The right tool for the job

Most equipment hire stores carry a wide range of tools as used by the pros and they also have staff on hand to explain how to use them, which means that you can practice before you take it home – without damage to yourself, your house or the tool!

To get your money's worth out of hiring a specialty tool, there are a few things you should consider:

By discussing your project with the store professional you may well discover that the tool you had in mind is not in fact the best tool for that particular task. Tell the hire shop what you want to accomplish rather than what tool you want to hire. The information these professionals provide is invaluable – so not only do you rent well-maintained equipment, but you rent it with the security of knowing you're doing it the best way possible. Once you decide on a tool, they'll teach you how to use it safely. Plus, they'll give instruction on project preparation before taking the tool home.

Here are some examples of tool possibilities you can use and the knowledge you'll get at an equipment hire store:

Cement Mixer
Mixing cement by hand is time-consuming and hard work. It can also be impossible if you don't have a suitable space. Hiring a cement mixer is very useful for those larger building projects in and around the home. Fairly easy to operate, it's simply a matter of switching on the unit and adding the material for cement that is ready to throw as a foundation for brickwork or paving.

Nail Gun
If you're planning to install partition walling, make a trellis, or undertake DIY projects in and around the home, a nail gun makes fastening a breeze. Nail guns drive nails much faster and set the nails below the surface so the nails are ready for filling.

Plate Compactor
For large areas of paving a plate compactor – also known as a whacker – is essential for ensuring that the paving bricks are firmly bedded on the substrate (surface), and the better the preparation, the better the project and the longer it will last. A plate compactor is used to compact the dug out, each base layer, and on the laid bricks to level the surface and compact the sand course between the bricks.

Angle Grinder
When laying stone or cement-based tiles you will need an angle grinder to cut through the thickness of these tiles. Where there is a large amount of cutting to be done, a water-cooled diamond cutter should be used, which will make the job much easier, and leave a very clean cut. For smaller projects tiles can also be cut using an angle grinder; this may leave a rough edge but is ideal if curved cuts are needed.

Mitre Saw
For skirting, moulding and cornice, a mitre saw takes the guesswork out of angles and makes cutting into corners easy. Mitre cuts are typically cut at a 45-degree angle. For manual cutting one would normally use a mitre box and saw, which requires accurate cutting and measuring to ensure that the angled corners meet perfectly. But the downside of manual cutting is that a mitre box only allows the cutting of either a 45- or 90-degree angle, so unless your walls are 100% square your angles are not going to be guaranteed. A mitre saw allows for fine adjustments and tapered cuts that are often necessary for perfect mitre joints.

Floor Sander
Where hardwood floors need to be refinished hiring a drum sander gives floors a perfectly smooth surface for a professional finish that only requires sealing or varnishing. In drum sanders the sandpaper is mounted on a cylindrical drum that rotates on an axis parallel to the plane of the floor. Thus the sandpaper removes the surface in straight lines in the direction of movement of the machine.

When sanding with a belt sander you begin with coarse sandpaper and finish with finer sandpaper, which ensures that any roughness is removed for a smooth surface that is ready for the finish.

Hiring equipment is the smart, professional way to get things done in and around the home.

Janice Anderssen is Women24's Décor & DIY expert. Click here to ask her a question.