Materials

To do basic home-repair jobs, you need to know how to select building materials and how to use them. How much material do you need? Do you need a material that's malleable or sturdy? Can it be a natural substance? Must it be fire-resistant? Questions like these will help you choose the material for your next home repair project.

The following previews describe the various types of home repair materials, as well as their uses and the tools and repairs that will work best with each of them. With the help of these articles, you should be able to tackle almost any repair in your home.

Lumber

These solid pieces of wood come in various dimensions, but all are solid and reliable for frameworks and support structures.

Plywood

Thin, yet strong and resilient, plywood is better material than lumber for certain jobs.

Drywall

Quickly-patched and easy to work with, drywall has become the preferred choice to plaster.

To learn more about home repair tools and home improvement, consider these articles:

Home Repair Tools: Review all the different types of tools you can use to make simple improvements around your house.
Fasteners: Most home repair projects require fasteners for attaching, connecting, or mounting. Pick the right ones for your material.
Drills: Put a hole in any kind of material with the right drill.
Saws: Quickly cut lumber, plywood, and drywall into the right shape and size with one of these tools.