Sometimes that board is just out of reach and you’re in a prone position that makes it difficult to rise and walk (or you just don’t want to waste energy walking over to it). Just flip your tape measure out and pull or push materials up to eight feet or more away.

Using your finger to trace a line down the length of plywood or other stock is a fast way to make a simple cut. Avoiding splinters is easy. To prevent splinters from getting into the tip of your finger, protect it using a metal sewing thimble.

When you’re installing 5/4 deck boards, they are often warped and need to be pulled into place prior to fastening. And pulling boards with one hand while fastening them with the other can really be tough. Make it easier on yourself by driving the flat end of your cat’s paw into the joist next to the 5/4. Pull the cat’s paw towards you to straighten warped deck boards with one hand while you screw off the board with the other.

Spray hairspray on a snapped chalk line to keep the chalk from wiping or blowing away.

Are you digging multiple holes, trenches or footers a specific depth? Here’s a tip to create a quick post hole depth guide. Layout a simple tape measure on the handle of your digging tool. Turn the handle upside down to get a fairly accurate gauge of how deep your hole really is without the need to constantly keep pulling your tape measure in and out of the dirt.

Concrete and wood floors are often filled with dips and other unseen imperfections. For precise projects that require level surfaces, find many imperfections in any slab by using a golf ball and noting where it rolls from and to.