Many home owners enjoy handling small maintenance, repair and remodeling projects around the house. The lucky ones learned the proper tools and materials from parents and friends. For those not so lucky, these resources will help you learn how to maintain and enhance yor home.
Getting started involves collecting the right tools, materials and information to insure you are able to work safely and complete the project. These books can help you gain the knowledge you need, but when in doubt, call a professional.
Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement, Creative Homeowner (ISBN 1-58011-316-8). Great introductory book starting with tools, materials from nails to caulk and siding, plus step-by-step overview of 300+ home repair projects. Lots of photos and graphics to explain the anatomy of a house.
Stanley Complete Plumbing, Meredith Books (ISBN 069621729-5). Introductory plumbing plus advice on when and how to hire a plumber. Great photos, troubleshooting hints (think leaky toilet) and step-by-step descriptions for common tasks from clogged pipes to installing a new bathroom.
Stanley Complete Wiring, Meredith Books (ISBN 069621730-9). Basic "how to" electrical projects from rewiring a lamp, to installing new receptacles and light fixtures. Book starts with safety, from turning off power to using the right tools.
You want to be happy when you have invested time and money in remodeling your home. Good planning will help insure that you achieve the function and feeling desired within planned budget. Here are some excellent books to help you plan your next remodeling project.
Complete series of "Idea Books", Taunton Press (major publisher for builders)
Focusing on the home - Family Home, Home Storage, Organizing and Decorating Idea Books
Focusing on family members - New Kidspace and Babyspace Idea Books
Focusing on your home's exterior - Front Yard, Deck & Patio, Backyard and more Idea Books
Ideas for your home's interior - New Bathroom, Kitchen, Trim, Tile, Basement, Window Treatments, Workshop and many more Idea Books
Creative Homeowner also offers a menu of "Design Ideas"
Decorating books - Home Decorating, Window Decor, 1001 Windows, Window Treatments, Decorative Painting & Faux Finishes and more
Focus on key rooms - Bathrooms, Bath Design, Kitchens, Baby Rooms, Kids' Rooms, Cabinet, Shelves & Home Storage Solutions
When you want very specific information, the web is a great resource to search. The best sites provide clear, step-by-step instructions .BUT, if they do not also explain the types of situations where you are likely to get into trouble, then keep looking because most projects run into one/more problems. After reviewing 3 to 5 good articles, you should know whether a particular project is something you are confident you can complete successfully.
These web sites offer good information for researching typical handyman projects. Their emphasis is on information versus selling products, i.e. Lowe's offers good step-by-step information, but does not address the potential problems. As a rule, start with a google search like "replace door threshold." In addition to the ones listed here, government sites and those of professional organizations like the National Association of Home Builders, are the most reliable.
Ask the Builder by Tim Carter, a Nationally Syndicated Newspaper Columnist. He offers good information about new products, tips on how to select the right product for your home and installation information.
The Natural Handymanhas evolved nicely over the years. They offer home repair articles, shorter Q&As, a library of links to great resources plus a bookshop.
This Old House organizes their home improvement topics into Planning & Ideas, How-to & Repair plus Tools & Products. They also have a nice "Give & Get Advice" section for questions you would like help answering.
