Tell us what you like and we'll recommend books you'll love. Sign up and get a free ebook! Published by Trusted Media Brands. Hardcover eBook. About The Book. About The Author. Editors Of Family Handyman. Product Details. When I bought my first condo in , there were many times that I almost purchased one for myself, but just never did. Imagine my delight when I came home from work one day about a year ago and what was sitting on top of a bunch of stuff that someone left by the recycle bin?
Yep, you guessed it - a prized - al All through my childhood, I can recall my father using this manual to build, repair and fix things around our houses from NY to IL. Yep, you guessed it - a prized - almost mint condition - copy! Needless to say, I recommend this manual for all homeowners! May 29, K. Found it to be nothing more than nostalgic. Contents were often unhelpful and better information can be found online.
My father ordered a lot of Reader's Digest books. I think I'm the only one who ever read them. Jul 12, Bridges Washington rated it it was amazing. This is the perfect book to give a first-time homeowner. Not the kind of book that you should probably just sit down and read, cover to cover, but a great reference. I have more than 20 years worth of construction-related experience in both design and building, and I still crack this book open from time to time.
If you are not afraid to get your hands a little dirty, this book has plenty of illustrations, plenty of step-by-step directions to get you through many different levels of home projects. This title can help you build a decent vocabulary so that when you go to your local home improvement store you don't sound like a complete noob. A couple of reasons to buy a hardback include the durability of this book and if you do happen to have a power outage that is not throughout the neighborhood you can still get some advice.
Don't even think about it, just buy it when you see it. Nov 16, AL rated it really liked it. Great for the old style handy man. This book provides possible solutions to many problems around the home, or in my case, the farm.
I enjoy the clear illustrations with labels that help me understand the principals and helped me communicate my needs at the hardware store. Many of the techniques and materials discussed are hopelessly outdated and often not even available, though I've often learned that the "new and improved" methods in the modern home improvement stores are often just more expensive and not really any better.
The This book provides possible solutions to many problems around the home, or in my case, the farm. The pricipals illustrated are sound. For example, after the mason I hired left me with leaky chimney flashing, I removed the "new and improved" mess he made and adapted the flashing system recommended in this book.
Using locally available lead instead of ridiculously expensive copper as presented in this book worked fine, and since I understood the principal of the system the problem was solved, much to the masons embarassment!
This manual teaches about plumbing, electricity, and how to repair things. Most useful, however the part I like the best is the how to make stuff chapter at the back of the book. Need a sofa, kitchen table with chairs, rolling file cabinet, tea tray, brick barbecue? The book tells you how to make these things and more, and has instructive photographs. It's amazing! Personally, I couldn't master even the tea tray, but I enjoy imagining I could.
None of the projects feature a lot of ornamentation; This manual teaches about plumbing, electricity, and how to repair things. None of the projects feature a lot of ornamentation; the designs are very clean, like the sort of furniture one would find in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Very nice! The one section I needed iddn't feel like it gave me the information that would be useful, but otherwise it seemed very comprehensive though perhaps not as good a fit as Collins.
Some sections seemed a bit like they were babying too much while others were pushing me to rewire my entire house. The CD seemed a bit pointless and very slow moving with not enough detail. Dec 15, Katherine rated it really liked it. Have the hardbound version full of images and drawings. Climate control : heating and air conditioning -- Heating and air conditioning -- Warm-air systems -- Hot-water systems -- Piping arrangements -- Radiant systems -- Steam system -- Chimneys -- Heat distribution -- Maintenance, various systems -- Oil burners -- Gas burners -- Maintenance, oil burners and controls -- Maintenance, gas burners -- Stoker-fired burners -- Fireplaces -- Electric heat systems -- Electric boilers -- Electric furnaces -- Heat pump -- Insulation -- Air conditioning -- Room air conditioners -- Installing room units -- Central air conditioning -- Electronic air cleaners -- Power humidifiers -- Dehumidification -- Ventilation -- controls for heating and cooling systems Section Painting and decorating walls, ceilings, and floors -- Brushes -- Paint rollers -- Paint rollers and pads -- Spray-painting -- Preparation -- Ladders -- Interior painting -- Painting doors and windows -- Painting concrete -- Painting problems -- Exterior painting -- Wallpapering -- Ceilings -- Wall coverings -- Ceramic wall tiles -- Floor coverings -- section Working with wood -- Understanding wood -- Wood types -- Deciding what to buy -- Working with plywood -- Manufactured wood -- Carpentry -- Wall paneling -- Working with laminates -- Working with veneers -- Measuring and marking -- Wood joints -- Lap joints -- Dado joints -- Mortise and tenon joints -- Dovetail and L joints -- Dovetail variations -- Right-angle joints -- X or crisscross joints -- Butt joints -- Lengthening joints -- Three-way joints -- How to use moldings -- Accurate verticals and horizontals -- Basic structures -- Drawer construction -- Interior construction -- Finishing wood -- Final finishes -- Special finishes -- Antiquing -- Achieving surface effects -- section Metals : how to use them in home repair -- Working with metals -- Measuring and marking -- Files -- Files, chisels, retempering tools -- Cutting metal -- Drilling metal -- Taps -- Dies -- Riveting -- Other ways to attach metals -- Soldering -- Sheet metal -- Strap metal -- Tube and bar metal Section Glass, ceramics, and plastics -- Working with glass -- Drilling glass and ceramics -- Mending glass and pottery -- Plastics -- Special-purpose glass -- section Brickwork and stonework -- Ordering bricks -- Mortar -- Tools -- Brick bonding -- Corners, ends, junctions -- Moisture barriers -- Laying the bricks -- Brickwork joints -- Repointing -- Stonework -- Wall repairs -- Chimneys -- Fireplaces -- Paving -- section Working with concrete -- Composition of concrete -- Tools and storage -- Estimating -- Handling concrete -- Foundations -- Laying walks and drives -- Problem sites ; casting slabs -- Paving and steps -- Concrete floors -- Repairs -- Using precast concrete -- Building with blocks -- section Guide to better planning -- How to make plans and estimate costs -- How to finance home improvements -- Should you be your own contractor?
Fifty projects you can build -- Step-by-step instructions, plans and parts lists for dozens of ways to brighten your home with projects designed especially for the Reader's Digest -- Index.
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