Johnson (The Weekend Refinisher) takes a novel, practical approach to do-it-yourself home repair and improvement. Not one to enjoy jacking up his house on a Saturday morning to rebuild the foundation, he offers what many DIY books don't?information on small, relatively inexpensive jobs that can help the homeowner avoid major, more costly repairs later on. He details the basic contents of a home inspection and repair kit, explains how to run a safety inspection and then works his way from roof to foundation, indoors and out, to explain how to secure loose floorboards, keep doors and windows functioning, prevent decay in porch columns, cure wet basements, avoid ice dams and more. His style is both engaging and encouraging; step-by-step instructions, the accompanying tool and materials lists and illustrations are refreshingly clear and logical. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
See a title like this, and the paranoid possibilities proliferate. Save my house? From what? Fire? Mud slides? Bogeypersons? Well, none of the above. This is another home-improvement guide, but one focused not so much on sprucing up the old homestead as on heading off serious damage that can occur largely unseen and unnoted until things (like porches) start to fall off, necessitating big-money repairs and indicating that perhaps an ounce of prevention was in order. Johnson recommends and describes home inspection for diagnosing developing trouble as well as ways to repair things before they become serious. On problems ranging from dampness accumulating under the porch to pesky and intrusive tree branches, he gives cogent advice clearly and accompanies it with instructive illustrations and a handy glossary. His most salient points are indicated by the last three chapter titles: "Don't Burn Down What You Just Fixed Up," "Think like a Burglar," and "Learn How to Choose a Contractor." Words to live by, indeed. Mike Tribby
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