BLACK+DECKER Essential Home Skills Handbookoffers 100+
beginner-friendly solutions for common household headaches, with
achievable DIY projects and full-color step photos and illustrations.
Whether you're moving from an apartment to yourfirst homeor you're
inspired to tackle a particular home project, we're glad you're
here! If you've decided it's time to fix that dripping faucetor a
small gutter leak before it becomes a big problem, let's get to it.
Written by the knowledgeable editors at Cool Springs Press--recognized
experts in DIY home improvement and maintenance with more than thirty
years of experience in home improvement and hundreds of best-selling
books under the BLACK+DECKER brand--this is DIY instruction you can
trust. While we also publish expert-level guides on everything from
plumbing to wiring, this book is designed to be different: it's a
plain-language resourcewith directions not for experts, but for
anyone looking to learn more about their home and make it better.
Inside, you'll find directions for 100+ common home repairs and
maintenance tasks, with an eye toward the most common issues people
have in their home. Whether you need to fix a leaky faucet, cure
garbage disposal odors, stop a door from squeaking, or bring a
dead electrical outlet back to life, everything a budding DIYer needs
is between the covers. A sample of the projects inside includes:
- Home Heating and Cooling: Install v-strip door weather stripping,
install adhesive foam window weather stripping, seal air leaks,
insulate an attic or crawl space, caulk windows and doors, install a
smoke detector, replace a bathroom fan, clean and maintain a central
AC unit, replace a furnace filter, seal and insulate ductwork, install
a ceiling fan, replace an exterior dryer vent.
- Structural Openings: Hang a new door, install a lockset, install a
screen or storm door, install bi-fold closet doors, maintain a sliding
glass door, replace a window pane, patch a window screen.
- Plumbing: Install a touchless faucet, repair a pop-up drain
stopper, repair the four most common types of faucets, repair a
kitchen sink sprayer, install a pedestal sink, unclog a sink, adjust
shower water temperature, repair a leaking shut off valve, replace a
toilet o-ring or flush mechanism, drain your water heater, recaulk a
tub, insulate water pipes.
- Electrical Issues: Install undercabinet lighting, install a dimmer
switch, upgrade an outlet to GFCI, install a whole house surge
protector, fix a dead outlet, replace a light fixture.
- Interior Surfaces: Fix a wall crack, install a backsplash, hang a
floating shelf, fix damaged tile countertop, fix floor squeaks, repair
water damage.
- Exterior Concerns: Fix a roof hole, replace shingles, patch a
steel gutter, install gutter screens, repair or replace roof flashing,
maintain a garage door, repair damaged siding, stiffen or reinforce an
unstable deck, install a floodlight.
Clear, easy-to-follow instructions with photos of each step lead
the way. This is a book that gives you morepower and control over your
home, saves frustration, and ideally, helps save some moneyas
well.
