In This ChapterThis is the attractive kitchen of an incorrigible home-fixer. Because he did his own work, he could choose unusual materials, making this pleasing result. Somebody’s

In This Chapter◆ A realistic attitude toward home repairs

◆ Repair-savvy friends and pros as sources of help

◆ When to fix it, and when to leave it be

◆ Inspecting the roof, foundation, walls, and floors—the bones and sinews of your home

◆ Setting maintenance and repair priorities

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1Chapter

Is Your Home Looking Homely?Getting a Start in Home RepairThis chapter is about Murphy’s law, carpenters’ adages, perfectionism, and the “hero-or-wimp”conundrum. It’s about why busy homeowners should happily accept some challenges—saycaulking windows or replacing their panes—and duck others—like replacing a water heateror repairing a leak around a chimney on a steep roof. It’s about the decisions you’ll face asyou ponder an upcoming home project, and about the satisfaction you’ll get from tackling it.And it’s about looking for trouble at your home place.

I’ll begin by demystifying the professionals—simply realizing that even the pros can screwup is a huge morale booster. Then we’ll work on the “who-when-how” decisions that mustprecede your first trip to the hardware store—or your call to a pro.

Dr. Murphy’s Home-Repair ServiceCarpenters have the best adages—easy to comprehend, steeped in dry humor, and freightedwith the wisdom of the ages. My favorite is this absurdism: “I cut it off three times, and it’sstill too short.” Much more helpful is, “Measure twice, cut once.” But because houses canhide more horrors than a Stephen King novel, I’ll expand on that: “Think thrice, measuretwice, cut once.”

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Part 1: Lay of the Land6

You like this house. We like this house. But so do rotand decay. To keep it looking sharp, you’ll need lots

of money—or some tools and some skills.

If you think this adage does not apply toyou, listen to a story about the late OrlandoKjosa, the classic “careful carpenter.” For years,to save money on renovations or major repairs,and to get expert carpentry tutelage, I used tohire this skillful, experienced, and patient friendto work alongside me. One broiling Augustday, Orlando spent five hours nailing in roofrafters to support a new skylight. Then hemarked the opening for the skylight, and saweddeliberately, precisely, and nonchalantly throughthose same new rafters. Had he stopped to think,of course, he would have realized that their jobwas to run alongside the skylight—in one piece.

Orlando was unruffled—he’d been in thehome repair business long enough to know thatanything can go wrong, and on bad days, every-thing will. I learned that if you don’t want tofeel like a fool, you should never work on ahome. But by liberating me from fear of foolish-ness, the experience also taught me to approachhome repair with a healthy, if rather dark, humor.When you pick up your toolbag, things may gowrong. But in the last analysis, things will alsoget done.

This book focuses on home repairand maintenance. Generally,

maintenance tasks—things like cleaning,painting, and caulking—keep the home ingood condition, while repairs are designedto heal injuries. They work together likeexercise and heart surgery: Ideally—but notalways—the one prevents the other.

Fix-It Phrase

A stone-and-tile hearth like such as this makes a nicefocus for a room—as long as the room is in good

condition!

Get Real: Can You, ShouldYou, Try This Repair?This is a home-repair and maintenance book—a book written by a realist for realists. Every-body who’s tried home repair knows you canget in over your head. You may not have theskills, family support, finances, or the time forthe project. You may run into problems withbuilding codes. Let’s address these make-or-break issues up front.

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Chapter 1: Is Your Home Looking Homely? Getting a Start in Home Repair 7

Keeping your basic tools in one toolbag is a realtime-saver when you tackle a home-repair project.

Your Skills and Your ProjectYou cannot know whether you can handle agiven repair until you understand the skills andtools it requires. If, after reading the relevantsections of this book, you need more informa-tion, either consult books about that specifictopic or talk with knowledgeable friends.

◆ Can you get professional advice—suggested for a major project?

Many repairs are simply a matterof taking something apart, re-

placing some parts, then covering your tracks.These repairs are feasible for anyone whois observant and willing to buy some tools.

Toolbox Tips

With a better notion of what the job requires,answers to these questions will help decide ifit’s for you:

◆ Are you good at solving problems in thisfield? If you’re an ace roofer but a completezero at plumbing, take this into account.

◆ Do you own—or can you borrow orrent—the necessary tools?

Making invisible repairs on this nice cobblestonemight challenge a seasoned mason. It would not be

a great task for a novice.

◆ Can you do the work alone? If you’ll needhelp, will it be available?

◆ How soon must the project be finished?◆ Will bad weather hold you up?◆ How much of your house will be out of

commission because you had to shut offthe electricity or water, or have floorscovered with tools or drop cloths?Decommissioning a spare room is onething, but it’s not smart to put a bathroomor kitchen out of commission for long.

Your Family and Your ProjectThink your project won’t disrupt your family?After all, you’re not ripping linoleum out ofthe kitchen, you’re just replacing a light switch.But as you randomly shut off some circuits, youhear a shriek. Your switch-flippery cost yourspouse three hours of unsaved computer work.

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That problem could have been avoided ifyou’d heeded the home-repairer’s first maxim:Communicate, communicate, communicate. Atleast make sure your family knows—and, ifnecessary, approves—your plans. It may be bestto schedule your repair and maintenance pro-jects when the house is empty—although if youhurt yourself, it’s nice to have somebodyaround to help …

Your Money and Your ProjectIt’s hard to know how much a given projectwill cost. With do-it-yourself home repair, you can end up wasting money—buying thewrong supplies or tools—or mangling innocentbystanders—like the drywall around an electricoutlet you’re replacing.

A good way to estimate cost is to price themajor materials, estimate the incidentals, thenmultiply your total by at least two or three. Youmay be lucky and come in under budget. But inmy experience, you are just as likely to spenddouble your estimate. And if you really need toestimate time on a job, think hard about howmany hours it should require, then multiplythat figure by two or three. (For better accu-racy, throw dice. Estimates can be the toughestpart of repair work.)

Electrical repairs are fearsome tomany novice home-fixers. But done

right, they are relatively simple in houseswired in the last 40 or 50 years. Be sure tofollow the instructions in Chapter 16 to makesure circuits are off before you begin.

All Thumbs

This is the attractive kitchen of an incorrigible home-fixer. Because he did his own work, he could choose

unusual materials, making this pleasing result.

Somebody’s going to have to make sense of theseplumbing fixtures. If you tear out the bathroom or

kitchen sink, that somebody is you.

Tools can cost more than materi-als, and you may always need

another tool midway through a job. But buy-ing tools when you need them should cut thecost of the next repair. Also consider rentinga tool. You can save some major time byrenting heavy-duty drills and saws. Just makesure the tool is sharp—rented tools have away of leaving the shop with dull blades.(There’s more on buying and renting tools inChapter 3.)

Toolbox Tips

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Your Time and Your ProjectThe guy who wrote Murphy’s law must havebeen a remodeler. “If anything can go wrong,”the wise guy said, “it will go wrong, and at theworst possible moment.” Yup. A memory lapsein the building-supply store will force you toreturn for a reducer to connect a 3⁄4'' elbow to a1⁄2'' pipe. And saws generally don’t slip—untilthe last cut on a complicated, one-of-a-kindboard.

Your best bet for understanding your localcodes is the building inspector. These folks seemlike zealots wearing steel-rimmed spectacleswho have memorized endless paragraphs on thesize, safety, structure, materials, and use of aliving space. But they can tell whether what youwant to do is permissible, or whether a licensedcontractor must do the work, as may be true ofcertain electrical and plumbing repairs.

Once upon a time, being a carpenter meant workingwith wood, not just installing stuff that comes in abox. If you’re lucky enough to own this house, you

may want to be a carpenter, too.

Building Codes and Your ProjectIt’s tough to generalize about building codes,since there are at least three in the United States,not to mention codes covering natural gas, elec-tricity, plumbing, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and indoor kite-flying, for all I know.

Often, you need a building permit for a sig-nificant change, but not for a simple replace-ment. Thus you’d be okay just replacing a door,since you are just replacing an existing feature.But you might need a permit to cut in a newdoor. In some municipalities, you need a permitto re-roof, especially if you must strip off the old roof, or if the price of the project exceeds acertain value.

Balance and harmony are what make these windowswork together. When you make the repair, you can

be sure to preserve these esthetic elements.

Why do building inspectors like to ask toughquestions? I think part of their motivation is tolearn about your skills, not just your plans.Once you convince them you can tell a soffitfrom a fascia board, they are usually more in-clined to “sign off on” (approve) your project.

Real trouble begins when an im-provement triggers a requirement that

the whole room, system, or building be“brought up to code.” Your efforts to replacea storm window or realign a door shouldnever trigger this awesome demand. If indoubt, ask the inspector, but don’t go out ofyour way to make the job sound biggerthan it is. Why beg for trouble?

All Thumbs

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Friends and Pros—VitalSources of Help andInformationChances are some of your friends do home repairfor fun. That may make the world a crazy place,but it also makes your friends good sources ofinformation and help. I have a work-tradingarrangement with my friend Doug Swayne, arecovering general contractor who now hawksreal estate. When I needed help installing newkitchen counters, I was delighted to learn thathe had actually done this before. (I knew I couldbluff my way through, but his expertise made thejob quicker and better.) I later repaid him byhelping nail vinyl siding to a giant car-housethat we immediately dubbed “the Taj m’Garage.”

Working side by side is a great way to learnfrom the professionals you hire to fix your place,if you can wangle it. As an alternative, stick

around when you next hire a home-fixer. Whichpart of the job is done first? What tools areimportant enough to “live” in the toolbox?Your observations, let alone what you can learnfrom a talkative fixer, will come in handy downthe line.

Replacing a door is a job novices can do.

When you hire a pro, considerthat part of the fee goes to your

education. Try to notice how this expertdoes things—the tools and steps involved ina project. What special power tools mightyou rent to do this job?

Toolbox Tips

The Golden Mean: A SensibleAttitude Toward Home RepairMy attitude toward home repair was shaped bymy father, Frank, who believed he could do justabout anything—even fix televisions. My policyis to think about a repair for a while. Then, ifmy back starts to ache in advance, or I realize Idon’t have the time or skills, I call in the heavyartillery. In 16 years at my present address, I’veyet to call an electrician. I did hire a drain cleanerto ream out a nasty clog in a sewer, which wouldhave taken me far deeper than I wanted to gointo that business.

I’ve also hired Carl Lorentz, a plumberfriend. Once, after I wasted an hour trying toremove a pigheaded faucet, Carl wrestled withit for a sweaty half-hour. Then he muttered thedreaded phrase: “I need a special tool.” (Specialtools are fetish objects that separate mortalssuch as you and me from home-repair super-heroes such as Carl.)

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This gadget, a Sawzall, or reciprocating saw, isfiendishly useful for home repair. Every remodeler,plumber and electrician owns one for cutting intocorners or, as shown, cutting nails to disassemble

something (Note: That left hand would normally beholding the saw. I had Doug move it aside to showthe saw a bit more clearly.) You may not want tospring for a “recip” saw, but you can rent them.

They are real timesavers.

Home repair, you see, is a matter of degree.Particularly when you are getting started, thesmartest course is to skim off the creamy jobsand hire out the gritty ones. I’ll patch a roofthat’s not too steep, but when my entire roofgave out, I decided it was too much work, andhired a top-flight roofer to replace it.

But just as there’s no shame in acknowledgingyour limits, there’s no shame in going for whatturns you on. If you develop into an eager-beaver roofer, or look forward to augering outdrain pipes, I’ll stand back and cheer. Likewise,if you’re only interested in replacing the occa-sional light switch, I’m equally enthusiastic. Ineither case, you’ll save some money, learn aboutyour house, gather more tools, and gain confi-dence for the next repair.

The roof on this home may be a bit too steep for thenovice repairer to handle.

Even if you think the world is shorton heroes, don’t be a stupid hero.

Don’t hurt yourself making a repair that’sbeyond your capabilities (see Chapter 2 fora discussion of health, safety, and commonsense). Even a complete idiot should knowwhen to say when.

All Thumbs

Is It Perfect Enough?Does your blood congeal at the idea of finishinga job with a subtle flaw remaining? I’m sorry tohear that. Perfectionism may not be a diagnos-able personality disorder, but it’s a serious obsta-cle to learning home repair. Nitpickers can findproblems with any repair, particularly onesthey’ve done. My advice: Give yourself a break!

If you’re not sure if I’m talking about you,repeat “it’s good enough” aloud three times. Ifyour teeth are gnashing, cut yourself some slack.You’re just learning home repair, and you’llprobably leave some jobs “perfect enough.”Consider making a training run on somethingthat isn’t obvious—adjust a closet door beforetackling the front door, for example. Then, astime passes, you’ll learn what you’re doing. You’llgather a better selection of tools and learn todistinguish possible projects from preposterousones. When you’re ready to play in the majorleagues, be sure to say I knew you when youwere just learning to hit.

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Earning While LearningFor many people, the prime motivation fordoing home repairs is saving money. Exactlyhow much you can save depends on your skill,needs, and local conditions. In my area, thecost of replacing a couple faucet washers(which sell for less than $1 apiece) starts atabout $70—the plumbing contractor’s hourlyminimum.

There’s another advantage: getting the job doneat all. When the building business is busy, youmay have a major problem finding a qualifiedperson to accept a small job.

Beyond the economic imperative, many peo-ple experience a primitive gratification in, say,swinging a hammer. They get a sense of bizarrefulfillment while standing up, sweaty and grimy,and eyeing their first repair of splintered mold-ing or a stuck window.

Home repair offers the most sublime form ofeducation—being paid to learn. Whether I wasfarming, salvaging barn lumber, or working as amason and plasterer, I’ve always believed inlearning while earning. I bet your house has aboatload of opportunities to increase your portfo-lio of wealth and wisdom at the same time.

If It Ain’t Broke …Have you ever stirred up a hornet’s nest of home-repair trouble, then, while mulling over youroptions (all grim), been advised, “If it wasn’tbroken, why did you fix it?” This kind of brain-dead “wisdom” sounds reasonable enough, butit ignores the fact that most people don’t delib-erately stir up hornet’s nests—they stumble intothem.

Sometimes, you have no choice—you can’tturn your cheek when a leaky pipe is irrigatingyour basement or the outlet behind your refrig-erator is fusing into a glob of molten plastic.

It may look complicated, but with the right tools—and a decent source of architectural products—

a motivated homeowner should be able to repairtrim as complicated as this.

Home repairers charge either bytime and materials or by the job.

There are risks either way—the time neededmay escalate, or the flat rate may be exor-bitant.

Fix-It Phrase

Although you won’t finish repairs as quicklyas a pro, who may work three times as fast,you’ll save money. That’s particularly true whencontractors charge a full hour for a quick repair,or “port to port” for travel to and from the shop.

Home repair is a continuallearning process. You learn

how to use tools, how your house is built,and how to best accomplish specific tasks.It’s not realistic to expect to learn everythingat once.

Toolbox Tips

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And even if it “ain’t broke,” it may not be“factory-fresh.” A faucet dripping ever so slowlymay still stain the sink or drive you berserk. Anelectrical outlet that is not sparking may stillhave an ominous wobble. Should you fix thesethings? Often the answer is yes.

Looking into the Home-Inspection BizHave you taken a good look at the home placerecently? Have you ever looked dispassionatelyat the roof, furnace, walls, doors, and windowsof your dwelling? Have you crawled through theshrubbery to peer at the foundation or into thatclaustrophobic crawl space under the kitchen?

Maybe not. But while “out of sight, out ofmind” may be a smart attitude toward some pos-sessions, it’s unsuited to something as weather-worn and expensive as a house. An inspectioncan save money if it reveals drafts or peelingpaint caused by a buildup of moisture, but thegreatest value may be on the roof. It’s one thingto repair a few leaking shingles; it’s quite anotherto replace roof boards, drywall, and rafters thatwere rotted by long-time leakage. Whether youinspect or not, you’ll wind up making a repair.It’s just a matter of how much you’ll have tofix—and how much you’ll have to pay.

When you are just getting started in homerepair, this main water shut-off can be a friend

indeed. Located near the foundation, it will keepyou out of trouble in case a plumbing repair

goes south. That big cable is used to ground theelectrical system. It should be securely fastenedat each end. Beyond that, do not mess with it!

Here’s one good use for ciga-rettes. Wait for a cold day, light

one up, and hold it near a closed windowor door. The smoke will pinpoint drafts.

Toolbox Tips

Peeling paint like this, seen on a ceiling, is probablycaused by a leaking roof or a moisture buildup. Youcould just scrape off the paint, repaint, and hope forthe best, but unless you can heal the root cause, the

peeling is likely to return.

Let’s take a quick tour of the major parts ofyour house, and discuss which problems ahome-repair novice can cure, and which mightindicate a need for professional help.

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A Worm’s-Eye View: Foundation,BasementThe foundation—the walls that rest on theground and support the structure—may lookhomely (it’s usually concrete) but no part ofyour house is more important. From inside andoutside, even if that means crawling into a crawlspace, look for crumbling concrete or mortar,and loose blocks, bricks, or stones. A bit ofspalling (usually the result of poorly formulatedmortar or concrete) may be acceptable in olderhomes. Likewise, don’t obsess about smallcracks—they’re usually harmless. But thegouges shown in the photo, together with thedeep cracks visible in the old coat of plasterbelow, are both signs of major trouble.

Cracks that are moving or are wider thanabout 1⁄4'' can indicate serious settling. Examinethe building above the crack: Are the windowsand doors jammed or out-of-square? Will amarble start rolling across the floor? Do crackson the interior walls indicate major movement?A moving crack may signal a structural prob-lem that’s beyond novice territory, but first seeChapter 15 for a discussion of foundation andbasement repair.

This deteriorating foundation looks like a majorproblem, but it’s often found only where the wall

stays wet.

A crawl space is a mini-basement,with a ceiling generally less than

3' high. Spalling is surface deterioration onmasonry or concrete, generally seen as softor crumbling material.

Fix-It Phrase

When a vent pipe leaked in this roof, it led to whiteand black discoloration—two forms of rot, causedby fungus. Fortunately, mold usually needs severalyears before it really softens the wood; this rot wasstopped in time when roofers installed better flashing.

Both the black and white discoloration onthe wood indicate that the flashing that suppos-edly sealed this plumbing vent pipe to the roofleaked at some time in the past. If the wood isdry, the leak may have been fixed already. Tobe sure, spray water on the roof. If the waterseeps through to the underside, replace the leak-ing flashing.

Do you see evidence of carpenter ants (smallholes and piles of sawdust) or termite damage(primarily tunnels from the soil to the wood)?If so, you may need to hire an exterminator. Ifyou see the discoloration and softening thatsignals wood decay, particularly in damp areas,the first step is to dry things out, using sugges-tions from Chapter 15.

White discolorationBlack discoloration

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Shingle TalkAlthough roof shingles are usually designed tolast 25 to 40 years, you might want to checkthem occasionally. Maybe you are unluckyenough to have cut-rate shingles that are dete-riorating ahead of schedule. Maybe the rooferflubbed the installation. From a ladder leaningagainst the roof, or through binoculars fromthe ground, search for torn, missing, or curledshingles. Inspect the sheet-metal flashing aroundskylights, vents, pipes, and chimneys. Is it tightlyfastened and tarred as necessary, or is it rustyand loose? A mass of black tar or caulking onthe flashing indicates that someone has repeat-edly tried to close a leak, maybe without success.Chapter 13 has lots of information on roofrepair.

chimney) for discoloration that indicates leakage.Don’t ignore leaks—no matter how many rea-sons you can invent for thinking they will goaway, they’ll just get worse.

When shingles lose their mineral surface and start tocurl, it’s time to replace them.

Examine the gutters for rust, plugging, andleaks. Gutters, also called eaves troughs, catchwater from the roof and route it to the ground,protecting siding and windows from water.Through binoculars, you may be able to seethat a buildup of leaves is plugging the gutter.You’ll need a ladder to see if the gutters are fullof mineral granules from the shingles; whichsignals that the roof is nearing retirement. Lookinside the house or attic (particularly near the

Clearing out gutters is one of the best ways to preventdecay in your house. Getting rainwater away fromthe eaves and siding does wonders for the longevity

of paint, siding, windows, and doors. And if youwear rubber or neoprene gloves, the task won’t be

too disgusting.

Ladders are the fastest way to getin trouble during home repair. There

are hundreds of rules covering laddersafety, as you can see in Chapter 2, butmost of them come down to using commonsense, using the right ladder, working slowly,and not leaning too far. Good home repairsshould never involve a trip to the ER!

All Thumbs

Siding, Windows, and DoorsSiding, windows, and doors can become bigrepair items if you let them go. Look for sec-tions of peeling paint (indicating roof leakageor moisture migrating from the inside); fungus(a speckled discoloration that washes off in adilute bleach solution); loose siding (see Chap-ter 14); delaminating plywood; and poor caulk-ing between siding and windows, doors, trim,and vents (see Chapter 11).

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Windows and doors can develop any num-ber of problems. Look for clouding of double-thickness windows, or jamming of moving parts.Storm windows should be fairly tight and moveeasily. Doors may be tough to open and close,need new locks, or have nasty drafts. (Repairingwindows and doors is covered in Chapter 6.)

With a dozen panes apiece, these double-hung win-dows practically scream for homeowner expertise in

fixing windows.

Slide on InsideWhen your inspection moves inside, you mightstart to obsess about surface defects—thingslike peeling wallpaper and butchered drywall.Far more important, however, are structuralproblems, which signal the need for majorrepairs. Look for cracks in walls and ceilings(particularly above doors or windows), whichindicate weakening of posts, sagging of beams,or settling of the foundation. Stamp on thefloor, feeling for the bounce that indicatesweak spots. If you find these sorts of problems,see Chapter 7 for ideas on arresting and repair-ing damage.

Other interior problems are unlikely tosnowball, but they can still make a good houselook dilapidated. Examine floors for stains,gouges, and degraded finish. Examine the dry-wall or plaster for cracks, decay, and discol-oration (see Chapter 9). Check the condition ofpaint (see Chapter 11).

This entryway looks great from the road. Itwould be a shame if you had to shoulder yourway into the house because the door was com-

ing loose from the hinges. Door repairs areoften much easier than you think.

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This floor needs sanding and refinishing. Withrented tools and a bit of patience, it’s a reasonable

homeowner job.

Meet the MechanicalsThere is no disguising the fact that mechanicalproblems can be complicated and expensive.But it’s often easy to check the operation ofthese systems and decide what action to take.

Plumbing is more approachable than heat-ing and cooling. Does your plumbing leak? Arethe faucets too loose or too tight? Are theysimply ugly and prime for replacement? Dothe drains work fast enough to avoid a ring ofscum on the sink or bathtub? All these prob-lems are covered in Chapter 17.

Mechanicals are the systems thatuse wires, ducts, or pipes—the

plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, andwiring in your house. HVAC is shorthand forheating, ventilating, and air-conditioning.

Fix-It Phrase

Check that the heating and/or cooling system(the HVAC) responds to the thermostat. Examinethe condition of ducts, vents, and registers. Arethe furnace and air-conditioning units solid,with sound wiring, or is electrician’s tape hold-ing up dangling wires? These signs may meannothing—or indicate that it’s time for a checkupfrom the heating and cooling doctor (which isusually advisable every few years anyway). I’lldiscuss HVAC in Chapter 18.

These simple tools are enough to install a new outletor switch.

In general, electrical work is much moremanageable than plumbing or HVAC work.Although electrical problems scare many peo-ple, they are usually rather simple in a housebuilt within the last 40 or 50 years. For olderhomes, which tend to have bizarre wiring, it’sbest to leave the work to a professional.

Take a look at exposed parts of the electricalsystem (see Chapter 16), particularly in thebasement. Is the wiring shipshape—or is it aspider’s web of sagging cables and exposed wires?Do you see a rat’s nest of boxes, switches, andcables around the fuse box or circuit-breakerbox? Read the rating on the biggest fuse or themain circuit breaker: The overall electrical sys-tem should supply at least 100 amps. Any defi-ciencies you find may indicate an inadequateelectrical system and perhaps a call for profes-sional evaluation.

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If you’re the proud owner of this Colonial-erahouse, you already know that repairs lurk in everycorner. The more recently the electrical service was

installed, the luckier you are, since working on stan-dardized, modern wiring is easier and safer thantrying to patch up older systems. But it’s smart to

expect the unexpected when working on wiring in ahouse this old.

Many electrical problems are more manage-able: Are the outlets the three-hole, groundedtype required by many modern electrical giz-mos? Use a circuit tester, or better yet, areceptacle tester, to check the operation andgrounding of all outlets. Test all switches forcorrect operation.

First Things FirstAfter the gruesome inspection is done, sit backand assess your results, and plan how to tacklethe problems you found. First, attack the majorproblems, like leaking roofs, structural weak-nesses, drafty windows in cold climates, electricalhazards, and plumbing leaks. Other problems,like paint and wallpaper glitches, can bedeferred.

For larger projects, it helps to organize yourrepairs by either the area of the house or typeof task. Do the dining room first, then move tothe living room. Or do all the electrical work,then move to the plumbing, and finally thedrywall and painting.

Don’t be tempted to ignore maintenancetasks, boring though they may seem, becausethey can keep you out of big trouble down theroad. Is a railing getting rusty? Then you canpaint it now or replace it later. Is the gutterclogged with leaves? Then you can either cleanit in the fall (and think about putting on somescreens to keep leaves out in the future), orhave water pouring down your siding when thegutters plug up. That could force an even-more-disgusting cleanup in the spring—andmaybe some siding repair, too, if you are as“lucky” as I’ve been.

Home repair, as I’ve indicated, is a ratherlogical affair. It’s mainly a matter of balancingyour needs with your skills, tools, and budget.Tackle the problems that can’t be avoided first,and move to the more aesthetic ones later on.Be bold!

Want free help? Ask your utilitycompany about a home energy

audit. These evaluations will tell you how tosave money on heating and cooling.

Toolbox Tips

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The Least You Need to Know

◆ The sooner you find and fix a problem,the cheaper it is likely to be.

◆ Problems in the foundation, roof, andstructure can reverberate throughout abuilding and cause cascading disasters.

◆ Maintenance—the recurring problem ofprotecting your home from decay and theelements—may not be glamorous, but itwill save you money in the long run.

◆ Size up your projects—some are easy andsome are hard. Hire professionals for theones that are plain impossible. Yourmorale and your home will both benefit.

◆ If it ain’t broke, it may still need fixing.

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In This ChapterThis is the attractive kitchen of an incorrigible home-fixer. Because he did his own work, he could choose unusual materials, making this pleasing result. Somebody’s

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