A level is a valuable tool for all sorts of projects around the home. Whether you're doing something relatively simple such as hanging a mirror on the wall or you're installing a wall-mounted cabinet, you want it to be straight. Having a level helps to take the guesswork out of these jobs. With this tool in your hand, you'll know for certain if what you're hanging is level or not. You can find a wide range of levels for sale at any hardware store. This type of tool can vary a lot in design, and here are three levels that are handy to own.

Standard Level

A standard level is a tool that can vary in length. It has one or more vials that are filled with liquid and have a bubble in them. When the bubble sits equally in the center of the vial, the level is positioned in a flat manner. This is the most common type of level and is handy because of its versatility for all sorts of projects. Those that are on the longer side are common, but you can also find compact levels that are small enough to fit in your tool belt when you're working on a project.

Laser Level

Another type of level that you'll frequently find at a local hardware store is a laser level. This tool is equipped with a laser beam that you can project onto the wall. A laser level is handy for many types of jobs. If you want to hang several pieces of art along a wall and you want them all to be perfectly in alignment, you can position your laser level on the wall, adjust it until the laser is perfectly horizontal, and then hang your pictures accordingly.

Line Level

You can also buy a line level at any hardware store. This tool gets its name because of how you hang it on a line. There are lots of ways to use this tool. If you're building a fence, for example, you'll want the tops of each post to be even. A common approach is to put one post in the ground and then run a string from the top of the post to where you have your next post. You'll hang the line level from the string and raise or lower the string until the level gives you your desired reading. You can then install the second post, and continue this pattern with each subsequent post.

Reach out to a local hardware store to learn more.