Black & Decker Complete Guide to Windows & Entryways: Repair - Renew - Replace (Paperback)

by Chris Marshall (Author)
Key Phrases: king joists, riser tiles, masonry clips, Replacing Doors, Door Openings, Finishing Techniques (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Marshall, Chris. Black and Decker The Complete Guide to Windows and Entryways. Creative Pub: Quayside. 2008. c.304p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-58923-375-1. pap. $24.95. DIY Update your home with new windows and doors and save energy, too. Marshall, carpenter and author, addresses the importance of lighting, ventilation, and security for the home. A gallery of inspirational photos is followed by a discussion of materials-styles and selection of windows or doors and related hardware. Included is consideration for use by those with limited mobility or strength. Planning, layout, and installation are covered next. Good, logical, step-by-step instructions walk the reader through simple to more complex projects, but basic techniques are tucked in the back appendix. Excellent coverage of the topic. Recommended.

-Library Journal, March 2008

Product Description

Your passageway to efficiency and beauty

Both for practicality and curb appeal, windows and doors are the most crucial mechanical feature of any home, and this book helps homeowners preserve and improve these essential elements. A fabulous door can add thousands of dollars in "perceived value" to a plain house, just as a few new windows can shave off a decade or two in apparent age.

Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Windows & Entryways is a fully-updated revision of Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Windows & Doors. At 288 pages, it features more than 600 beautiful color photographs that are rich with current information. It contains virtually everything readers need to plan and complete any kind of window and door installation. The new version also features an expanded section on door and window hardware, as the types, styles and finishes change frequently. Also new in this edition: an expanded the section on installing and maintaining garage doors; a complete start-to-finish project for enlarging a basement window opening and installing an egress window; a quick and easy technique for giving your fiberglass door the appearance of woodgrain; and much, much more. You'll find no better single book that better covers the ever-changing topic of choosing, installing and maintaining doors and windows.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Creative Publishing international; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589233751
• ISBN-13: 978-1589233751
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #246,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only one thing kept it from being 5 stars, January 26, 2004

By	seasidebruin "seasidebruin" (San Pedro, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Doors & Windows (Black & Decker) (Paperback)

I had to tear out an old, rotting window that had an old rotting air conditioner wedged into it. My fiancee and I decided to install a wider window in it's place. Oh oh. That meant tearing out the stucco exterior and plaster interior to do so! I didn't want to spend 1000 bucks (or more) to hire someone to do it and install a new window. I've never done any work like this before, and I didn't know where to begin. So I looked into getting Home Depot to do it, but they would only replace existing windows with the exact same size window for a fee of 250 dollars on top of the price of the window. So that wasn't going to work for us. I needed help! So I found this book on Amazon and decided to check it out at Home Depot, since they had the same book but for a little more.
Well, since it was the only book that seemed to cover everything I needed to know, and I was running out of time, I decided to purchase it and put in the order for the window. Well, the window came and I got right at work at demolishing the old window and extending the opening for the new one.

This book was GREAT! Although the book is only 300 pages, it gives you a good overview of what you need to do to get your project done. Once I started figuring out exactly what I needed to do, I could use this book as a reference on what to do to accomplish it. You see, this book does not really give you an "idiots guide" how to... it will not explain the little detail, like how to plaster a wall or how to miter cut trim for your window or door. You need to use it as a reference book and an overview of your project. You MUST read the book through and figure out what steps you need to take. For example, for me... I had to:
1) Tear out the old window (without destroying the wall completely)
2) Extend the opening (which means I need to know how to cut/remove stucco on the outside and plaster on the inside)
3) Reframe the new opening to support the ceiling and new window (which also gives you ways to support the ceiling if you intend to mess around with the studs in the wall that hold up the ceiling)
4) Install the window (different types of windows have different types of ways to install)
5) Fix the stucco outside and plaster inside (this is where I am now)
6) Add trim on the outside and trim on the inside (I've already read what I need to do this and have gotten the materials to finish it)

And you know what, this book gave me great examples on how to do ALL that. BUT, I had to jump around the book to read the sections that applied to me. Remember, this book only gives you a great overview of your project. That is the ONLY reason why I gave it 4 stars. I'd like to give it 4.5. This book is very very good at giving me the information I needed and had GREAT pictures and examples. JUST MAKE SURE YOU READ THE WHOLE BOOK FIRST (skim through sections you don't need to know, but maybe look at them anyway because you may learn something useful), and then read the sections again that apply to you! If you need more details, find another suppliment book for that task. Know what you need to do first before you start any major project.

And you know what, I probably saved myself $1000 doing it myself. This book more than paid for itself.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book., August 14, 2003

By	Michelle Verwey "mvtc" (Monroe, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Doors & Windows (Black & Decker) (Paperback)

Not only did it cover step by step on all doors and windows. It covered garage doors and openers. It discussed installing locks. And there was even a section on if your window won't open you do this to fix it type of stuff. Also, if you are putting in a bay window, there is a section on how to roof it. I had been looking for a help book like this for a long time. It does not bog you down in highly technical stuff.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Weekend carpenter installing a door, October 6, 2007

By	E. D. Hance (Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Doors & Windows (Black & Decker) (Paperback)

This book is one of the Black and Decker series. It concerns doors and windows. It has a lot of pictures. It shows each step of installing a door. It shows which tools to use and when to use them. It shows how to cut and fit the door and trim. I like it when there is a picture with a caption under it which explains what is happening in detail. Often times a two page spread would have 12 pictures with 12 captions. I think my work will look more professional now that I have read the book. I use it for reference at times. I recommend the book.