Includes index.

Inside Your Home -- Floors and Stairs -- Anatomy of a floor -- Silencing squeaks -- Patching wood, tile, and sheet flooring -- Fixing stairs -- Laying a wood floor -- Laying carpeting -- Installing resilient flooring -- Laying a tile floor -- Interior Walls -- Anatomy of interior walls -- Finding studs -- Patching walls -- Repairing and installing paneling -- Repairing and installing ceramic wall tiles -- Installing molding -- Framing with wood and metal -- Installing drywall -- Ceilings -- Anatomy of a ceiling -- Repairing holes in drywall and plaster -- Raising a sagging ceiling -- Installing recessed lighting -- Installing a suspended ceiling -- Windows -- Anatomy of a window -- Repairing windows -- Repairing window shades and venetian blinds -- Interior Doors -- Anatomy of a door -- Freeing a binding door -- Repairing doors -- Hanging a door -- Storage -- Organizing existing space -- Getting more room -- Closet organizers -- Buying and installing cabinets -- Fireplaces -- Anatomy of a fireplace -- Repairing firebricks -- Installing gas logs -- Solving flue problems -- Installing a new fireplace -- Basements and Foundations -- Anatomy of a basement -- Solving basement problems -- Solving water problems -- Outside Your Home -- Roofs -- Anatomy of a roof -- Pinpointing leaks -- Using ladders -- Repairing wood, slate, asphalt, tile, and metal roofs -- Repairing flashing -- Preventing condensation in attics -- Installing and repairing gutters and downspouts -- Installing roofing -- Installing a skylight -- Exterior Walls, Windows, and Doors -- Anatomy of exterior walls -- Sealing walls -- Repairing siding -- Repairing brickwork -- Repairing stucco -- Installing new siding -- Repairing broken glass and fixing windows -- Repairing screening -- Installing storm windows -- Porches, Patios, and Decks -- Anatomy of a porch -- Repairing columns -- Anatomy of a patio -- Applying stains and preservatives -- Laying a brick-in-sand patio -- Working with concrete -- Building a deck -- Fences and Garden Walls -- Repairing fence rails -- Fixing gates -- Building a new fence -- Setting fence posts -- Applying finishes to fences -- Installing chain-link fencing -- Anatomy of a retaining wall -- Building a dry stone wall -- Building a masonry wall -- Working with bricks and concrete blocks -- Walks, Steps, and Drives -- Leveling walks -- Repairing steps -- Patching asphalt -- Building new walks, steps, and drives -- Garages -- Anatomy of garage doors -- Troubleshooting garage doors -- Installing garage door openers -- Your Home's Systems -- Electricity -- Anatomy of an electrical system -- Tools for electrical repairs -- Testing circuits -- Repairing lamps -- Types of cable -- Installing and wiring receptacles -- Extending circuits -- Installing new circuits -- Working with low-voltage wiring -- Installing outdoor wiring -- Lighting -- Selecting lighting fixtures -- Installing dimmer switches -- Installing recessed, track, and fluorescent lighting -- Installing low-voltage lighting -- Plumbing -- Anatomy of a plumbing system -- Clearing clogs -- Repairing faucets -- Fixing drains -- Repairing toilets -- Quieting noisy pipes -- Installing new pipes -- Installing new faucets, sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets -- Purifying water -- Gas -- Anatomy of a gas system -- Lighting pilot lights -- Testing for leaks -- Adjusting burners -- Installing gas ranges, dryers, and grills -- Heating and Cooling -- Anatomy of air, water, and radiant heating systems -- Maintaining furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps -- Anatomy of a cooling system -- Maintaining room and central air-conditioners -- Choosing new equipment -- Weatherization and Ventilation -- Upgrading your home's weather stripping and insulation -- Installing ventilation fans -- Security -- Protecting against fire and break-ins -- Securing windows and doors -- Installing alarm systems -- Basics You Should Know -- Tools and Techniques -- Measuring with tapes, rules, squares, and levels -- Cutting with handsaws and power saws, chisels, routers, and taps and dies -- Sharpening tools -- Hand and power drills -- Fastening with hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, staple guns, riveters, soldering tools, adhesives, and tape -- Holding and clamping with pliers, vises, sawhorses, benches, and clamps -- Shaping and smoothing with rasps and files, planes, sandpaper, power sanders, lathes, and jointers -- Materials and How to Use Them -- Choosing, buying, and working with lumber -- Joinery techniques -- Working with plywood -- Working with plastics and acrylics -- Working with metals -- Working with glass -- Finishing -- Interior painting -- Wallpapering -- Exterior painting -- Painting metal -- Spray-painting -- Sanding -- Clear-finishing wood -- Metric Conversions.