Renovating Woman [Hardcover]

Allegra Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

A guide to home repair for women offers practical advice on how to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair any area of the house and includes guidance on saving money and finding an honest contractor. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's easy to say this is a great and inspiring book for women trying to become handy around their own homes, but the fact is, as a guy, I read it with delight at not only the sound and helpful advice, but the hilarious wit of the author. Useful home repair books that are also fun to read are a rarity, I can tell you. This is one of the best I've seen for any beginning handy person. If you don't get inspired to jump in and try some of these things on your own after reading this book (highly unlikely ...), you will at least have had a good time reading Bennett's funny, sometimes wry advice and hearing her stories. As an example, she counsels that the most important tool a woman must have when learning home repair is Attitude! And she's right!

From Library Journal

Bennett here shares what she learned when, after 23 years of having a man around to fix things, her marriage ended. Many of the repair jobs she considered so complex and difficult were not. Renovating Woman, which is also the name of a popular fix-it column Bennett has written for the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun, shows the reader how to do basic repairs and how to deal with contractors and home improvement professionals. The sections on repairs are erratic, dealing with some things in great detail while mentioning others, such as the soldering of pipes, only in passing. Readers should skip these parts and go right to Reader's Digest New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual (LJ 11/1/91). However, Bennett's insights on dealing with people in the building trades, doing routine maintenance, and feeling confident enough to be responsible for a house are humorous and to the point. For larger collections.?Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atria (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671527711
• ISBN-13: 978-0671527716
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,999,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A backed-up garbage disposal gave birth to 'Allegra Bennett Renovating Woman'. Lively and humorously self-deprecating, Allegra describes herself as an avowed home repair ignoramus, until divorce and bad plumbing forced her to smarten up, demystify the workings of a house, and depend on herself to get the job done. She shared what she learned in broadcast commentaries, newspaper columns and three books. Hers is a seminal voice in the emerging trend of single female homeowners, who take on their own home repairs'the Renovating Woman' Movement.

Allegra has been featured in newspaper and magazine articles and on home repair segments on local and national television shows. She appears on Home Made Easy, a new show on the DIY Network, and Baltimore station WBAL. Sought after for her expertise and authenticity, in February 2006 she became the spokesperson for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Consumer Energy Conservation Program in February of 2006.

In March 2005 Allegra launched Renovating Woman Magazine, a quarterly home improvement publication for women; and on April 1, 2006 introduced the Renovating Woman Do-it-HERself Workshops.

Visit her website at www.renovatingwoman.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Basics and More, July 9, 2002

By 

BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renovating Woman (Hardcover)

The author wrote this in hopes that it would allow women to rely on themselves for home repairs and enter the world of "real men". Her humor helped to put across her ideas.

Bennett urges women to learn proper terminology and vocabulary for different parts of the house, especially when hiring home repairpersons, and to thoroughly inspect such jobs when done.

She explains how to outfit a toolbox and a tool shelf with the essentials needed for home repairs, and also gives the uses for each item. (I went out and bought a few things after reading this.)

Some basic electrical repairs are covered (fixing a doorbell, dimmer switch installation, and replacing a ceiling fixture). Dealing with plumbing emergencies is another section, along with minor repairs. She explains heating and cooling systems and preventative maintenance.

Bennett provides information and handy hints for both interior and exterior painting (prepping, caulking, buying the right paint and brushes) which I found very useful.

Her final section, a suggested seasonal maintenance program, was most helpful and is something I will use, for sure.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not enough info, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Renovating Woman (Hardcover)

I am a new home owner and thought this book would be a wealth of information, but found it was lacking in some pretty basic stuff - I was installing a ceiling lamp and it mentioned nothing about grounding wires. A good concept, but it needs more meat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for showing/explaining the parts in a home, August 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Renovating Woman (Hardcover)

The cutaway views of different things in the house and listing of the parts is absolutely fantastic. She doesn't take for granted that you know the names or anatomy. She explains very concisely and I feel so much better able to tackle projects and much less intimidated!