high, and the basement grade above does not apply.

Fit the cavity drain membrane (dimple membrane): Fixing the membrane is within reach of a trained installer following its maker's details. Which grade of dry space the basement needs (in the UK, BS 8102's grades 1 to 3), whether a drained cavity alone will do or a barrier is needed with it, and where its water goes are the waterproofing designer's; this site flags the grade and never chooses it. A drained cavity keeps working only while its channel and pump are kept clear, so the standard asks for access to them for maintenance for the life of the room. On a wall that holds back no ground, where a damp specification names this protection, that specification sets which walls and how high, and the basement grade above does not apply.

Lay the perimeter drainage to the sump: Setting a channel or laying pipe to a fall is groundwork within reach of a competent builder. The drainage's layout, its fall and outlets, and where the water it gathers may be discharged are set by the waterproofing design and by the regulations or plumbing code, and this site does not design them; it measures the length.

Install the sump and pump: Setting a chamber and connecting a pump is within reach of a competent builder. The pump's duty, whether a second pump, a battery backup or an alarm is needed, and where the water may be discharged are the waterproofing designer's and the regulations' or plumbing code's, and the pump's supply is electrical work for an electrician; this site counts the sumps and never sizes the pump.

Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): Drilling and injecting to the product's instructions is within reach of a trained installer. Whether damp is rising at all, and so whether an injected course is the remedy, is the surveyor's diagnosis, which this site never makes or prescribes; the hole spacing, the depth, the amount of cream and the height of the line come from the product's certificate or instructions for the wall's thickness and material, never from this site. Removing the plaster the salts have spoiled and replastering with a salt-resistant plaster are listed as their own items, because the injection alone leaves the salts in the old plaster. Where the course is cut into a party wall in England and Wales, the notice to the neighbour that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require is the owner's to serve and is not part of this item.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• cutting and diamond discs
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves
• SDS bits and chisels

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Angle grinder — described under PlasteringEssential

  Lay the perimeter drainage to the sump: Cutting the channel's edges into the floor slab, with water or extraction at the disc.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply a liquid waterproofing membrane: Details, upstands and the reinforcing mat at junctions.

  Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): Brushing the slurry or coating well into the surface, coat by coat.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fit the cavity drain membrane (dimple membrane): Sealant round penetrations where the maker's detail asks for it.

  Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): The cream applicator: a skeleton gun with an extension nozzle long enough to fill each hole from the back.

• Mixing bucket or tub — described under Painting and decoratingEssential
• Paddle mixer — described under PlasteringEssential

  Apply a liquid waterproofing membrane: Two-part products, mixed fully before the pot life starts running.

  Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): Mixing the slurry to an even consistency before its pot life starts running.

• Plastic pipe shears — described under PlumbingEssential

  Install the sump and pump: Cutting the discharge pipe square to its fittings.

• Roller frame, sleeves and tray — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply a liquid waterproofing membrane: Laying each coat to its maker's wet thickness.

• Rubber mallet — described under TilingEssential

  Fit the cavity drain membrane (dimple membrane): Setting the sealed plugs without splitting the stud they pass through.

• SDS rotary hammer — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): Hacking off the old plaster and any loose render, back to sound masonry.

  Fit the cavity drain membrane (dimple membrane): Drilling the plug holes through the membrane's studs into the wall and floor.

  Lay the perimeter drainage to the sump: Breaking out the concrete between the cuts.

  Install the sump and pump: Breaking out the floor where the chamber goes.

  Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): A long masonry bit into the bed joint, to the depth the product's instructions give for the wall's thickness.

• Shovel and spade — described under PlasteringEssential

  Lay the perimeter drainage to the sump: Clearing the broken concrete and placing the gravel bed.

  Install the sump and pump: Digging out below the floor to the chamber's depth.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Lay the perimeter drainage to the sump: The fall along every length of channel or pipe, all the way to the sump.

  Install the sump and pump: The chamber set level, with its inlets at the drainage's height.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): The hole spacing along the course.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Apply a liquid waterproofing membrane: Cutting the reinforcing mat to each detail.

  Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): Cutting sheet membrane and protection board where the walls are dug out from outside.

  Fit the cavity drain membrane (dimple membrane): Cutting the membrane to length and round pipes and corners.

• Dust extractor or vacuum with a fine filter — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): At the bit, drilling indoors along the skirting line.

• Plastering trowel and hawk — described under PlasteringRecommended

  Tank the walls and a basement's floor (waterproofing): A coved fillet at the joint between wall and floor, and trowelled coats.

• Pointing trowel and hawk — described under Brick and blockRecommended

  Drill and inject the chemical damp-proof course (DPC): Making good the holes in the bed joint with mortar where the course was injected from outside.

Protection this work requires

• Joint-compound dust is very fine and travels: a P1/FFP1 mask is the minimum, and a damp-sponge finish avoids most of it.
• Mineral and glass wool irritate skin, eyes and airways: cover your arms, wear a P2/N95 respirator while cutting, and rinse in cold water — hot water drives fibres in.
• A dust mask does nothing about solvent vapour: ventilate through, and use an organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator in an enclosed room.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.

Have on site

• P2/N95 respirator
• sealed safety glasses to EN 166 / ANSI Z87.1
• long sleeves and gloves
• organic-vapour (A1) cartridge respirator for solvent-based products
• chemical-resistant gloves
• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)

Fire-protect the new steelwork: The period of fire resistance a steel needs, and whether a given board or coating gives it at that section's size, come from the building-control drawings and the product's test data. This site does not certify fire protection or say which period applies.

Fire-stop the service penetrations: Which walls and floors separate one fire compartment from another, and which tested product seals a given penetration through them, come from the fire strategy or the building-control drawings and the product's test evidence. This site does not certify fire-stopping or say which rating applies; it counts the penetrations and the sealant.

Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: Where cavity barriers and fire breaks go, which tested product each is and the performance it must reach come from the fire strategy, the building-control drawings and the product's test evidence, and on some buildings the rules restrict which materials may be used on the wall at all. This site does not certify fire performance, say which rating applies or say where a line goes; it measures the length of barrier and counts the crossings a page can see.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• caulk and sealant cartridges
• drill and driver bits
• replacement blades
• roller sleeves

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Caulking gun — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fire-stop the service penetrations: Filling the ring round each service with the tested sealant, to its full depth.

  Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: Sealing the barrier where a batten or rail crosses it, with the product its maker names.

• Cordless drill/driver — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: Fixing the barrier's brackets or clips at its maker's centres.

• Drywall screw gun — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fire-protect the new steelwork: Screwing the board layers at the centres the system gives.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fire-stop the service penetrations: The gap round each service, which the product's test evidence limits.

  Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: The cavity's depth, which each barrier is bought to, and the air gap an open-state barrier leaves.

• Utility knife — described under Painting and decoratingEssential

  Fire-protect the new steelwork: Cutting fire-rated board to the steel's faces.

  Fire-stop the service penetrations: Cutting wraps, collars and mineral wool packing to each penetration.

  Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: Cutting mineral-wool barriers and fire breaks to length and depth.

• Brushes — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fire-protect the new steelwork: The coating on edges and connections.

• Hand saw — described under FlooringRecommended

  Fit the cavity barriers and fire breaks: Cutting a rigid barrier to length.

• Roller frame, sleeves and tray — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fire-protect the new steelwork: An intumescent coating on the flat faces, coat by coat.

• Step ladder — described under Painting and decoratingRecommended

  Fire-stop the service penetrations: Penetrations at ceiling height, reached from a ladder opened fully on a level floor.

Protection this work requires

• Boards, blocks and bagged material cause most lasting back injuries on small sites: two people or a lifter for full sheets, and never a bag on one shoulder up a ladder.
• Most fatal falls on small jobs are from under three metres: use a tower or a ladder tied at the top, and never work off the top two rungs.
• Knives cause more site injuries than any power tool: cut away from your body, change blades often, and wear cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 level C for repeated cutting.
• Assume every cable is live until proved dead at the point you will touch, with a two-pole tester you have just proved on a known source.

Have on site

• safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• grip gloves
• hard hat where anyone works below
• cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 level C or better)
• proving unit and two-pole voltage tester
• insulated hand tools

Fix the mounting rails and the solar panels (modules): Setting rails and clamping panels is within reach of a trained installer working from a scaffold. The rail spans, the clamp zones and the panels' layout come from the mounting system's design for the wind and snow on that roof, and the array's size and strings are the designer's; this site never sizes the array or its fixings. Where the panels may go is the designer's too: in the US the residential and fire codes keep clear pathways and setbacks on the roof round an array for firefighters, which can shrink the layout, and in the UK the mounting system's wind design may keep panels off the roof's edge zones; this site flags both and never lays out an array. A panel makes a voltage as soon as light falls on it, so plugging the panels together into strings is the DC cabling's work, under that row's statement, not this one's.

Run the DC cables from the array to the inverter: This site does not publish a tool list for DC wiring and does not certify it. A solar array's strings carry a voltage whenever light falls on the panels and cannot be switched off at the array, so the cable, its route, its protection and the connectors are the solar installer's and electrician's under the wiring regulations or electrical code (NEC Article 690 in the US), tested before the system is switched on. This site's cable page gives a cross-section, never a cable to install.

Fit the DC isolation and the warning labels: This site does not publish a tool list for DC isolation and does not certify it. Which isolators, which rapid shutdown arrangement (NEC 690.12 in the US) and which labels an installation needs are set by the wiring regulations or electrical code and the inverter maker, and fitting them is the solar installer's and electrician's work.

Fit the inverter and the generation meter: This site does not publish a tool list for an inverter and does not certify one. Its size is the solar designer's, and its connection on both sides is electrical installation work for the solar installer and the electrician; in the UK an array a grant or export payment depends on is fitted by an installer certified under MCS, which this site names and never claims. This site's inverter page answers a rating, never an inverter to fit.

Fit the battery storage: This site does not publish a tool list for battery storage and does not certify it. The battery's size is the solar designer's, and where it may be placed in a home and what protects it are set by the rules where the house stands (PAS 63100 in the UK, NFPA 855 and the residential code's energy storage rules in the US); connecting it is electrical installation work. This site's battery pages answer a capacity and a runtime, never a battery to fit.

Materials, not tools

Used up on the job, so they are bought as materials rather than kept as tools.

• impact driver bits

Also in this kit

Described under the trade that uses them first; the reasons below are this trade’s.

• Impact driver — described under TilingEssential

  Fix the mounting rails and the solar panels (modules): Bolting the rails to the hooks and the clamps to the rails.

• Metal snips — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fit bird-proofing mesh round the solar array: Cutting the mesh to the array's edge and shaping it over the roof covering.

• String line and pins — described under Carpentry and framingEssential

  Fix the mounting rails and the solar panels (modules): The rails straight and in one plane, so the panels sit flat.

• Tape measure — described under Drywall and tapingEssential

  Fix the mounting rails and the solar panels (modules): The clamp positions along each panel's frame that its maker gives.

  Fit bird-proofing mesh round the solar array: The length of open edge round the array.

• Spirit level — described under Drywall and tapingRecommended

  Fix the mounting rails and the solar panels (modules): Rows of panels level across the roof.