Home repair doesn't have to be difficult. That's what The Everything® Fix-It Book is all about: easy ways to keep your home in tip-top condition. In fact, you might think of it as your fix-it coach-cheering you on while providing the play-by-play instructions to ensure success.
The Everything® Fix-It Book guides you through your entire house, using a how-to, problem-solving approach to help you understand how your house works. From the foundation up to the roof, and through the inner workings of plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling systems, this is your guide to the tips, tools, and techniques to keep everything working smoothly. After all, whether your home is a funky downtown apartment or a rambling country farmhouse, it's likely the single biggest financial investment you'll make. Home fix-it is about protecting that investment-making it safe and energy-efficient, extending the life of its systems, and ultimately increasing its value. And if you rent or lease, tackling fix-it tasks yourself means not having to rely on a landlord or building manager's availability.
This book can also help you to save both time and money. Identifying and fixing small problems right away means that you can often avoid large-and expensive-repairs in the future. And there's nothing like the sense of satisfaction that comes with doing the job yourself, from fixing a leaky faucet to insulating your attic. You'll also find advice that's valuable no matter where you live, whether you're dealing with rainfall or snow loads, high humidity or searing winds, squirrels or termites. This book covers a broad range of common climate-and environment-related problems, as well as focusing on energy conservation and healthy home issues.
The Everything® Fix-It Book also provides a guideline to the complexity and time requirement for house maintenance and repair projects, and suggests where expert assistance is called for rather than home handiwork. It's no secret that we lead busy lives these days, so it pays to know when to call in a professional. It also pays to understand the system that the pro is about to tackle. You'll know how to explain the problem clearly, describe the job requirements more accurately, and work with the experts-plumbers, electricians, or building contractors-more easily. You'll also be able to recognize when a contractor isn't being straightforward with you or when someone's attempting to overcharge or carry out a repair that isn't necessary.
Most of all, however, this book aims to remove the intimidation factor from home fix-it projects-the overwhelming feeling you get when you're standing in the plumbing aisle of your local building store wondering which of the myriad pieces is the exact fit for your task. Instead, The Everything® Fix-It Book can help you turn intimidation into adventure and fear into fun.
You'll be able to set up a regular maintenance and inspection schedule that will catch problems at their earliest (and most easily solved) stage. You'll learn how to keep the house interior as comfortable as possible, in summer and in winter. You'll keep your heating, ventilating, and cooling appliances, your furniture, and even your floors in good condition, for longer. Most importantly, you'll look at your house and see a mosaic of systems and structures, all working together-not a mystery.
What will it take? Just a little time, a little patience, and a little energy. Oh, and a willingness to get a little dirty won't hurt, either. But the end result will be a home that you know intimately, inside and out-one that rewards you by sheltering your family and your financial investment. It's worth it.