November 7th, 2008 — Book Review
As energy costs continue to rise, many homeowners are starting to get serious about how much money they are wasting on home heating costs. In reality, if your home is poorly insulated, and you have not taken the steps to weatherize it properly, the fact is, your money is going out right through the roof. But, what are the best techniques to get this done? Many homeowners just aren’t aware of how to properly weatherize their homes, and due to this problem, they may not be able to see a big difference in their utility bills.
Enter the latest book in the Build Like a Pro series, Insulate and Weatherize – Expert Advice from Start to Finish. Whether you are completely new to getting your home ready for winter, or you are trying to find some new techniques to save even more money on your insulating efforts, this book is more than worth the cover price. You’ll be getting some incredible tips right here that will result in a big savings on energy.
The first chapter covers the absolute basics of home weatherizing and why it is so necessary. You’ll be learning about how heat transfer works, and how your home is losing a lot of energy without you even being aware of what is going on. The discussion on air quality is also very interesting and useful.
The next few chapters go into air leaks and ventilation systems, covering how to safely seal these leaks off, without comprising safety in your home. We particularly enjoyed the section on basement sealing, and these tips alone make the book more than worth the cover price. Chapter four covers basic insulation techniques, and from there, you’ll move into windows and heating systems.
The book even covers water systems, renovations and your everyday appliances and how to get the most out of your energy dollar. This is truly the definitive guide to saving money on home heating costs and learning how to effectively winterize your home. Many of these tips are also applicable for summer energy savings and we highly recommend following these tips, especially if you live in an area that gets quite warm in the summer.
All told, by simply following these directions, you should be able to get your home ready for any kind of weather, protect your investment and reduce your energy bills. That’s a recipe for success no matter how you look at it, and every homeowner should be reading this book for some great tips.
We recommend this to all homeowners, especially those that live in areas that are due for extreme cold. Simply taking the time to follow these instructions and implement these tips could result in significant savings. This book is one of the smartest investments you could ever make. As winter gets closer, it’s imperative to get your home ready, and there is no better time to buy this book.
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August 29th, 2008 — Book Review, Handy Man
If you’re thinking about buying an old house to restore, stop right now and buy this book. It is the absolute epitome of what you should not do, and it may even make you change your mind. Anyone interested in home improvement horror stories will love this book, and there is some very good information that you can take away with you.
The subtitle of the book, Down to the Studs in My House, My Marriage, My Entire Life, really says it all. The author details the process of buying and attempting to fix up an old house and what it did to basically his entire life. Few people realize the type of commitment they are getting into when buying an older home, and get caught up in the emotional side of renovation. This book is a much needed bucket of cold water that may snap you back to reality.
The book is very humorous and easy to read, but at times, you may want to cry instead of laugh. He pulled no punches when it came to describing the various projects he had to undertake, their cost and their emotional toll on his family. At times, you just want to cringe and never think about picking up a hammer again. The author had already written a book, How to Avoid Marriage, and this plays heavily into the entire experience that he goes through.
In the middle of their renovations, he loses his job and that is when things really go bad. You’ll be able to learn a lot about not only fixing up a house but how to manage finances so that it won’t force you into bankruptcy. While this book does not contain any actual blueprints or project advice, it does contain incredibly valuable lessons for anyone interested in home improvement.
Given that there is a phenomenon right now of DIY’ers that cannot seem to stop renovations and projects, this book is very necessary. The prevalence of fix-it-yourself shows has led many to get in over their heads and overestimate their abilities when it comes to home improvement. By reading this book, you may be able to save a lot of time, money and heartache.
We highly recommend this book, especially to those that are completely new to home improvement projects. While we don’t want to discourage anyone from taking on the chore of fixing up their house, it is important to make sure that you are prepared for what is ahead. It is entirely possible to do a lot of damage to your home in an attempt to “fix” it, and if you’re not financially prepared to handle the consequences, it can be disastrous, as this book illustrates very well.
Overall, this is an engaging read and the book is well worth the money and the time spent reading it. Anyone who has ever tried to fix up an old house will appreciate the trials and tribulations of this couple on their journey.
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August 22nd, 2008 — Book Review
If you’ve always wanted to be able to handle the various plumbing projects that pop up around your house, this is a book that is a definite must have. Plumbers can be expensive, and in an emergency, they may not be easy to reach. Once you’ve read this book, you can feel confident that you’ll be able to handle anything your plumbing tries to throw at you.
We really appreciated the fact that the book only covers techniques that are code compliant. If you are fixing up your own house to sell, it is vital that you can pass a home inspection. When you’re using this book as your guide, you won’t have to worry that you are using techniques or materials that may not be acceptable. If you follow the advice to the letter and use the recommended products, you won’t have any problem facing any inspection. Even if you’re not going to sell your home, you still need to use code as your guide to doing things the right way and this book will help you get there.
Anything that has anything to do with plumbing is covered in these 288 pages. There are numerous illustrations that will show you how to do everything from changing out a simple washer to complex and emergency repairs. The advice is concise, easy to follow and we really appreciated how detailed the illustrations were. They are very high quality and easy to read, something that many publishers fail to produce in books of this type.
The first chapter covers the absolute basics of plumbing and it’s a great place to start. Next, you’ll be moving up to handling plumbing for renovations or new builds, and from there, you’ll be going on to working with drains, vents and pipes. We have never seen such as exhaustive and complete guide to plumbing outside of a real plumbing school. You’ll go from being an apprentice to a master as you follow the instructions contained in this book. Even septic systems and lawn sprinklers are covered, which was surprising.
For anyone that wants to save money on home repairs, or just wants the satisfaction of being able to do these things on their own, this is the perfect book.
Overall, while it might be a bit odd to enjoy a book on plumbing, we couldn’t help ourselves. It is a rare thing to find a resource that is this complete and informative. If you are ready to start tackling the plumbing issues in your home, or if you just don’t want to go to the expense of hiring a plumber, this book is a virtual bible of quality information. It’s also a great gift for that handy person in your life, and they’ll appreciate the new project plans and information contained herein. This is definitely a good buy and one that will pay you back for many years to come. We highly and wholeheartedly recommend it!
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July 3rd, 2008 — Book Review, Low Budget
Since tomorrow is July 4th, I’ve decided to take it off. There will be no blog post tomorrow which is why the book review is today instead of Friday. Have a great weekend everyone!
If you’re into do it yourself television, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Ty Pennington. He’s been on Trading Spaces as well as Extreme Makeover Home Edition and has become a national phenomenon, thanks to his quirky style and ease with tools. If you’re looking to improve your home the easy way, this book offers some great advice and, much like Ty, it’s a little quiry and a lot of fun.
First off, if you’re looking for blueprints, exact specs and technical information, this is the not the book for you. The book covers the renovations that Ty made to his own home and while it does get into how to do things, it is more of a reflection of his techniques and tricks for working on a limited budget to get the best results. However, even if you are a seasoned pro, it’s still well worth the read.
As we mentioned earlier, the book covers the projects that Ty completed in his own home, from remodeling the kitchen to adding a koi pond in the back yard. He goes into great details on the kinds of materials that he used as well as the ways he was able to cut corners. He managed to remodel his entire kitchen for less than $3,000 and the whole house for less than $15,000.
In this vein, the book is packed with incredible money saving tips that will help anyone find ways to make their house look great for less money. Best case in point: for his kitchen, Ty chose flooring to redo the ceiling and used tile for the flooring. The finished result was surprisingly well put together and gave the room a lot of warmth.
If you’re looking for tips on how to work inside the space you already have and get it done on a budget, this is a terrific book. It’s got plenty of pictures (many of them including Ty) and it is a very quick and fun read. While it’s not the most technical of tomes, it does cover basic design principles and can help the reader come up with their own ideas to make their home their own unique extension of their personality.
While the average person may not need a koi pond in their backyard, this book serves as a great jumping off point that is very inspirational. When you’re done with this book, you’ll feel able to take on the world, or at the very least, your own home with plenty of confidence. It’s great for beginners, but like we said before, even professionals can get some tips that are useful.
Overall, we recommend this book, but with a caveat. Read it with the right mindset and you’ll walk away with a feeling that you can tackle your home. Read it with the wrong mindset and you’ll most likely be disappointed that it didn’t include more exact specs and technical information. At face value however, this is a book that has a place in most DIY bookshelves.
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June 27th, 2008 — Book Review, Project, Renovate
George Nash’s book, Renovating Old Houses - Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes is a wonderful resource for those of us that are living in aging homes. If you’re trying to recapture your home’s fading glory or you just need some tips on how to easily fix common issues in older homes, this is a terrific resource that is well worth the purchase price.
Before Nash gets into the actual projects, he provides the reader with some different philosophies and mindsets when it comes to renovating older homes. There are definitely purists out there that will only use old materials and techniques to fix up their homes, while there are those who will use new materials and change them so that they fit the character of the house. You’ll be able to use this section to determine which techniques and materials you should be using for your home as well as some useful workarounds if you can’t match something perfectly.
It should be noted here that there is definitely a difference between renovating and remodeling. When you’re renovating, you’re preserving the heritage of the home - remodeling is usually associated with modernization. While there is nothing wrong with remodeling, this book focuses mainly on keeping with a home’s original traditions and renovating it for restoration purposes.
Part of the best part of this book is that it is useful even for those who aren’t quite ready to tackle their own home improvement projects, but are interested in buying an older home for the purpose of fixing it up. Older homes are usually much cheaper, but there are some warning signs that you’ll need to look out for when buying it. Nash gives some great hints on how to get an inspection and how to find an older home that won’t turn into a money pit.
After the preliminaries are out of the way, Nash gets down to business with ten chapters that cover some of the most common renovations you can try with an older home. The best part of these chapters are definitely the color photos which make it easy to see what the project entails and how your house will look when you’ve completed the projects. Again, if you’re a fan of old homes, but not really handy, you’ll still get plenty of enjoyment out of the book for the pictures alone.
Necessary things such as handling cellars that are frequently breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Older homes tend to have issues with this, especially in humid climates, but you’ll get plenty of information to help you fix these issues quickly. You’ll also learn about fixing little things, like rotting window sills and how to replace the windows with newer and more efficient windows without losing the original charm of the older windows.
Sewage systems are also covered and this is very important for any older home. You’ll need to know how to bring everything up to code, from water lines to sewage lines and this book will walk you through everything you could ever want to know about fixing up an old home the right way.
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