Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Home Repair, 2E

Book excerpt: You're no idiot, of course. You can stick a bucket underneath a dripping ceiling with breathtaking precision and tape cardboard over a broken window like you were born to the craft. But when it comes to real home repair challenges, your handiwork begins and ends with the call you make to your carpenter or plumber. Don't pack up your toolbox yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Home Repair, Second Edition is your total guide to diagnosing and fixing the most basic home-repair problems yourself. In this completely revised and updated Complete Idiot's Guide, you get: Simple ways to do interior and exterior jobs, from choosing tools to avoiding safety hazards All new information on weatherproofing, roofing, siding, and masonry Clear instructions on what to do when electrical, heating, and plumbing systems go haywire