Staggs - Spend-a-little save-a-lot home improvements: money-saving projects anyone can do

SPEND-A-LITTLE
SAVE-A-LOT
HOME
IMPROVEMENTS

MONEY-SAVING PROJECTS
ANYONE CAN DO

Brad Staggs

BETTERWAY HOME
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.betterwaybooks.com

Read This Important Safety Notice
To prevent accidents, keep safety in mind while you work. Use the safety guards installed on power equipment; they are for your protection.

When working on power equipment, keep fingers away from saw blades, wear safety goggles to prevent injuries from flying wood chips and sawdust, wear hearing protection and consider installing a dust vacuum to reduce the amount of airborne sawdust in your woodshop.

Dont wear loose clothing, such as neckties or shirts with loose sleeves, or jewelry, such as rings, necklaces or bracelets, when working on power equipment. Tie back long hair to prevent it from getting caught in your equipment.

People who are sensitive to certain chemicals should check the chemical content of any product before using it.

Due to the variability of local conditions, construction materials, skill levels, etc., neither the author nor Popular Woodworking Books assumes any responsibility for any accidents, injuries, damages or other losses incurred resulting from the material presented in this book.

The authors and editors who compiled this book have tried to make the contents as accurate and correct as possible. Plans, illustrations, photographs and text have been carefully checked. All instructions, plans and projects should be carefully read, studied and understood before beginning construction.

Prices listed for supplies and equipment were current at the time of publication and are subject to change.

SPEND-A-LITTLE SAVE-A-LOT HOME IMPROVEMENTS. Copyright 2011 by Brad Staggs. Printed and bound in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Popular Woodworking Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963 First edition.

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ACQUISITIONS EDITOR: David Thiel
DESIGNER: Brian Roeth

About the Author

Brad Staggs is a licensed contractor and has become a regular on tlevision shows around the country and the internet. He has written, produced and directed feature stories for The Nashville Network. When HGTV launched, Brad began producing and hosting features for Decorating with Style and Todayat Home, where he quickly became known as HGTVs Home Maintenance Expert. When Scripps created DIY, Brad was brought on to host Home Repair & Remodeling, he also co-produced Tools & Techniques, and he had a role in Decorating & Design and Gardening and Landscaping. Today, Brad is seen weekly on HGTVs HGTVPro.Com Weekly. He can be seen on the syndicated RebeccasGarden, The Today Show and recently wrapped up a stint as anchor of RFD-TV Live!, a news/information program aimed at the agricultural heartland of America.

Acknowledgements

Throughout the course of writing this book, I discovered that it takes a team to bring a project like this to life. Im grateful to everyone on my team for the invaluable time, effort and wisdom. Ken Williams of Dickson Heating & Cooling remains one of the (seemingly) few honest & hard-working repairmen in the business. His technical know-how pulled me from the fire many times. My sister Anita Warren and friend Beth Knott were kind enough to read this book cover-to-cover. I commend you both for your keen eye and grasp of the English language; my grasp just looks tighter thanks to you. This book wouldnt have been possible had I not been my fathers son. I believe its Honest Ray Staggs DNA that gave me the ability to think outside the box in all projects I undertake. And finally, Im grateful for my friend and editor David Thiel. Thank you for your confidence, your friendship, and mostly for your bottomless patience. You know that I have a completely new appreciation for your world.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

If It Settles

CHAPTER FIVE

Introduction

For most people, a home is the single most expensive investment theyll ever make, not just in terms of money but also sweat and emotional equity. With everything youve invested in your home, it makes sense to keep it and its systems running at peak efficiency, right? Thats the reason this book exists.

I wanted to assemble a collection of projects that would make a real difference once completed and not simply the same old projects normally found in a home improvement book. Each of the following pages is filled with tips and tricks Ive learned through years of personal experience on job sites, as well as the many TV shows Ive produced and hosted.

I truly believe that if a person has the desire to accomplish a project, and is willing to put in the time necessary to learn the techniques and tools involved, the sky is the limit. Thats the goal of this book: to give you the knowledge Ive gained that will manifest itself as confidence in your own abilities. Combine that newly-gained confidence with a good set of tools and you may never have to call a handyman again!

CHAPTER

Starting Outside

From the time of the Great Flood, water has been a real source of pain and gnashing of teeth with us humans. It seems so benign, even comforting at times. Given the chance, though, water will turn on you in a heartbeat so be prepared!

In the world of home ownership, water can lead to everything from cracked foundations to long-lasting mold problems within a structure. Ive even seen the results of water pushing rocks and branches through cinder block walls. Its a pretty amazing liquid!