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Home Repair Book

New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual by Reader's Digest New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual
by Reader's Digest

Hardcover: 528 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.37 x 8.70 x 10.96
Publisher: Reader's Digest Adult; Reissue edition (September 1, 1991)
ISBN: 0895773783

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Ingram: Here is the book that will set a new standard for do-it-yourself in the 1990s--replacing the classic bestseller that started America's Do-It-Yourself revolution two decades ago. New tools, materials, techniques, standards, and energy-saving tips have necessitated this completely redone reference. 4,000 illustrations, 3,000 in full color. Size D. (Do-It-Yourself / Home Improvement)


Customer Reviews
Excellent reference, July 24, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Anacortes, WA USA
This book is a great reference for the "Do it yourself" crowd. The one thing I think it lacks is great illustrations, but what they do have is adequate. I'd honestly suggest getting another book, like the one by Black & Decker, to supplement this one, but this will help you quite a bit with any projects, even by itself.

IF YOU AREN'T AN EXPERT OR CAN'T AFFORD ONE, BUY THE BOOK!, December 11, 2001
Reviewer: petersmaclean from Prince Edward Island, Canada
If you are not the most adept person at home repair, or are living on a modest budget which does not allow for expensive home repairs, then this book may be the solution. It is extremely well organized and covers every part of home repair from electrical to plumbing to tools. Even those who do not own their own home but rent, and perhaps have a landlord who only does maintence when the roof falls through (and, believe me, there are more than a few of those around,) you will find this book extremely helpful. The illustrations are clear and the wording straight forward and easy to follow. If it's a Reader's Digest book, it sure to be worth every penny...and this book is. For the home handy-man, or woman (single woman will love this book,) this manual is a "must-have reference guide" to a ton of problems that could cost a fortune if you had to hire a professional to make the repairs. Go for it, be adventurous, the problem might be easier to fix than you think!

Great book, February 7, 2001
Reviewer: Karen L. Hunter from Sherman Oaks, CA USA
I love this book. It's extensive, easy to follow and copiously illustrated. With it, I can tackle most small-and-medium jobs around the home (even plumbing, my personal bugaboo. New faucet? No problem!) Without it, I'd be stuck having to call someone in and paying good money to have the work done. This book is a great resource for homeowners (or even renters) and is all the home repair and improvement manual that many people would ever need.

The book is broken into sections, organized by the type of work they cover. There's a chapter on Electrical, one on Plumbing, one on Power Tools, etc. The Emergency Repairs section at the beginning of the book could be invaluable in making your home safe and habitable if necessary until a professional can come in to make permanent repairs.

Wow!, December 27, 2000
Reviewer: Sara D. Willis from Pontiac, MI
I am a new homeowner. A co-worker let me use his book to do a plumbing project. It seemed like a big and time consuming project! But when I read and followed the instructions, it took me less time than I anticipated. This book is easy to understand and the drawings are clear to follow. I am ordering my own copy.

Handy book to have, December 2, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Belleville, MI United States
Excellent book for a new homeowner. Have used it several times in the past few months. definitely recommend.

A great reference for the homeowner, August 30, 2000
Reviewer: Jim Carson from Issaquah, WA United States
This book is extremely good at presenting a given home repair task to the novice and covers most of what you'll ever need to do to your home.

It gives a general listing of the types of tools you'll use and includes some incredibly useful tricks of the trade like how to hide nail heads (aka "blind nailing") and using wedges of wood to prevent pry bars from destroying more than you want.

I especially like the supplementary material it provides. For example in the electrical section, it talks about how electricity is typically wired in a home. It further offers guidelines on such things as the number of receptaccles per (15 amp) circuit and how a layout of circuits might look around your home.

A minor nit is the book lacks is a way to estimate how appropriate a given task is for you. For example, they talk about installing and removing a bathtub, but don't include any conventional warning like "Are you out of your mind?" or "Maybe you should not attempt this." (Removing and installing bathtubs is considered to be both time consuming and labor intensive.)

Overall, this is a great reference book for the homeowner and provides great diagrams and descriptive text of tasks you may soon need to attempt.

authoritative with great illustrations, August 20, 2000
Reviewer: Jeffrey McManus from San Francisco, CA USA
New homeowners have no idea how many dorky little things can go wrong with their homes. You don't have a landlord to fix it anymore! But this book is a great help -- made little repairs (even scary stuff like plumbing) easy.

You gotta have it!!!, July 10, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from San Francisco, CA USA
I think this is a must have for any new homeowner. I received my book as a housewarming present. I refer to it constantly. I am now buying it as a gift for friends that are new homeowners

So easy to understand, even I could fix my sink!, June 30, 2000
Reviewer: Paul Bobbitt from Toronto, Canada
Lets preface this by stating that I know nothing about anything mechanical. That's why it's so amazing that I could use the instructions in this book to fix things! The water in my bathroom sink wasn't flowing properly, and by reading the instructions and looking (closely) at the illustrations, my friend and I were actually able to fix it! The book also gives excellent ideas on how to ensure your gutters are keeping water away from the foundation of your house, and how to do all sorts of other helpful things you'd never think of if you hadn't read it. I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm sure you'll save ten times the book's cost, even if you only prevent a single visit from a plumber or electrician!

good review, June 5, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from milton vermont
i am a building contractor. i keep a copy of this book in my truck. i am on amazon ordering another copy for my sister who recently bought a house so she dosen't have to call me for every little thing. this book is an excelent suorce of information for any homeowner who wants to know how their house works.

Gordon



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