About
Tom Scalisi is a freelance writer, author, and blogger with a passion for building. Whether it’s a DIY project or an entire website, Tom loves creating something from the ground up, stepping back, and admiring a job well done.
Experience
Tom’s first experience working with tools was when he was around 8 or 9 years old, when he learned how to take old bikes apart, swap the parts, and create mismatched bikes that were barely rideable. As he got a little older, he fell in love with working on cars and building things, so he decided to go into the trades as soon as he could. He worked in the fire alarm industry, then in building maintenance and carpentry, and then ran his own contracting business for several years. He was also a police officer for a busy city agency where he served on the department’s emergency services unit as a negotiator.
Tom has been stockpiling tools of all sorts for as long as he can remember. He has a passion for hand tools and power tools alike, always needing to know more about them, how to use them, and how to get the most out of them. While he loves building and fixing, he also gets quite a thrill from using that knowledge of tools and techniques to craft a how-to or buyer’s guide that helps DIYers get things done.
Outside of the internet, Tom is a husband and father of four. He’s an avid baseball fan and coaches multiple recreational and travel baseball and softball teams. He also serves on his local baseball and softball league’s board of directors.
Highlights
- Specialties: Construction business, DIY, carpentry, pest control, home maintenance, and tool content
- Other work: This Old House, Forbes, Contractor Clicks, Premier Construction Software, Family Handyman, MT Copeland, Levelset, Built Software, and more
Proudest DIY
Tom’s proudest DIY was building his office on his front porch over the course of a long weekend. With a fourth child on the way, time was of the essence and he had to move his bedroom office elsewhere. A few long days later (with the help of his then 9-year-old son), his office was up and running (to an extent), and he was able to make room in the bedroom for that bundle of joy.
