If you're like most species of nest builders, the warm weather has likely triggered your
desire to rearrange the sticks and twigs you call home. If you're itching to tackle some
do-it-yourself projects, as always, you're going to need the right tools. We checked out a
few of the hottest high-tech home improvement tools that are guaranteed to get your
project off on the right footing.
Before you do the full Martha on the carpet, tile, wallpaper and paint, you have to survey your surroundings. This can be more difficult than you might expect, especially if you live alone. Stanley's latest laser blasting Intellimeasure ($54), from their Intellitools line of electronic products, is more than some 21st Century realtor's show-off toy. Point and shoot a laser beam at your target and the hand held ultrasonic measurer quickly calculates area and volumes for you to store and recall. If you want a little less sensory overload, Zircon's Dimensionator ($35.99) is an intuitive alternative. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Intellimeasure, but still uses ultrasound for quick and easy measuring of length, width, area, and volume.
After a weekend of fooling around with professional studfinders, we've decided there's only so much you need to know. Zircons new StudVision Pro Scanner(approx. $60) is an excellent choice for an extensive DIY or professional project. Slide the finder across a blank wall and the Window-In-The-Wall LCD screen reads the full width of a hidden stud or joist beneath (up to 2" deep), then shoots a beam of light over dead center. Cool. The more modest Zircon iSensor Stud Finder (less than $10) is compact enough to fit in your pocket, yet powerful enough to find studs up to _" deep. Better yet, it's quiet, sensitive and comes in six semi-transparent "iCandy" colors. Place it on the table next to your next latte and see where the conversation takes you.
Half the trick of a professional job is getting it straight -- the first time. Whether it's your gallery of diplomas or new bathroom shelves, Zircon's sleek electronic torpedo-like VideoLevel Pro ($29.99) takes the guesswork out of the old bubble levels granddad loved so much. With audio signals and LCD display to give you rotational direction and offset for level and plumb, your Tower of Pisa is history.
When it comes time to move from measuring and leveling to hammer whacking, you might want to think about upgrading to a tool worthy of Y2K. The new ergonomically designed AntiVibe hammer from Stanley (suggested $28) is a smartly designed tool that absorbs hammer vibrations before they reach your forearm and elbow. This reduces the stress and fatigue that can wear your arm out faster than a Nintendo twitch game. Think power golf club, minus the pink and lime green clothing. This tool is so well balanced and comfortable that it's almost too nice to put down.
Tools, no matter how smart and high-tech, will not instantly turn you into the next Bob Vila, but they can help alleviate some of the hassles that usually come with home improvement projects. Whatever you do, don't let the constant parade of home improvement cable shows give you too large a redecorating appetite. The idea is to improve your home, not increase the size of your headaches.
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