We are new homeowners - and new to the fix it and home improvement aspect of owning a home.
by Stephanie G
+4
Is there a good book out there (better than the rest...or at least worth its money) that can teach us the basics of How To in the area of repairing and remodeling?
7 answers
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What style home? How old is it? What geo area?
![Nichter's Home Services Corp]()
Nichter's Home Services Corp
on Dec 08, 2011
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We live in Alaska in frame house that is approx 35 yrs old.
![Stephanie G]()
Stephanie G
on Dec 08, 2011
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I don't know how current it is but when I renovated a big 80 year old Craftsman cottage I used the Readers Digest home repair book because it was so comprehensive.
![Walter Reeves]()
Walter Reeves
on Dec 08, 2011
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I'm a big fan of this Popular Mechanics book on home improvement: http://www.amazon.com/Popular-Mechanics-Complete-Home-How-/dp/B0041T4SXG/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323407100&sr=1-15
![3po3]()
3po3
on Dec 08, 2011
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First book I always suggest is Basic first aid. Your going to need it. When I get new buyers that are looking into doing renovations I suggest a book called "My House is Killing Me" This book gives you incite on how to build and live healthy. I know the writer well and he is quite knowledgeable. I also tell my clients not to take every word as gospel, but to try to understand what he is talking about. Then use this information when you make decisions on doing renovations or anything in and around the home. I would suggest getting Fine Homebuilding. This is a monthly magazine that offers all sorts of great ideas and tricks on how to do things. May be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you start putting on the band-aids you will begin to appreciate what they write about.
![Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com]()
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Dec 08, 2011
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Taunton Press/ FHB has a lot of good info, and some glitz and goofy,but overall good. Gone downhill some in the last five years or so My first rec is normally "Renovating old houses" by Nash, but 35 years i snot really old. For AK, "My house is killing me" would definitely be high on the list of must read, Woodbridge.
![Nichter's Home Services Corp]()
Nichter's Home Services Corp
on Dec 09, 2011
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One of my favorites is Wings visual handbook to remodeling.... http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Handbook-Building-Remodeling-3rd/dp/1600852467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323533366&sr=8-1 I'm a visual learner and once I "see" something I have a better chance of remembering and using that knowledge. This book has lots of great diagrams and illustrations...much better than just pages of text.
![KMS Woodworks]()
KMS Woodworks
on Dec 10, 2011
Stephanie G
on Dec 08, 2011
Walter Reeves
on Dec 08, 2011
3po3
on Dec 08, 2011
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