Ever sat up half the night worried about what the heck was making that noise? Need quick help in figuring out what is wrong with your home? This book from Ortho isn’t the newest one on the market, but that doesn’t make it any less important. In fact, if you have only one home improvement book in your library, this may be the one to buy.

The first section covers home safety and features some life saving tips on fires, and emergencies that can crop up in the home. The section on diagnosing odors is vital for anyone to read. Next up, the book moves into fixing common interior problems. Everything from the ceiling down to the floor is covered, and covered well. The authors excel at giving advice that is easy to understand and implement. This is an area where a lot of DIY books fall down and we were very pleased that they did such a good job with this.

Windows and Doors are next, followed by common exterior problems. Virtually anything that could go wrong with either topic is covered. We really enjoyed the section on plumbing problems since this is an area that costs home owners a fortune. For example, you’ll learn the difference between what causes a leaking sink and a running sink – as well as how to fix either one. Since plumbers are so expensive, this section is absolutely vital.

Solving electrical problems was a fascinating chapter and covered once again, life saving tips. While we don’t recommend that anyone without experience fix their home’s electrical system, this chapter will help you figure out what is wrong and help you locate someone that can get it fixed for you.

Last but not least, the section on mechanical problems was incredible. From fixing your stove, to handling strange refrigerator noises and balancing your washing machine, you’ll get plenty of tips on how to do it all. Heating and cooling systems are also covered in this chapter, as well as some great tips on home humidifiers. At the end, you’ll find a very helpful glossary of all the terms discussed in the book.

Overall, we are huge fans of this book. It is truly essential reading, even if you don’t have anything wrong with your home – yet. Chances are, over time, something is going to go wrong. With this book, you’ll have everything you need to know to fix it yourself and save money. We can’t say enough nice things about this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in home repair and especially to new homeowners that are just getting started.

The project tips and diagnostic advice make the book more than worth the cover price. This is the perfect housewarming gift, and chances are, you’ll end up buying it for more than just one person. It’s really that good and one of the best home improvement books we have ever seen. Highly recommended!

Originally posted 2008-09-05 05:38:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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diy books, electrical problems, electrical system, emergencies, fires, fortune, glossary, good job, heating and cooling, heating and cooling systems, home humidifiers, home improvement, home safety, improvement book, mechanical problems, plumbing problems, Refrigerator, washing machine, what the heck, windows and doors