Self-levelling lasers are a good place to start.
These portable tools shine a revolving laser beam in a flat plane, marking a level reference point for building deck floors, pathways, outbuildings and fences. Laser levels have been around for a while, but self-level models are the innovation. They're still too expensive to buy for casual DIY use (more than $1,000), but they're definitely worth renting. Just set the laser up on its tripod more-or-less level by eye, turn it on, then watch as the device self-adjusts the laser beam perfectly level and readjusts if bumped.
Move further down the price scale and you'll find the DeWALT DW087 laser chalk line. It's probably the simplest self-levelling laser you'd want to trust, and it costs less than $200. The reason it's cheaper than other self-levellers is the way it works. Instead of fancy motors and circuitry, the DW087 uses sensitive mechanicals (you can see them through the clear faceplate) to get the laser beams level and plumb by gravity.
There are two beams -- one horizontal and another vertical -- and you can have one or both shining at the same time. You couldn't lay out a foundation with this thing, but it'll save time and boost accuracy when installing trim, wainscotting, drop ceilings and anything else that needs to be plumb or level. Built-in rare-earth magnets make it breeze to use against steel surfaces.
Electronic distance measuring tools are a category of digital equipment that's improved a lot over the last five years. Hold the tool against some surface, push a button, then watch the screen. It automatically shows how far away that wall, ceiling or building is. One unit I tested is accurate to less than one-16th-inch over a 100-foot span.
The Bosch DWM40L is a unique tool that hit the market last year, and I'm convinced it will change the way people measure angles -- especially those associated with concrete form work, stair construction, built-ins, and interior trim installation. Officially called a "digital mitre finder," this name doesn't do the tool justice.
Imagine a 17-inch-long, aluminum-bodied protractor with a digital readout, a memory and the ability to complete crown moulding calculations for mitre and bevel settings on your chopsaw. Four AA batteries power the unit, including the LCD screen with a read out accurate to one-10th of a degree.
Got some wide crown moulding to install? The DWM40L works with any sliding compound mitre saw to make this job happen faster and more accurately, especially when dealing with real-world walls that aren't perfectly square. Even if the corner you're working with is something like 87.8 degrees or 91.3 degrees, the tool compensates for this in the mitre and bevel figures it generates. You get crisp joints faster, with a tool that has a learning curve about three minutes long.
While some old-school do-it-yourselfers are quick to mention that home improvements happened just fine before all this electronic nonsense, that's not really the point. The issue isn't just about quality. It's about doing good work in less time with less skill -- a trick that today's best electronic tools are getting pretty helpful with.
Steve Maxwell is Canada's award-winning home-improvement expert, and technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Sign up for his free homeowner newsletter at stevemaxwell.ca.
--Canwest News Service
