Home Repair with My Own Hands! 11
12 Things to Know Before Undertaking Repairs

Tools and techniques
001 Preparing your toolbox 18 / 002 Layout and measuring dimensions 20 / 003 Fastening with a screwdriver 20 / 004 Sanding 20 / 005 Tools worth investing in 21 / 006 Types of electric drills 22 / 007 Drilling neat holes 22 / 008 Choosing the right drill bit 23 / 009 Choosing the right saw 24 / 010 Cutting by hand 25 / 011 Sawing terminology 25 / 012 Choosing a spiral saw 26 / 013 One-stop multitool 27 / 014 Using a router 27 / 015 Choosing a good compressor 28 / 016 Using an air compressor 28 / 017 Borrowing big tools 28 / 018 A generator for backup 29 / 019 Choosing the right adhesive for the job 30 / 020 Types of clamps 31 / 021 Bonding in one go 31 / 022 Choosing adhesive tape 32 / 023 Window insulation 32 / 024 Using foil tape 33 / 025 Wrapping Teflon tape 33 / 026 Applying paint tape 33 / 027 Leveling 34 / 028 State-of-the-art laser level 35 / 029 The all-purpose tool, the speed square 35 / 030 Getting to know paint tools 36 / 031 Painting 37 / 032 Cleaning paint brushes 37 / 033 Organizing your workbench 38 / 034 Securing storage space 38 / 035 Smart storage tips 39 / 036 Managing rusty parts 40 / 037 Recycling tools 40 / 038 Types of lubricants 41 / 039 Preparing for winter 41 / 040 Inspecting your generator 41 / 041 How to properly set up a rope ladder 42 / 042 Choosing the right ladder 43 / 043 Getting acquainted with ladders 44 / 044 Ladder safety devices 44 / 045 Climbing a ladder 45 / 046 Wearing safety equipment 46 / 047 Cutting with a pushpin 47 / 048 Using earplugs 47 / 049 Turning off the power 48 / 050 Safe chemical storage 48 / 051 Testing for lead levels 49 / 052 Removing asbestos 49 / 053 Testing for radon gas 49
054 Working with wires 50 / 055 Connecting wires 50 / 056 Using wire nuts 50 / 057 Understanding power systems 51 / 058 Understanding pipe materials 52 / 059 New pipe materials 52 / 060 Plumbing basics 53 / 061 Leave plumbing to the professionals 53 / 062 Choosing a caulking gun 54 / 063 Choosing the right caulk 54 / 064 Using caulk like a pro 55 / 065 Creating a work environment 56 / 066 Disposing of hazardous waste 57 / 067 Chemical cleaners 57 / 068 Disposing of construction debris 57

Simple home repairs
069 Performing a Home Inspection 62 / 070 Checking the Drainage System 62 / 071 Inspecting the Exterior of the Home 62 / 072 Inspecting the Roof 63 / 073 Inspecting the Interior of the Home 64 / 074 Inspecting Pipes and Ducts 64 / 075 Inspecting the Ground 65

Energy saving
076 Checking your insulation 66 / 077 Understanding insulation 67 / 078 Finding gaps inside and outside your home 68 / 079 Filling gaps 68 / 080 Applying caulk neatly 69 / 081 Sealing door gaps 70 / 082 Using a hacksaw 71 / 083 Maintaining your heating system 72 / 084 Saving energy 73 / 085 Using your thermostat 73 / 086 Replacing your filter 73 / 087 Preparing for winter 74 / 088 Staying warm and economical in the winter 75 / 089 Cleaning your deck 75 / 090 Flipping deck boards 75

plumbing work
091 Clearing Clogs 76 / 092 Choosing a Chemical Cleaner 76 / 093 Unclogging a Sink 77 / 094 Using a Clogger 77 / 095 Cleaning the Main Drain 77 / 096 Getting to Know Your Toilet 78 / 097 Fixing a Leaky Toilet 79 / 098 When Your Toilet Won't Flush 79 / 099 Soldering Copper Pipe 80 / 100 Planning Your Soldering Job 80 / 101 Soldering Safely 81 / 102 Troubleshooting Your Cistern 82 / 103 Servicing Brass Valves 82 / 104 Connecting PVC Pipe 83 / 105 Solutions for Leaks 84 / 106 Thawing Frozen Pipes 84 / 107 Connecting Push-Fit Connectors 85 / 108 Using Self-Fusing Tape 85

electrical work
109 Installing Bathroom Lighting 86 / 110 Installing Kitchen Lighting 87 / 111 Basic Wiring Knowledge 88 / 112 Using the Right Bulbs 88 / 113 Replacing Light Fixtures 89 / 114 Preventing Electrical Leaks 90 / 115 Using the Latest Technology 90 / 116 Checking GFCIs 91 / 117 Understanding Outlets 92 / 118 Checking Outlets 92 / 119 Replacing Outlets 93 / 120 Replacing Single-Pole Circuit Breakers 94 / 121 Selecting Circuit Breaker Components 95 / 122 Testing a Faulty Circuit Breaker 95 / 123 Installing a Thermostat 96 / 124 Upgrading a Thermostat 97 / 125 Designing Landscape Lighting 98

Around the house
126 Recognizing Mold 100 / 127 Cleaning Up Mold 100 / 128 Repairing Mold Damage 101 / 129 Stopping Floods 102 / 130 Stopping Outside Water 102 / 131 Checking for Inside Moisture 103 / 132 Decorating with Hardware 104 / 133 Installing Hinges 104 / 134 Painting Registers 105 / 135 Installing Cabinet Handles 105 / 136 Building Custom Shelves 106 / 137 Installing Shelves on a Wall 107 / 138 Creating an Industrial Look 107 / 139 Removing Old Wallpaper 108 / 140 Sanding 108 / 141 Using Wallpaper Remover 109 / 142 Using a Steam Eraser 109 / 143 Repairing Squeaky Floors 110 / 144 Floor Supports Repairing 110 / 145 Removing Carpet Bubbles 111 / 146 Repairing Screw Holes 112
147 Finding Parts Online 112 / 148 Using Wood Filler 113 / 149 Hiding Scratches 113
150 Steam Recovery 113

Exterior home repairs
151 Maintaining Your Roof 114 / 152 Checklists for the Interior and Exterior of Your Home 114 / 153 Using a Pressure Washer 115 / 154 Cleaning Siding 115 / 155 Cleaning Wood 115 / 156 Filling Rotten Wood with Putty 116
157 Cutting Out Damaged Wood 117 / 158 Repairing with Epoxy 117 / 159 Filling Concrete Holes 118 / 160 Products for Repairing Cracks 119 / 161 Maintaining Concrete 119 / 162 Refinishing Concrete 119 / 163 Using Outdoor Wood 120 / 164 Choosing the Right Wood 120 / 165 Structure and Wood Size 121 / 166 Exotic Wood 121 / 167 Inspecting Your Deck 122 / 168 Maintaining Your Deck 123

Weekend home repair plans
Paint and trim
169 Using a sprayer 128 / 170 Paint selection guide 129 / 171 Choosing a varnish 129 / 172 Filling holes in walls 130 / 173 Replacing drywall 130 / 174 Repairing plaster 130 / 175 How to repair drywall 131 / 176 Using wall repair patches 131 / 177 Applying primer 132 / 178 How to brush paint 132 / 179 Using a high roller 133 / 180 How to use painter's tape 133 / 181 Before painting outside 134 / 182 Refurbishing siding 134 / 183 Painting concrete floors 135 / 184 Tips for painting metal 135 / 185 Painting wood 135 / 186 Adding texture to walls 136 / 187 Using the Pop-Finish Technique 137 / 188 Trimming Basics 138 / 189 Finishing Molding 138 / 190 Right Angle Joints 139 / 191 Trimming Tips 140 / 192 Ceiling Medallions 141 / 193 Installing Crown Molding 142 / 194 Molding Outside Corners 143 / 195 Joining Molding 143 / 196 Useful Tools for Trimming 144 / 197 Intricate Molding Designs 144 / 198 Skipping Miter Joints 145 / 199 Installing Wadding 146 / 200 Prefabricated Wadding 146 / 201 Mimicking Wadding 147

Windows and doors
202 Understanding Wall Structure 148 / 203 Opening Sizes 148 / 204 Understanding Headers 149 / 205 Window Supports 149 / 206 Trimmer Studs 149 / 207 Choosing a Window Style 150 / 208 Shaping a Window with Grids 151 / 209 Energy-Efficient Windows 151 / 210 Choosing Window Materials 151 / 211 Measuring Window Size 152 / 212 Replacing Metal Windows in a Brick Home 153 / 213 Replacing Windows According to Instructions 153 / 214 Trimming Windows 154 / 215 Extending Vertical Posts 154 / 216 Installing Aprons 154 / 217 Casing 155 / 218 Raising a Window Above the Sill 155 / 219 Entrance Door Structure 156 / 220 Anchors How to Use 156 / 221 Types of Interior Doors 157 / 222 Installing a New Door 157 / 223 Choosing the Right Door 157 / 224 Stop Molding 158 / 225 Inserting a New Window 158 / 226 Vertical and Horizontal Windows 159 / 227 Installing Windows in a Brick Home 159 / 228 Installing a Prefabricated Door 160 / 229 Using a Wedge 161 / 230 Installing a Double Door 161 / 231 Attaching a Doorknob 162 / 232 Installing Door Trim 164

faucet
233 Replacing a Faucet 166 / 234 Fixing a Shower Faucet 168 / 235 Buying a Valve Set 169

kitchen and bathroom
236 Installing a Toilet 170 / 237 Using Plywood 172 / 238 Arranging the Plywood Installation Area 172 / 239 Cutting Plywood 172 / 240 Gluing Plywood 173 / 241 Attaching Plywood to a Large Countertop 174 / 242 Painting a Countertop 174 / 243 Replacing a Countertop Edge 175 / 244 Preparing Kitchen Cabinets 176 / 245 Removing Cabinets 176 / 246 Stripping Paint 176 / 247 Painting Cabinets 177 / 248 Assembling Cabinets 177

Exterior maintenance of the house
249 Caring for Wood 178 / 250 Applying Chemicals to New Wood 178 / 251 Repairing Weather-Exposed Wood 178 / 252 Applying Stain to Wood 179 / 253 Using Wood Polish 179 / 254 Removing Old Stain 179 / 255 Installing Gutters and Downspouts 180 / 256 Marking the Slope of the Gutter 180 / 257 Cutting Gutter Components 180 / 258 Prefabricating Gutters 181 / 259 Installing Gutters 181 / 260 Installing Downspouts 182 / 261 Gutter Locks 183 / 262 Concrete Slabs 184 / 263 Grouting 185 / 264 Hardening Concrete 185

large-scale home repair work
tile
265 Using Tiles 190 / 266 Planning a Tile Project 190 / 267 Preparing for a Tile Project 190 / 268 Tile Layout 191 / 269 Laying Tiles 191 / 270 Applying Sealant 192 / 271 Cutting Tiles Straight 192 / 272 Shaping Tiles with Nippers 192 / 273 Using a Wet Saw 193 / 274 Drilling Holes in Tile and Glass 193 / 275 Laying Mosaic Tiles 194

flooring
276 Flooring 196 / 277 Preparing for flooring 197 / 278 Installing a barrier on the floor 197 / 279 Installing a floating floor 198 / 280 Precautions for installing a floating floor 198 / 281 Laying the floor 198 / 282 Securing a wood floor 200 / 283 Preparing before flooring 200 / 284 Laying floorboards 200 / 285 Resilient flooring 202 / 286 Preparing for vinyl flooring 202 / 287 Installing vinyl flooring 202 / 288 Attaching stick tiles 203

deck
289 Building a Deck 204 / 290 Deck Design 204 / 291 Installing Deck Rails 204 / 292 Deck Layout 205 / 293 Building Stepping Stones 206 / 294 Installing Deck Floor Frames 206 / 295 Deck Materials 207 / 296 Installing Railings 208 / 297 Stair Systems 208 / 298 Various Railing System Materials 209 / 299 Assembling Stairs Easily 209

fence
300 Building a Fence 210 / 301 Fence Layout 210 / 302 Digging Holes for Fence Posts 210 / 303 Erecting Fence Posts 212 / 304 Installing Crossbars 213 / 305 Installing Fence Boards 214 / 306 Finishing the Fence 214 / 307 Installing a Fence Gate 215

Built-in shelves
308 Designing a Built-in Shelf 216 / 309 Breaking Down a Wall 216 / 310 Building a Shelf Frame 217 / 311 Building Your Own Shelf 218 / 312 Installing a Shelf 218 / 313 Working with Shelf Trim 219

carpet
314 Installing Carpet 220 / 315 Joining Carpet 221 / 316 Stretching Carpet 222 / 317 Trimming Carpet Edges 222 / 318 Modular Tiles 223

Repairing wood floors
319 Restoring Hardwood Floors 224 / 320 Repairing Damaged Floors 224 / 321 Finishing Floors with a Sander 225

Acknowledgments 226
Search 228
Photo and illustration source 238

The joy of fixing, caring for, and improving a home
320 ideas and work techniques from repair experts

What if one day your toilet suddenly clogs or your doorknob breaks? Your home transforms from a comfortable haven into a headache.
All sorts of worries and questions keep running through my head, such as how to fix it, whether it can be fixed, and whether I should call someone.

While some people rush into home repairs, boasting of their dexterity, others just stamp their feet, not knowing what to do.
This is because home repair is something that requires a considerable level of skill, knowledge, and passion.
So, can't anyone repair their home quickly and easily?
Matt Weber, a home repair expert for over 15 years, has compiled the answers to these questions in his "Home Repair Do-It-Yourself Textbook."
The author guarantees that anyone can handle everything from basic repairs to expert-level interior construction by mastering the techniques and know-how presented in this book.
Because this book is full of techniques and expert tips that Matt Weber himself has personally verified.

Any kind of home repair is no problem
From nailing to high-difficulty interior work

The first thing that stands out about this book is its step-by-step structure.
Divided into chapters such as "Tools and Techniques," "Simple Home Repairs," "Weekend Home Repair Plans," and "Large-Scale Home Repair Projects," "Home Repair Do-It-Yourself Textbook" begins with the basics and progresses to increasingly difficult tasks.
Thanks to this configuration, even beginners who find hammering difficult can try out DIY home repair projects step by step.

The fact that the first chapter covers tools is a rare virtue of this book.
In any endeavor, the basics are important, and when it comes to home repairs, let's not forget that tools are always the foundation.
When you don't use the right tools, your work becomes purposeless and difficult.
If you want to get the job done perfectly, you need to choose the right tools for the job and use them correctly.

The author explains which tools are needed for home repairs and also provides tips on how to use them.
Plus, it even gives you some surprising tips you won't find in the manual.
This will help readers learn which adhesives to use for different situations, which drill bits to choose, how to care for rusted parts, and the proper way to use ladders, paintbrushes, tape, and caulking guns.
If you master the 68 tools outlined in this book, you will be able to choose the right tool for any problem and properly solve it.

After learning the types of tools and how to use them, we will learn how to make repairs inside and outside the house.
First, we'll take a quick look at your home and list 100 ways to fix any problems.
It covers everything from plumbing to fixing toilet and sink problems, energy-saving tips, electrical work like installing lights or replacing circuit breakers, installing hinges, covering up furniture scratches, and mold control.
Because these are problems that can arise at any time in the home, mastering these repair techniques will provide a solid foundation for becoming a home repair expert.
As I said before, the difficulty of the work increases as you go further down the page.
When looking at a fairly large-scale home renovation project, it's helpful to think of it as learning the basics of interior design.
These are jobs that take a considerable amount of time, such as painting or installing molding, replacing windows or doors, applying wallpaper, replacing faucets, laying tile, or installing wainscoting, and are usually left to professionals.
But if you're willing to put in some time and effort, it's definitely worth the challenge.
Because it is an opportunity to experience a sense of accomplishment by creating something new that has never existed before, and to fully show off your individuality and tastes.

Earlier, I mentioned the step-by-step structure as an advantage of this book.
Although the overall structure clearly lists the tasks in order from basics to application, you do not have to read this book in order.
If you need any work skills, just find the item in the table of contents and refer to it.
For example, if you want to renovate your kitchen, you might look under "Kitchen and Bathroom," or if you want to paint your kitchen, you might look under "Paint and Trim."
This book will serve as your home improvement encyclopedia, ready to be consulted whenever you need it.
No matter how detailed the instructions are, if you are new to DIY home repairs, you will likely feel overwhelmed at times.
In such cases, it would be helpful to refer to the abundant photos and illustrations included in this book.
These visual aids are intended to guide readers in the order in which the tasks should be performed.
Beginners can intuitively understand the purpose of a task and quickly achieve it by referring to text and visual aids that explain the task techniques.
The effectiveness of the saying, 'seeing is believing' is proven here as well.

When you cut, trim, and fix yourself
Rediscovering the joy of work and small happiness

The 'Expert Tips' placed throughout the text are also worth noting.
Because it provides readers with deep insights that even beginners would not have thought of.
For example, you can learn tips such as using painter's tape when caulking to make the work cleaner, or applying a mold removal primer to prevent mold from growing on the paint film.
Don't miss this part where the author's 15 years of experience shines.
Repairing and maintaining your home yourself without hiring a repairman isn't just about housekeeping.
DIY home repair projects can surprisingly bring small joys to your daily life.
Not only will you save time and money, you'll also find joy in doing your work and the joy of creating your own space to eat, drink, and breathe.
By replacing broken doors, changing old wallpaper, and fixing clogged sinks, we break free from passive, dependent relationships.
I feel a sense of oneness between myself and the world, and a sense of satisfaction and self-esteem that I have created my own space to live in.

Of course, even in such a situation, mistakes cannot be avoided.
The author says that while mistakes should not be tolerated, you should not be afraid to take on challenges because you are afraid of making mistakes.
The more we avoid challenges, the more we lose the joy and happiness that can be found in the little things in life.
Whenever you feel fearful, slowly learn the work techniques and know-how explained in this book and then start working.
You will gain the confidence that you can succeed in any task.