Choosing and Using Electronic Hand Tools

Have you ever drilled multiple holes in a wall trying to locate a stud? Have you ever hung up several pictures, taken a step back and realized that none of them lined up and were straight? If so, you might want to invest in some electronic hand tools. These recent additions to the home improvement aisle aim to simplify projects and to alleviate the guesswork that is often involved.
From the average do-it-yourselfer and homeowner to the professional contractor, decorator, painter, real estate agent and appraiser, there is an electronic tool to fit your needs. Each offers different technologies, capabilities and price ranges. As you think about purchasing your own electronic hand tool, consider these suggestions from the experts at Ryobi Power Tools.

Technology and Capabilities

From the simplistic to the advanced, electronic hand tools have a wide range of technology and capabilities that make some more suitable than others for certain projects. Standard stud finders simply allow a person to detect wood and metal studs through floors, walls and ceilings. More sophisticated electronic hand tools can detect different materials besides studs such as pipe and AC wiring, which can be important to those doing electrical work or plumbing.

Still others are combined stud finders and measuring devices to help determine dimensions of a room for painting or flooring needs. For instance, a sonic measuring device/stud finder from one leading manufacturer, called MeasureTech Plus, can be used to find the center of a wall and is a great aide in hanging artwork and pictures. It also can detect that a room is 15-feet long by 12- feet wide with an 8-foot ceiling. It will then quickly provide the proper square footage for paint or flooring needs with its internal calculator, a very handy and useful feature for contractors, realtors and appraisers when attempting to come up with quick estimates.

Laser levels are also electronic hand tools that have been big sellers in the past few years. Laser levels emit a visible beam across surfaces, a wall or even a ceiling, to assist with straightening and lining up items like pictures, shelves or chair railing. These electronic hand tools are designed to stick on the wall, allowing you to use both hands freely and finish projects accurately.

Perhaps the most exciting development in laser levels is a brand new technology called AIRgrip. This laser level is a first in the home improvement field, featuring a vacuum technology that allows it to stick to walls without marring surfaces or leaving behind holes or tape on finished walls. Painters, drywallers, carpenters, remodelers and homeowners will find this laser level with its 360-degree rotating laser head useful for a variety of projects due to its multiple angle capabilities for both vertical and horizontal applications.

Project Uses

Electronic hand tools can be used for a variety of projects around the home and in the office. Below are some uses.

Determining measurements of rooms for paint and flooring needs

Detect wood or studs; unshielded AC wiring

Hanging shelves/pictures and aligning

Hanging a chair-rail

Putting up a stairway railing

Putting up borders

Installing crown molding

Mounting shelves

Leveling electrical outlet rough-ins

Installing tiling and flooring

With all the innovations on the market, an electronic hand tool is available to suit your needs and help simplify any project you are looking to take on.