We’ve gotten used to using our phones for all kinds of things, they’ve replaced folded paper maps when driving and we use them to pay for things instead of having to carry cash. But as much as we use these devices for many aspects of our lives, there are still a lot of areas we could be putting our smartphones to work for us, but don’t.
Doing projects around the house is one and these are some of the ways a smartphone can help with home maintenance.
Documenting may be the most useful and obvious way to use your smartphone for home projects.
- Physical defects - Worried about a crack or stain on the ceiling? Snap a photo and set a reminder to take another in a month, then compare them.
- Serial numbers - Any time you install something at home, take a photo of the serial number or the info tag with the model and other info.
- Painting - Take a quick picture of the labels on your paint cans so you can have that info available when you need it.
- Reminders - Your phone is the perfect tool to help you remember when to do home maintenance tasks, like changing smoke detector batteries and air filters.
Investigating is easier with your smartphone camera, too.
- It fits where you don’t - You can’t squeeze your head into every space you need to see behind or under, but you can probably get your phone in there to take photos so you can see what’s hiding there.
- DIY project supplies - Taking a picture of what you need to fix or do for a project to show the folks at the hardware store can help them show you the materials or tools you’ll need for the job.
Physical tools can be replaced by apps on your phone, so you have less stuff to haul around.
- Color matching - Apps like Benjamin Moore’s ColorReader can identify paint colors quickly and accurately.
- Level and tape measures - You can use apps like Bubble Level and AR Ruler for basic measurements and to check level.
- Fixing things - For DIYers, the app iFixit has free tutorials for all kinds of home repairs you can do yourself.
Source: Lifehacker