The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement: Over 1700 Photos, 250 Step-by-Step Projects (Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide) (Hardcover)

~ Black & Decker (Editor), Creative Publishing international (Author) "Remodeling requires examination of your home's existing structure and various systems-plumbing, writing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)..." (more)
Key Phrases: Remodeling Kitchens, Remodeling Bathrooms, Floor Finishes (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

- Complete step-by-step directions for more than 250 of the most popular, money saving improvement projects.

Book Description

This revised and expanded edition of  The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement is a comprehensive reference for planning and completing major remodeling projects. With nearly 300 projects, this book is indispensable for DIYers who have moved beyond basic home repair and are ready to tackle projects that make a big difference in quality of life-and in their savings accounts. DIYers who tackle their own major remodeling projects achieve exactly the results they want, and can easily save thousands of dollars over the cost of hiring contractors to do the work. Studio photography and the most detailed step-by-step information available make this book unique among books on remodeling. New in this latest edition are major chapters on kitchen planning, bathroom planning, and working with contractors for jobs that are big enough to require some help. Readers will also appreciate the focus on new building materials, including laminate flooring, steel framing, PEX plumbing tubing, and glass blocks.  A helpful reference appendix provides at-a-glance information essential for DIY remodelers.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details Hardcover: 504 pages Publisher: Creative Publishing international (August 1, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 0865735808 ISBN-13: 978-0865735804 Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,628 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Remodeling requires examination of your home's existing structure and various systems-plumbing, writing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Remodeling Kitchens, Remodeling Bathrooms, Floor Finishes, Project Planning, Entry Door, National Electrical Code, Common Circuit Layouts, Installing Ceramic Floor Tile, Selecting Doors

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 5 books:

• Flea Market Style by Jerri Farris in Back Matter
• Home Wiring by Robert W. Wood in Back Matter
• Garden Style by Storey Publishing in Back Matter
• All Thumbs Guide to Home Plumbing (All thumbs series) by Robert Wood in Back Matter
• Independent Living: The Right To Be Equal Citizens by Sarah Gillinson in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

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• see circuit map
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Black & Decker Advanced Home Wiring by Editors of creative Publishing

Discusses:

• see circuit map
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The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair by Creative Publishing International

Discusses:

• demarcation jack
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The Ultimate Handyman's Guide by Rh Value Publishing

Discusses:

• king joists
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• permanent header

The Complete Guide to Doors & Windows by Editors of creative Publishing Discusses: king joists planned rough opening king rafters The Complete Guide to Home Wiring by Black & Decker Discusses: see circuit map first electrical box demarcation jack Black & Decker Advanced Home Wiring by Editors of creative Publishing Discusses: see circuit map first electrical box circuit breaker subpanel The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair by Creative Publishing International Discusses: demarcation jack fiberglass wallboard tape upper mounting ring Loading...

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	58% buy the item featured on this page: The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement: Over 1700 Photos, 250 Step-by-Step Projects (Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide) 4.7 out of 5 stars (35)
	24% buy Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos 4.7 out of 5 stars (69) $23.10
	7% buy How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding & Maintaining Your Home 4.6 out of 5 stars (22) $14.93
	6% buy Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement: More Than 200 Value-adding Remodeling Projects 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) $23.10

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Customer Reviews

35 Reviews 5 star:  (27) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 142 of 143 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Best Home Improvement manual I've seen, May 30, 2003 By A Customer This is the best home improvement manual I've been able to find. I recently embarked on a journey to convert a kitchen pantry into a half bath. Although I'm fairly handy with tools, I've never done a significant house project before. After starting in on the destruction of the pantry (ripping down plaster) my neighbor loaned me this book to poke through. Eventually I picked it up and the more I read, the more I found relevant to my project. Eventually I found myself hovered over this book prior to doing just about anything short of driving a nail (I may have even looked that up!) Let me say that everything involved in installing a bathroom is in this book - framing for the new walls, installing drywall, taping and finishing drywall, installing DWV pipes, installing plumbing supply lines, installing the electricity, installing ceramic tile floor, installing the sink, everything, and more. The first 100 pages or so are dedicated to the high-level subjects (carpentry, plumbing, wiring, etc) and even include some general building code information. Unfortunately, my neighbor came to reclaim the book, and after looking for a book of similar substance, I have circled back to this one. Today I'm buying this book with the Complete Photo Guide to Outdoor Home Improvement (I've been asked to build a brick patio next.) As a former Army helicopter mechanic, I used to feel as though with a chopper manual and the right tools I could fix anything. Seriously, this book makes me feel the same way about home improvement projects. I can't think of anything you could do to the interior of a home that's not in this book. Want to rip down an interior wall to open up living space? In here. How about a glass block partition around your shower stall? Yep. Skylights? A bay window? Parquet floors? Stucco finish on the walls? All in this book. 85 of 86 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A New Homeowner's Bible, December 29, 2003 By  An Engineer (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews I bought this book just before purchasing my first home. It provided me with the information I needed to make successful improvements to my home. Within a week after purchasing my house, I was installing new flooring, toilets, sinks, faucets, electrical outlets and switches, and light fixtures. These are things that I had NEVER done, but was able to do successfully with the help of this book. If you do get this book, I also strongly recommend the Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Repair as a companion. There is some overlap between the two books, but there are important pieces that are exclusive to each. Best wishes with your project! 42 of 42 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference Book!, August 11, 2003 By  M. Young "probonolaw" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The B&D Home Improvement book is the core of my home improvement library. I reviewed other home improvement books at Home Depot, but liked B&D's books. I also own the B&D Home Repair and B&D Bathrooms books. The three books use many of the same pictures, but I do not regret buying any of them. I prefer this book over the others because the projects it covers are things I would like to do, like remodeling a bathroom, etc. In addition, the book covers making things from "scratch" which is how many projects are once you finish the demolition phase. In comparison, the home repair book focuses on repairs rather than new projects. As an engineer, I consider myself "above average" in home repair. However, this book has saved me a few times, when I got lost, such as helping me to understand a three way electric switch circuit for my kitchen light. The cut away diagrams are very useful; especially for the plumbing sections. They literally cut things in half, to show you the inside view, whether it be a garbage disposal or a shower stall. Black & Decker used significant resources in making this book because in a way it is an advertisement for B&D tools. The book conveniently displays and uses Black & Decker tools in the pictures. Bear in mind that Black & Decker is in the business of selling tools, not books. However, that being said the book is still a great reference.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars You Can Do It Here is another great book for the libary- under Home Improvement. I bought this book for one of my brothers. Read more Published 2 months ago by C. Horne 4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference manual for the do-it-yourselfer I purchased this book about a year ago when i bought my house. I mainly purchased it because of the electrical sections. Read more Published 2 months ago by Daniel Grieshaber 5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of Home Improvement During our summer 2009 bathroom remodeling project, my husband and I had questions about installing a pocket door. Read more Published 3 months ago by M. Jackson 4.0 out of 5 stars Great overall guide Between this and the B&D Home Repair book, pretty much everything you need to know for basic homeowner do-it-yourself projects and repairs is covered. Read more Published 14 months ago by Lincoln V. Webbeking 2.0 out of 5 stars limited information Out of the selection that were available, this looked like the best to go with, but was disappointed to find nothing about replacing gutters, supposedly simple process. Read more Published 14 months ago by Bruce Beauchamp 5.0 out of 5 stars Home Improvement This is one of the best all around "do it yourself" books I've seen. If you work on your home, get this book! Great pictures and a wide variety of material! Bill Published 15 months ago by William Kennedy 5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Cheap, Trustworthy Not much to say, i bought a book, It was a good experience, i gave them money, they shipped me a book. Read more Published 19 months ago by John Pilgrim 5.0 out of 5 stars excellent resource My husband and I are novice DIYers and purchased this book and its companion (Home Repair...in the gold cover which doesn't seem to be on Amazon right now, though we bought it... Read more Published 22 months ago by Personal Chef 5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book! Nice book, lots of pictures to demonstrate the instructions. I purchased the book as a gift and enjoyed reading it before passing it on. Read more Published 22 months ago by Pam 5.0 out of 5 stars Love the pictures We bought this because we recently purchased our first home. We love how comprehensive the book is and the pictures are so helpful. Published 23 months ago by M. Gladden Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Creative Publishing international (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865735808
• ISBN-13: 978-0865735804
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,628 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Home Improvement manual I've seen, May 30, 2003

By A Customer

This is the best home improvement manual I've been able to find. I recently embarked on a journey to convert a kitchen pantry into a half bath. Although I'm fairly handy with tools, I've never done a significant house project before. After starting in on the destruction of the pantry (ripping down plaster) my neighbor loaned me this book to poke through. Eventually I picked it up and the more I read, the more I found relevant to my project. Eventually I found myself hovered over this book prior to doing just about anything short of driving a nail (I may have even looked that up!) Let me say that everything involved in installing a bathroom is in this book - framing for the new walls, installing drywall, taping and finishing drywall, installing DWV pipes, installing plumbing supply lines, installing the electricity, installing ceramic tile floor, installing the sink, everything, and more. The first 100 pages or so are dedicated to the high-level subjects (carpentry, plumbing, wiring, etc) and even include some general building code information.
Unfortunately, my neighbor came to reclaim the book, and after looking for a book of similar substance, I have circled back to this one. Today I'm buying this book with the Complete Photo Guide to Outdoor Home Improvement (I've been asked to build a brick patio next.) As a former Army helicopter mechanic, I used to feel as though with a chopper manual and the right tools I could fix anything. Seriously, this book makes me feel the same way about home improvement projects. I can't think of anything you could do to the interior of a home that's not in this book. Want to rip down an interior wall to open up living space? In here. How about a glass block partition around your shower stall? Yep. Skylights? A bay window? Parquet floors? Stucco finish on the walls? All in this book.

85 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Homeowner's Bible, December 29, 2003

By	An Engineer (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

I bought this book just before purchasing my first home. It provided me with the information I needed to make successful improvements to my home.

Within a week after purchasing my house, I was installing new flooring, toilets, sinks, faucets, electrical outlets and switches, and light fixtures. These are things that I had NEVER done, but was able to do successfully with the help of this book.

If you do get this book, I also strongly recommend the Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Repair as a companion. There is some overlap between the two books, but there are important pieces that are exclusive to each. Best wishes with your project!

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference Book!, August 11, 2003

By	M. Young "probonolaw" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The B&D Home Improvement book is the core of my home improvement library. I reviewed other home improvement books at Home Depot, but liked B&D's books. I also own the B&D Home Repair and B&D Bathrooms books. The three books use many of the same pictures, but I do not regret buying any of them. I prefer this book over the others because the projects it covers are things I would like to do, like remodeling a bathroom, etc. In addition, the book covers making things from "scratch" which is how many projects are once you finish the demolition phase. In comparison, the home repair book focuses on repairs rather than new projects.

As an engineer, I consider myself "above average" in home repair. However, this book has saved me a few times, when I got lost, such as helping me to understand a three way electric switch circuit for my kitchen light.

The cut away diagrams are very useful; especially for the plumbing sections. They literally cut things in half, to show you the inside view, whether it be a garbage disposal or a shower stall.

Black & Decker used significant resources in making this book because in a way it is an advertisement for B&D tools. The book conveniently displays and uses Black & Decker tools in the pictures. Bear in mind that Black & Decker is in the business of selling tools, not books. However, that being said the book is still a great reference.