7 Odd Tools That are Invaluable for Some Trades
3/7
Shingle Repairs Made Easier
Replacing damaged shingles is tough on super-hot days—the shingles are soft and tear apart. It’s not much easier on cold days—frozen shingles break in two if you pry them up too far. But the “Goldilocks approach,” waiting for the temperature to be just right, isn’t always an option.
The Roof Snake by PacTool International makes shingle repairs easier. Here’s how it works:
- Pry up a little bit on the surrounding shingles to remove the nails that hold down the damaged one.
- Pull out the old shingle and slide a new one into place.
- Flip the tool around and insert a roofing nail into the nail slot.
- Slip the tool under the overlapping shingle, and (here’s the ingenious part) hit the tool with your hammer to get the nail started.
- Then pull the slot free and pound the nail in with the flat part. Because you don’t have to pound directly on the nail, the shingles don’t need to be pried up so far, making damage less likely.
4/7
Wire Brush for Your Reciprocating Saw
Reciprocating saw accessories have come a long way, and the folks at Spyder Tools have a lot to do with that. One of their simplest but most innovative attachments is a wire brush. Stick it in the end of your reciprocating saw and you’ll be able to quickly scrub away dirt, rust, and unwanted paint.
5/7
Did You Know You Owned a Power Scraper?
Another great reciprocating saw accessory from Spyder is the Spyder Scraper blade, which transforms your reciprocating saw into a power scraper. These blades aren’t tough enough for concrete or tile demo, but they do a nice job of removing vinyl flooring or glue-down carpeting. The 2-in. and 4-in. blades are the most useful. The 6-in. blade creates more kickback, which will eventually destroy either the blade or your wrists. Spyder Scraper blades are not the tool to reach for if you need to remove tiles from an entire gymnasium floor, but these blades deserve a spot in your reciprocating saw’s box for smaller jobs.
