Jeff Bredenberg - How to Cheat at Home Repair: Time-Slashing, Money-Saving Fixes for Household Hassles and Breakdowns

HOW TO CHEAT AT
HOME REPAIR

New York / London
www.sterlingpublishing.com

STERLING and the distinctive Sterling logo are registered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bredenberg, Jeff.

How to cheat at home repair : the sneakiest, time-slashing fixes for household wear, tear, hassles & breakdowns / Jeff Bredenberg.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4027-5629-0

1. DwellingsMaintenance and repairAmateurs manuals. I. Title.

TH4817.3.B738 2008

643.7dc22

2008007160

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

2009 by Jeff Bredenberg

Distributed in Canada by Sterling Publishing

c/o Canadian Manda Group, 165 Dufferin Street,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3H6

Distributed in the United Kingdom by GMC Distribution Services

Castle Place, 166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England BN7 1XU

Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756, Australia

Book design by Richard Oriolo

Printed in China
All rights reserved

Sterling ISBN: 978-1-4027-5629-0

For information about custom editions, special sales, premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales Department at 800-805-5489 or specialsales@sterlingpublishing.com.

The author is grateful to the following sources for their generous contribution of time and ideas:

Dean Bennett, architect, contractor, builder, Castle Rock, Colorado. Jeff Bishop, technical advisor, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, Dothan, Alabama. Paul Bizzarri, vice president of innovation, TimberTech, Wilmington, Ohio. Scott M. Brown, a.k.a. Samurai Appliance Repairman, proprietor of Fixitnow.com, New London, New Hampshire. Richard Bullock, owner, Bullocks Furniture Restoration, Odenton, Maryland. Mark Bruley, vice president for accident and forensic investigation, ECRI Institute, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. James Dean of Lewiston, Maine. Dave Donovan, electrician, writer for DoItYourself.com, Atco, New Jersey. Joe Dussich, CEO, JAD Corporation of America, New York, New York. Sara Fisher, professional organizer, Atlanta, Georgia. Doug Gagliardi, office furniture repairer, The Chair-Man, Twin Falls, Idaho. Henry Hendrix, brand manager, Combat Insecticides, Scottsdale, Arizona. Victoria Higgs, inventor, Adelaide, Australia. Mike Kozlowski, director of product quality and support, Sears Home Services, Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Handyman Scott Kropnick, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. David Lupberger, home improvement expert for ServiceMagic.com, Denver, Colorado. Reggie Marston, president, Residential Equity Management Home Inspections, Springfield, Virginia; House Detective on Home & Garden Television. Tom McCormick, president, McCormick Electrical Services, North Liberty, Indiana. Chuck McLaughlin, plumber, Glenside, Pennsylvania. Steve Nearman, furniture restorer, The Masters Touch, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Paul Pearce, vice president, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, London, England. Tim Puro, owner, Monroe Furniture Restoration, Bloomington, Indiana. Cheri Russell, wicker restorer, Wicker Fixer, Ozark, Missouri. Tom Scherphorn, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. David Shapiro, electrical contractor, Colmar Manor, Maryland. Craig Vetters, furniture repairer, the Chair Dr., Evansville, Indiana. Scott Vincent, Oreland, Pennsylvania. Raymond VinZant, Roto Rooters Ask-the-Plumber, St. Paul, Minnesota. Ed Waller, co-founder, Certa-Pro Painters.

The author also is grateful for the contributions of editor Jo Fagan, the rest of the staff at Sterling Publishing, and agent Linda Konner.

IF YOU HAVE BUILT YOUR OWN TEN-BEDROOM MANSION WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, AND IF YOU WEAR A TOOL BELT TO BED INSTEAD OF PAJAMAS, THEN YOU MIGHT NOT CARE MUCH ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN RESPECT TO KEEPING A HOME IN GOOD REPAIR. THATS OK. THIS REPAIR BOOK IS FOR THE REST OF US: PEOPLE WHO WANT PRESENTABLE HOMES IN GOOD REPAIRWITHOUT WORKING TOO HARD FOR IT.

Yes, the title is How to Cheat at Home Repair, and you might well ask how you could possibly cheat at fixing things. Am I talking about skirting building codes, using chintzy materials, and slapdash techniques? Not at all. Building regulations protect us all, and none of us likes the look of careless work in our homes. Cheating at home repair means using ingenious shortcuts that will save you time, energy, and moneywhile getting the repair done properly. It means selecting the most durable furnishings and materials for your home so you have to make repairs less often. It means walking away from the myths, misconceptions, and counterproductive traditions that sap hours out of your home life. It means stocking your toolbox with simple-but-versatile tools so youre ready for any mishaps and breakdowns that homeownership throws at you. And it means knowing your limitswhen to call in a professional rather than doing a sloppy repair yourself.