Whether you’ve got a handy man, a gadget freak or a dad with dreams of DIY, there are plenty of cool tools to add to his arsenal. Here are five Father’s Day favorites:

Fold away work bench

If your home is like ours, available space is at a premium. This folding workbench and tool storage center is a well built gadget, as space-efficient as a workshop can get. Heavy steel brackets are used to mount a real butcher block bench top at any height you like. Once mounted it provides a full 60-inch wide by 24-inch deep work surface that folds down and out of the way when not in use.

An accompanying tool storage center is made of heavy plastic with a “slat board” design — more versatile than old-fashioned peg board. For about $550, the kit includes the work bench and tool center and a package of assorted slat board hooks and tool holders.

Source: www.2BenchSolution.com

Pocket screwdriver

This miniature screwdriver is about the size of a half dollar and it has 4 blades. And get this — its sold as a key-chain fob. The inventor added a special twist that makes his tool more useful than all of the other multi-tip screwdrivers that weve ever seen. Tips include a typical No. 2 Phillips head and a standard straight blade. But, this is where the pocket screwdriver gets different the other two tips are “teeny-weenie” sized straight-blade and Phillips blades that can be used for repairing eye glasses, jewelry and other small items. Its simple, its inexpensive, its useful and it sells for under $3.

Source: www.advantekmarketing.com

Four-pod faux

leather charging station

For gadget fiends, we discovered a neat little gadget that doubles as a fathers day gift and as a housekeeping problem solver. The charging station is nothing more than a sharp looking faux-leather container that conceals your plug strip, chargers and wires while it cradles up to four items for charging. Dad will love having all of his gadgets in one place and you will love not having to look at all of the wires and a big mess. The price is right too, at only $20.

Source: cableorganizer.com

Combination

framing square level

Its really cool when someone comes up with a new twist on a couple of old tools. This one is a combination framing square and a level. What makes this even cooler is that it was invented and is being marketed and sold by women. The tool is not only sturdy, its lightweight too. Its available in several useful sizes up to and including that of a full size carpenters square.

Source: www.levelbest2.com

Forearm forklift

When it comes to moving furniture, back injury can be a serious problem. This gadget was invented by a professional furniture mover who told us that he wanted to be able to move large pieces of furniture without risking back injury and without damaging expensive flooring like tile and hardwood. When we first saw this new tool, two women were carrying a large breakfront and they werent even straining. No dolly, no cart, nothing except a couple of six-foot long by three-inch wide nylon straps. Simply lay the straps onto the floor in the shape of an “X” beneath the furniture to be moved. The two people who will be carrying the furniture will each place each of their arms through the arm holes at the ends of the straps. Stand up, lift and move the furniture. It couldnt be more simple and it costs under $30.

Source: www.forearmforklift.com

For more home improvement tips and information and for an opportunity to win part of $10,000 in prizes during our great backyard giveaway, visit our web site at www.onthehouse.com or call our listener hot line 24/7 at 1-800-737-2474 (ext 59).

Ask the Careys:

Q: Often when I turn off my kitchen faucet there is a sudden fierce banging. This also occurs after my washing machine has completely filled and the water shuts off. It’s very annoying. What is it, and is there something that I can do about it?

A: It sounds as if the condition which you are describing is a perfect example of what is called “water hammer.” This noise generally occurs when you turn off the water at a faucet or an appliance quickly. The water in the pipes slams to an abrupt stop, causing this hammering noise.

In some cases this could be caused by pipes that are loose or not properly anchored. The remedy here is quite simple: Just add some pipe straps or cushion the pipes at existing straps with rubber blankets, or both. Remember, never use galvanized straps on copper pipe — electrolysis will occur and break down the metal.

The most common cause of water hammer is faulty or nonexistent air chambers. These air chambers are constructed of small lengths of pipe installed in the wall behind fixtures and appliances. Air chambers are designed to hold air that cushions the shock when flowing water is shut off. However, they can get filled with water and lose their effectiveness. They can be restored by turning off the water supply at the main valve and draining the system at its lowest point, (this is generally the hose bib located at the point where the water enters the home). There are retro-fit air chambers that can be installed after the fact that don’t require tearing into the wall. See your local plumbing parts supplier for these very handy devices.

Another cause of water hammer is water pressure that’s in excess of 80 pounds per square inch. Most modern plumbing systems have a pressure regulating device at the main water inlet valve. If your home doesn’t have one and the pressure in your system is high, it would probably be a good idea to have one installed.

Q: My 1,200 sq. foot home used to be heated by a furnace from 1949 that ran at 25,000 BTU. Recently I changed the system to a newer, 7,000 BTU system. I thought this newer heater would be more efficient, but I find that it takes much longer to heat the house than the older system did. Is there something wrong with my furnace or do I need one that has a higher BTU?

A: It’s a good idea to replace old heating systems with newer, more efficient models. These new models can work just as well or better than old systems, but they do work differently. Where old furnaces could be turned on and heat the house within a matter of minutes, new heating systems can take longer. If you want your home to be warm at a certain time, set the heat to go on about 45 minutes prior to that.

Another important factor is whether your home is “weather-tight.” Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed. If not, you may be losing heat at the same rate your heating system is producing it. Check with a heating contractor who can tell you whether the new unit is sized correctly for your home.