10-Minute Home Repairs: More Than 200 Fast, Effective Fixes You Can Do Yourself

255 Pages·2006·8 MB·English

by  Jerri Farris

10-Minute
Home Repairs
More Than 200 Fast,
Effective Fixes
You Can Do Yourself
JERRI FARRIS
Text © 2006 by Fair Winds Press
First published in the USA in 2006 by
Fair Winds Press,a member of
Quayside Publishing Group
33 Commercial Street
Gloucester,MA 01930
All rights reserved.No part ofthis book may be reproduced or utilized,in any
form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,without prior permission in
writing from the publisher.
10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN 1-59233-203-X
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Farris,Jerri.
10-minute home repairs :more than 200 fast,effective fixes you can
do yourself/ Jerri Farris.
p.cm.
ISBN 1-59233-203-X (pbk.)
1. Dwellings--Maintenance and repair--Amateurs' manuals.2.
Do-it-yourselfwork. I.Title:Ten minute home repairs.II.Title.
TH4817.3.F375 2006
643'.7--dc22
2005028617
Book design by Anne Gram
Cover illustration by Elizabeth Cornaro
Illustrations by Robert Leanna
Printed and bound in USA
To my dad,
Chuck Farris,
and my mom,
Nora Farris,
who taught me to rise to the occasion.

Notice to Reader:
Use caution,care,and good judgment when following the procedures
described in this book.The publisher cannot assume responsibility for
any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse of
the information provided.Always follow manufacturers’instructions
included with products and materials.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Ready,Set,Repair! 11
Chapter Two
Good Boundaries 23
Walls 24
Floors 49
Ceilings 72
Chapter Three
Grand Openings 77
Windows 78
Doors 91
Chapter Four
Kitchens 113
Chapter Five
Bathrooms 137
Chapter Six
Laundry Rooms 167
Chapter Seven
Systems Made Simple 175
Plumbing 176
Electricity 193
Heating,Ventilation,and Air Conditioning 212
Chapter Eight
The Great Outdoors 229
Glossary 242
About the Author 254
Chapter 1
b
Ready, Set, Repair!
Almost every homeowner in the world has a list—either written on
paper or floating at the back of his or her mind—of small repairs that
need to be done around the house.Most homeowners are waiting for the
right time,the right materials,or the right information to come along
so they can get started on these projects.Well,now that you’re armed
with the information in 10-Minute Home Repairs,that time is now!

Make Time
Ifyou think you’re too busy to get your home in better shape,think
again.You can fix that annoying faucet leak or the creaky floor board
that’s bugged you for months in the time it takes to boil a pot of
pasta! Read through this book,and see for yourself.It’s filled with easy
projects,almost all of which can be done in ten minutes or less.Think
of how accomplished you’ll feel when you fit a successful home repair
into your day!
Develop a Can-Do Attitude
No matter how much experience you have (or don’t have) around the
house,you can do every project in this book.How can I be so sure? I
can do every one,and I once was the most inexperienced,timid home-
owner ever to pick up a screwdriver.
I grew up the least handy person in an extremely handy family,and
I married an extremely handy man.My version of fixing something
was to point out the problem and wait.Then one day,I suddenly and
unexpectedly found myself in charge of a big suburban house and
