Homeowner maintenance reference manual including 380 residential workmanship guidelines covering conditions and maintenance for topics including: floors and ceilings; roofs and gutters; foundations and basements; interior/exterior components; grounds; utility systems; and walls. Homeowner and builder maintenance responsibilities are stated along with the performance guideline and additional information for each topic. Green home construction is also covered.

New help for new homeowners Homeowners who are ready to remodel, just moving in, or ready to tackle their first DIY repair will find Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide for New Homeowners indispensable. Filled with easy-to-follow projects for all of the most common repairs and installations homeowners confront, this is the essential guide for readers with little to no do-it-yourself experience. This book is carefully tailored for the needs of homeowners new to the art of home repair and maintenance. Each section includes an overview of the topic; including information on common tools and materials, overall house systems, and how to evaluate different situations. Then specific projects start with a list of common terms and a photographed list of the tools and materials needed for the project at hand. Detailed, step-by-step photo instructions follow.

Owning a home is a constant adventure filled with infinite challenges. To succeed, it's important to keep an open mind and to think creatively. In these pages, learn new ways to make use of your mortgage agreement (i.e. as a stepping stool), how to pick through other people's garbage for furnishings, and exactly what you should do if a tree falls on your house. You might be surprised to learn what your design choices say about you and interested to discover just how easy it is to catch poison ivy. This is an excellent and humorous tool for new homeowners and those who are experiencing burnout. Whether you've been in your house 20 minutes or 20 years, this groundbreaking guide will help you become a better homeowner and quite possibly a great one.

An introduction to the mysteries of homeownership offers advice on such topics as plumbing and electrical systems, how to cope with termites and burglars, and childproofing a home

The updated and highly illustrated guide to understanding how just about everything in your house works! The revised and updated third edition of How Your House Works is a hands-on guide that gives you the low-down on why your faucet is leaking, your dishwasher is overflowing, or your furnace is on the fritz. This comprehensive book is your reference to virtually everything in your house with richly illustrated explanations of electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, major household appliances, foundation, framing, doors, and windows. This must-have book answers most questions homeowners face when repairs are needed or when a new house or addition is in your future. How Your House Works is filled with easy-to-understand illustrations that show how things should be put together and how they function. The book also highlights issues outside the house as well as clock thermostats, ventless gas heaters, moisture and mold, and passive solar heating. Using the illustrations and the author’s clear explanations might save you the expense of calling a professional. This invaluable guide: Offers a colorful resource to home electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, major household appliances, foundation, framing, doors and windows, sustainability, and much more Includes easy-to-follow information for troubleshooting problems Contains dozens of new full-color illustrations Presents new chapters on solar power and smart home technologies Helps homeowners save money on many common household repairs Written for homeowners with little or no knowledge of home maintenance or repair, How Your House Works is your illustrated and updated guide to understanding how appliances, electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and more work!