When it comes to shovels, calling a spade a spade is not nearly as important as knowing which shovel will work best for each individual job. Follow these steps before you dig.

Step 1: Dial 8-1-1 to call Dig Safe a few days before digging anything deeper than a foot. Dig Safe is a free service that will contact the utility companies on your behalf to facilitate the marking of buried utility lines and pipe locations. Be safe, call Dig Safe.

Step 2: Choosing the right handle is just as important as choosing the right shovel. Short handles with a D-shaped grip offer more control when digging or lifting, but have a limited reach when it comes to moving materials. Choose a D-handle to move materials a short distance or when working in tight spaces.

Step 3: Choose a long handle for better leverage when digging and for moving materials a greater distance. The height of the user should also be considered when choosing a shovel handle. Comfort and control are key to a pleasant shoveling experience.

Step 4: Garden spades have a flat square blade that works best for chopping up soil and creating smooth square edges. The lack of a concave blade face makes a spade a poor choice for digging or moving materials.

Step 5: Square-point shovels, also known as coal or barn shovels, look similar to a garden spade, but have curved edges and a concave face to ensure the load they lift makes it to its destination. The square edge makes it difficult to cut through compact materials. Choose a square-point shovel for moving or digging into lightweight, loose materials such as mulch, sand, snow or debris.

Step 6: Round-point shovels with a heart-shaped face and a pointed end are best for digging into solid material and moving heavy loads. The point helps the shovel cut into compacted soils or gravel easily, and its concave face helps steady the load as it is moved from one space to another.

Step 7: Use a trenching shovel with a long, thin blade for digging deep, narrow holes or long, thin trenches. The thinner blade helps these shovels slice into dense materials with ease, but the minimal blade width limits the load it can move.

Step 8: Use a large scoop shovel with a D-handle for moving lightweight materials quickly and efficiently.

— Have a home improvement question for the Fix-It Chick? Email it to Linda Cottin at features@ljworld.com.