Ridout - If I had a hammer: more than 100 easy fixes and weekend projects

by Ed Del Grande, Host of Ed the Plumber on the DIY Network

I always say that first impressions are the best guide to know what a person is really like. So far, Andrea has made two very good impressions on me since weve known each other. Andrea and I met a few years ago over the phone, and to this day we have maintained a close friendship. At our first meeting, she was kind enough to invite me to be on her radio show, and I was expecting the interview to be like a standard radio interview. Usually the guest stands by while the host does a lot of talking, and every now and then the host will ask the guest a question. Boy was I wrong! Andrea welcomed me like part of her family and was well informed about our subject. Then she practically turned the show over to me, letting me talk one-on-one with her audience, becoming a listener herself. It is very uncommon to work with a host who is so giving, and my first impression was what a kind and confident person this is. In our many radio interviews since then, I realized my first impression was right on the money!

The second very good impression that Andrea made was when she recently sent me an unpublished copy of this book to read. What follows is my actual e-mail that I sent her after I started to read the book. I think this letter says it all:

Hi Andrea, I already started to skim through your book and my first impression is, Hey, this is Andrea talking to me. I know we have been friends for a few years now and we have a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Because of that, I always expect the very best from you. However, this is a breath of fresh air to see that you write as you speak and your wonderful personality comes through with words as it does when we talk over the phone. This is a gift that many people in our business cannot achieve: the ability to mix good information with a real down-to-earth personality. I look forward to continued reading and seeing what other surprises you have in store for me!

Sincerely, Ed.

After I wrote the e-mail, I continued to read Andreas book. The more I absorbed, the more I appreciated the technical aspects of the projects. For instance, when Andrea tells us how to change a faucet, she not only goes over the installation instructions, she also teaches us how to choose the right faucet for the job. From a Master Plumbers point of view, this is key information that most How-to books overlook. Another example is the simple but very effective tips contained throughout the manuscriptsuch as the little known tip about pressure treated wood. Andrea tells us that most pressure treated wood is not really waterproof, and a wood sealer or stain should be applied for proper waterproofing protection. This is all valuable information that every homeowner needs, and Andrea tells it like it is.

This is how I feel about Andrea, and I want to add something very special to what Ive told you so far. As of yet, Andrea and I have never met in person. Eventually our travel paths will cross and when that happens, I know Im going to get a very good third impression from Andrea!

Ed Del Grande / Master Contractor / eddelgrande.com
Author of Ed Del Grandes House Call
Spokesperson: Kohler Co.
Columnist: Scripps Howard News Service
TV Personality: Scripps Networks

As I sit in my office typing this, I look around at the myriad of unopened boxes of brass hinges, wrenches, toilet seats, window film, a sack of paint rollers, and a pile of cordless drills. The pockets of my overalls bulge with the usual: leftover washers, cabinet knobs, and screwdriver tips. My overalls are my standard uniformI have more pairs of them than I have blue jeans! Not that Im complaining. In truth, I love it. I host a home improvement radio show, you see, so I live and breathe this stuff 24/7.

How did I ever get so hooked on the do-it-yourself bug? How can I explain a lifetime obsession with home improvement products and processes and the people who make and use them? I think the addiction can be blamed on my parents. They restored a Victorian house in Connersville, Indiana, during the mid 1960s when I was just a wee lassie. Well, I say that they restored the house, but thats not really the truthall of us kids were expected to help, too. From my brother Jim and my sisters, Kate and Christy, who were in high school, to Phil, who was in junior high, and finally down to me, just a grade-schooler at the timewe all learned how to use hammers, drills, and other tools with aplomb. Through all the smashed fingers and spilled paint, my parents were reasonably patient teachers. They must have been, because I do not think Valium was invented yet. Though we children might have contributed to some of our parents gray hairs, I look back on those days with fondness. I could drive a nail long before I could drive a car. It was great fun.

Just as many people do, after we fully restored the house and got it just perfectwe moved. And not just around the blockbut all the way to Texas. But we brought the do-it-yourself legacy with us. By the time we were able to say Howdy, yall, my folks had bought another house and we all helped to fix it up, too, sometimes with a bit too much enthusiasm. One weekend when my parents were on a trip, my sister and I painted all of my moms Duncan Phyfe mahogany furniture bright orange. Are you cringing yet? Well, believe it or not, she loved it. It was the 1970s, after all.

As an adult, I ended up owning a hardware store that specialized in products for antiques and old houses. The more I learned about history and hardware, the more of a purist I became. So eventually the orange paint had to go and my moms furniture was refinished back to its original mahogany red. This is just a small example of how tastes change and why one should always think before buying orange paint.

In my hardware store, I developed a love of gizmos, gauges, and gadgets. And as I became more proficient at using them, I wanted to help my friends and family enjoy these wonders of the modern world, too. When my inner circle got tired of listening to me, I began a home improvement radio show. I love to pass on what I have learned to anyone who asks for help. Thats why the show is called Ask Andrea. So be careful what you ask me. I may give you an earful.

For instance, I went to a friends 1950s home not too long ago and noticed that many of her glass doorknobs were loose. She was frustrated that they kept falling off and some had even been broken. In no time, I scooted from door to door, adjusting each knob and tightening all of the setscrews. An easy job for anyone who has done it before, but she thought I had worked a miracle. Before leaving, I gave her a quick lesson on what to do if the knobs ever fell off again. My friend was so excited that she suggested I write a book full of tips for fellow homeowners on making simple home repairs. She may have just been trying to get rid of me, but in any case, If I Had a Hammer was born. As the sixties song by Peter, Paul and Mary implies, if I had a hammer (or a screwdriver) I could accomplish quite a bit, and its really true.