Weatherization Workforce Training Program Weatherization Basics > Weatherization Tools and Equipment Weatherization Tools and Equipment You will use many tools in weatherization work that will help you with your job. Some tools are power by the strength of your hands, while others are powered by electricity. All tools allow you to work quickly and more efficiently. You may be familiar with many of the tools you will use in your weatherization work because you have used them in construction jobs or other jobs you have done. If you have never worked in construction, you might have used some of them around your home while doing repairs or maintenance work. There are also lots of specialty tools used in weatherization work. Most specialty tools are used to measure existing conditions in a house and to show you how to make the parts of a house operate better, use less energy and cost fewer energy dollars. All tools can be dangerous. Accidents happen very quickly, even to people that have lots of experience using them. Many tools are sharp and can hurt you if you are not careful. The electrically powered tools that make work go quicker can also hurt you very quickly. 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 1
All electric power tools have moving parts that add to their danger. And tools powered by electricity have the danger of electric shock that can result in injury or death, especially if you use them in the rain or in other wet conditions such as flooded or even damp basement or crawl spaces. Make sure that you get proper training before you use any hand operated or power tool. Ask your crew chief how to operate a tool safely and efficiently before you use it for the first time. Using tools safely and in safe conditions will make your weatherization work rewarding and profitable. All tools need proper care and maintenance. Tools that are properly cared for will last for a very long time. A tool that is cared for and maintained will always be ready for the work you need to do in your weatherization work. One of the first things to know about caring for tools is that you should clean off dirt or other debris at the end of each work day. Ask your crew chief about other ways to clean and maintain tools. Storing tools properly is an important part of your weatherization work. There are two main reasons why proper storage is a good idea. The first reason is that proper storage is a part of maintaining a tool. Tools kept in a clean and dry location will last longer than tools that are rusty and dirty. The other reason for storing tools in an organized way is that you will always know where they are when you need them. Spending time looking for a tool because you don t know where it is, takes away valuable time from your work day. Storing tools in boxes and on shelves is a good way to keep tool organized. Writing labels on boxes and on shelves is a good way to make sure that your tools get put away in the same place at the end of the day. And in the morning when the next work day starts, you will know where each tool is located. Ask your crew chief about other ways to organize tools. You may be familiar with some of the common hand tools used in weatherization work. All of them will be found in a basic carpenter s tool box. The tools you will use for fastening one item to another include, hammers, staplers, screwdrivers. For your weatherization work, you will use these type of tool to attach one building component to another. 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 2
Cutting tools includes razor-blade knives, tin snips and saws. It s important to be very careful when using all cutting tools. You will use lots of different tools for prying or pulling one thing apart from another. Prying tools include a variety of pinch bars, wrecking bars, and crow bars. A very useful tool for removing nails is called a cats paw. 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 3
Measuring tools are used very often in weatherization work. You will use measuring tapes to find the dimensions of a home as well as to find the size of pieces of materials you need to install in a home. Measuring tools include tape measures, rulers, and a variety of squares such as a combination square and a speed square Drop cloths are essential in weatherization work. They are used to protect floors from dirt and debris. A good way to gain the confidence of homeowners is to spread out a drop cloth inside the door you will use to walk in and out of a home. Drop cloths can also be used to cover furniture or other valuable items inside a home if you are going to be making a lot of dust during your weatherization work. You will do a lot of climbing around inside and outside a house during weatherization work. Ladders are very useful tools for climbing. Working from heights can always be dangerous because ladders can slip, causing you to fall. Collapsible ladders are handy tools because they are easy to carry and store. Lots of cutting and drilling tools are used in weatherization work. Reciprocating Saws are useful for cutting in hard-to-reach areas of a house. The extremely sharp blade on a circular blade is useful for cutting wood such as plywood, orientedstrand board (OSB) and framing lumber, such as 2X4s and 2X6s. Used with appropriate bits, drills are useful for making holes in a wide variety of materials. You will also use drills with a variety of screwdriver bits for fastening screws of all types. Most of today s power tools are available in models that are powered by rechargeable batteries. These tools, known as cordless tools, are very handy because they don t require you to use an electrical extension cord. Cordless tool batteries need to be plugged in for recharging. Having extra batteries on hand is useful for times when you don t want to stop work to recharge your tools. Cordless tools are very handy but they aren t as powerful as corded tools that need to be plugged in. Make sure to coil up your extension tools neatly at the end of the work day. You will work in a lot of dark areas such as attics, basements and crawl spaces during your weatherization work. A variety of flashlights and portable lighting devices will help you see where you are working. Battery operated lights don t require the use of an electrical extension cord, but make sure you have lots of batteries on hand. You will use a variety of plumbing and electrical tools for making repairs to the houses you are weatherizing. Propane-fueled torches are used for soldering pipe and making other plumbing repairs. Electrical test meters are used to find out if wires and circuits have an electrical load running through them. There are lots of electronic measuring tools that are made for weatherization work. You will use a blower door every day when you are weatherizing houses. Its three main parts are a powerful electric fan, a pressure gauge called a manometer, and a frame. A blower door is used to find 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 4
and measure air leaks in a house. After mounting the frame in an exterior door opening, the fan is turned on and pulls air out of a house, also known as depressurization. The manometer reads the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the house. This difference tells you how much air leakage the home has. You ll use an infrared camera as a tool to measure temperature differences in houses. The camera will also help you detect moisture problems. The image on the screen of an infrared camera uses different colors to show different temperatures. Lighter colored areas on the screen show hotter, higher temperature areas. Cooler, lower temperature areas are shown as darker colors on the screen. A combustion analyzer is a useful weatherization tool for measuring the operating conditions for any combustion appliance in a home. Knowing how well an appliance is operating can help you make improvements to make it run more efficiently. This will save energy dollars for a homeowner. Combustion appliances are devices that are powered by burning fuel, and they include stoves, furnaces, boilers and water heaters. Duct blasters are used to measure leaks in heating and air conditioning systems. A duct blaster has an electric fan and a pressure gauge, known as a manometer, to pressurize a house s duct system and accurately measure air leakage of the ductwork. Duct leakage can increase heating and cooling costs by 30% and contribute to comfort, health and safety problems. 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 5
You can use an electronic inspection camera to look into wall cavities, floor cavities and duct systems. It s easy to fit the long wand into tight spaces. A lens at the end of the wand shows a photograph on the hand held screen. This makes it easy to see into small or hidden places you can t see. You ll use lots of foam, caulk and mastic when air sealing parts of a home, including duct work. Expanding foam is used to seal large gaps, and caulk is used for caps that are narrower than 1/8 inch. Mastic is mainly used to seal metal duct work for heating and air conditioning systems. Remember, all tools are dangerous. If you ever have any questions about how to safely operate or maintain any tool you use, ask your crew chief for assistance. 2009 BMI & RHA, All Rights Reserved 6