An accepted, unwritten rule in buying carpentry tools for roofing repair is to never choose the cheapest ones available. The old saying that you get what you pay for is surprisingly accurate when it comes to buying carpentry tools.

Spirit or Bubble Level

One of the basic carpentry tools that all self-respecting carpenters should have in their collection is the spirit level. A spirit level, also called by various names, including bubble level, carpenter level or simply level, is a device used to tell if a surface – usually the roof—is horizontal or vertical. The name “spirit level” comes from the fact that alcohols are often used inside the tube instead of water because of their low viscosity and surface tension, which allows the liquid to freely travel inside the tube and settle accurately with minimal interference.

A spirit level is a must-have tool for DIY enthusiasts. Its use is not limited to determining the horizontal level of a surface since it serves multiple uses too inside the house such as installing a TV set on the wall. The advent of mobile devices has seen the arrival of various mobile applications in the carpentry tools category. One such product is the iHandy Level for the iOS.

iHandy Level and its Uses

iHandy Level is a utility app designed to function the same way a spirit level does with the use of your mobile device. Its uses are practically unlimited, including using it for picture alignment, roof pitch calculation, home decoration, angle measurement, measuring the angles of slope or verticality of a wall or furniture and even the inclination of a car.

For more level accuracy, the developer suggests calibrating your mobile device before use. Calibration is very easy. Put your device in portrait mode on a flat surface and press calibrate. Next turn your phone 90 degrees clockwise and again press calibrate. Last, put it on its back against the surface and press calibrate. Your mobile device is ready to go.

High Customer Satisfaction

Customer review has so far been positive. One user believes ladies will love this app because it is very handy. Since women do not often carry tools in their bags except perhaps a tape measure, the iHandy Level could prove very useful when they happen to come across things they want to buy such as furniture. They could use the app to measure its horizontal level and not have to second-guess the measurements.

Another user boasts of how even and symmetrical his studio is by using iHandy Level, which lend an atmosphere of success and quality in his home while entertaining guests. A word of caution though for every user – putting your mobile device on risky positions to take measurements could result to unwanted fall and damage of your device.

Roof installation and repair do not come cheap. Homeowners should have an estimate of the roofing costs to be incurred before undertaking any work. Blindly going ahead could result to overshooting the budget and spending more than what was originally planned.

Under these circumstances, roofing cost calculators come in handy. They will give you an idea on how much you will spend for your roof repair or installation and prepare you for the coming expenses on materials and labor. This way, you are sure to have the kind of roof that you want without scrimping later on materials and design because you underestimated the expense.

To help roofers and homeowners with the planning, we listed some of the widely-used roof calculator apps today.

Roof Calculator Pro

This is not a free app and can be used only by contractors. The app’s functionality, however, is impressive. The user can input practically all details about the roof including skylight flashings, chimney, tear off, type of installed membrane, number of floors and type of shingles. The app will give out detailed info on material costs and total costs.

Roof Gauge Tool

A great app that accurately measures the pitch of your roof. You only have to use a camera and the accelerometer in your phone to come up with the result. For those who are not inclined to climb up the ladder and step on the roof, this is an ideal app. To get more accurate measurement of your roof’s slope, place your phone with the app on top of shingles or a sloped rafter.

House Gosu Free Roof Calculator

This is a very easy-to-use app. The user need only put in data such as kind of material, roof pitch and roof dimensions and the app will flash a price on the screen. Gosu is a Korean word for a highly skilled individual. It can refer to professionals in the construction industry, video gaming and other fields.

Roofing Calculator Free

A free app that can be used by both contractors and homeowners. It estimates the roof area and costs based on information supplied by the user. The user can input the roof slope, shingles type, and ground dimensions, which will be used by the app to come up with the results. Aside from coming up with information on the size of the roof, the app will also give 3 price quotes for the roof materials.