Home Improvement 1-2-3 (Home Depot ... 1-2-3)

Rating:
Summary: Not What I'd Hoped It Would Be
Review:
Very disappointed with the almost complete abscence of "expert advice" being offered by the "Editors at Home Depot" in this purported reference book, so I'm returning it the next time I'm in the store.

Almost every subject area I looked at was as far from "expert advice" as it's possible to get -- unless you consider "drill a hole in the wall and drag your [cable, wire, pipe, etc.] through it" to be a revelation of cosmic proportions. The "editors" seemed to be more concerned with how many flashy pictures and other garbage they could squeeze onto every page, instead of focusing on the technical aspects of the job.

Take "Telephone Wiring" on pages 213 and 214 for example, which in essence says nothing more than "Connect your phone to the wires."

Well, yeah, no duh! How about tell us which wires, and how we can tell if they're "live" or "dead", and what the voltages should normally be, and how to hook a voltmeter to the wires to tell which ones go to what post, and how to connect the wires so they'll pass through to other phones in the house, and what to do if they don't work after you've connected them, and... well, the list of what you REALLY need to know is why you'd buy a book like this in the first place, isn't it? And their advice for "Thermostat" on pages 219-220 is just as bad, if not worse -- "Contact a dealer for repairs." Sheesh!

Save your money. Look elsewhere for a home maintenance and repair guide, because these guys are operating without a clue.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I'd Hoped It Would Be
Review:
Very disappointed with the almost complete abscence of "expert advice" being offered by the "Editors at Home Depot" in this purported reference book, so I'm returning it the next time I'm in the store.

Almost every subject area I looked at was as far from "expert advice" as it's possible to get -- unless you consider "drill a hole in the wall and drag your [cable, wire, pipe, etc.] through it" to be a revelation of cosmic proportions. The "editors" seemed to be more concerned with how many flashy pictures and other garbage they could squeeze onto every page, instead of focusing on the technical aspects of the job.

Take "Telephone Wiring" on pages 213 and 214 for example, which in essence says nothing more than "Connect your phone to the wires."

Well, yeah, no duh! How about tell us which wires, and how we can tell if they're "live" or "dead", and what the voltages should normally be, and how to hook a voltmeter to the wires to tell which ones go to what post, and how to connect the wires so they'll pass through to other phones in the house, and what to do if they don't work after you've connected them, and... well, the list of what you REALLY need to know is why you'd buy a book like this in the first place, isn't it? And their advice for "Thermostat" on pages 219-220 is just as bad, if not worse -- "Contact a dealer for repairs." Sheesh!

Save your money. Look elsewhere for a home maintenance and repair guide, because these guys are operating without a clue.

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable intro book... to detailed books in rest of series
Review: As a first time homeowner last year I didn't have a good sense of maintanence items and remodeling options. I picked this book up after looking at several competing home repair manuals at Home Depot.

The book is very "user friendly" for the new home owner. The book is well organization, offers wide coverage, and is based around photos. The sections are color coded by topic like plumbing, painting, electrical so that you can find your project quickly. Once in the general category the book covers numerous related projects, which allows you to consider whether related projects are also important. Both finding your project and considering related projects are vastly helped by all the pictures. The writers/editors have tried to have pictures (that are all in color) for every major stage of a project, which makes evaluating each project much easier (competing home repair manuals are more texted base with fewer color photos).

These three attributes can lead to "project spillovers" - you find related topics quickly. For example, I was interested in what was required to replace/repair roofing shingles and found on nearby pages how to install vent collars on the roof, which made me realize that I was missing collars on my house. Installing a collar turned out to stop the source of a small leak. I may have never noticed this (or taken longer to notice this) without the user friendliness of the Home Depot guide.

The user friendliness is also the source of its weaknesses. They try to squeeze each project onto one or two pages, which does not allow much detail. Also, the starting point for each project is the interior of new construction - open walls, easy access to services - so no guidance on getting your project to such an open setting if you are not dealing with new construction.

Overall, this book is not meant as the only book you'll ever need on home repair. Rather Home Depot has taken a "modular" approach: it is a great intro reference that leads into Home Depot's other related more detailed books on specific topics like "Kitchens and Bathrooms 1-2-3", "Flooring 1-2-3", "Wiring 1-2-3", etc. that are also similarly user friendly. After using this book for general issues, you can buy the more detailed books for topics that you need more depth.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for beginners
Review: I am a first time homeowner who has tinkered with small projects around the house. I found this book to be very helpful for me to develop a basic understanding of how the major systems in my home are put together (ie: plumbing, heating/cooling, electric, wall structure.) I believe it is designed to be a "starter" book for people like me who are just getting their feet wet and need knowledge to build their confidence in order to tackle a larger project. I would recommend it if you want to learn about how your house is put together.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended
Review: I found the book very informative. I didn't know much about home improvement or being a handyman when we bought an older home about six months ago. I mean, I had hardly done anything more than tighten the odd loose screw and certainly had never used a power tool. The numerous pictures in the book were exactly what I needed and I found its humorous style appealing. I recently wired a telephone extension to another bedroom in my house following the instructions, and the phone worked immediately I plugged it in. This book hasn't turned me into an expert, but I don't think that is the audience this book addresses. If you already have some technical knowledge and are looking for in-depth stuff, skip this one. However if like me you're a complete novice with an older home and looking for some basic information then get this book.

Rating:
Summary: really helpful for beginners
Review: I got this book shortly after moving into a new condo that could use a little work. I found it to be exactly what I needed. If you're looking for a basic guide for easy home repairs, this is the book for you. So far, it's helped me regrout my floor, and sand, prime, and paint my bathroom and trim (looks great). It has a nice little feature at the beginning of any home improvement project, where it estimates the difficulty level of a project and the time it will take. This makes it easier to decide if you really want to try a project on your own. It also gives you a supply list, which makes things easier to plan.

If you're looking for an in-depth guide to specific repairs, this isn't it. However, if you're a first time homeowner looking for a guide to basic repairs, this is a good starting point. Again, I can't recommend that painting guide strongly enough.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the first time homeowner/handyman
Review: This book is great if you've never owned a house, never did repair or never paid attention while your Dad was showing you repairs!

It doesn't go into enough detail for this book to be the "only" book you need. But whenever I come across a repair or project I need more depth on, I buy another book or go to the Internet. This book is great reference for small repairs and projects.

Besides, if this book has EVERYTHING you needed to know and EVERY detail, it would be a lot more then $25.

An excellent reference though.


Rating:
Summary: Could be subtitled "Decorating for Dummies."
Review: This is a very user-friendly guide to home renovation and decorating. Painting, molding, carpeting, etc are covered along with basic repairs. If you are tool-illiterate and need a how-to guide, this book is for you. I found it invaluable when I bought my new home