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Recipes For Home Repair
by Alvin Ubell & Sam Bittman
How-To Tutorials: Home Improvement
The complete print edition available for download. Step-by-step procedures, accompanied by clear, precise illustrations, provide excellent instruction and make any home repair seem easy. “Go Forth and Fix!”.
Home Repair Tutorials
Complete Online Edition
- Tool Basics: Beginners Guide to Using Tools (Safety Guidelines)
- Carpentry Basics: Furniture, Windows & Doors, Wall & Floor Repairs
- Electricity: Home Wiring Basics
- Plumbing: Toilet Repairs, Drains, Water Pipes, etc.
- Masonry: Home Foundation and Exterior Repair
- Charts & Tables: Measurements & Materials Reference
1 - Tool Basics:
Beginners Guide to Using Tools
Please read the tool safety guidelines. Tutorials for men and women who have never turned a screwdriver or wielded a hammer. Each lesson is a recipe. Tools are the utensils and materials the ingredients.
| # | Tool Lesson (PDF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 0) | Overview: Tool Basics |  |
| 1) | How-To Use A Hammer | |
| 2) | How-To Use A Screwdriver | |
| 3) | How-To Use A Saw | |
| 4) | How-To Use A HackSaw | |
| 5) | How-To Use A Hand Drill | |
| 6) | How-To Use An Electric Drill | |
| 7) | How-To File Surface Edges | |
| 8) | How-To Use A Wood Chisel | |
| 9) | How-To Use A Cold Chisel | |
| 10) | How-To Use A Carpenter's Plane | |
| 11) | How-To Use A Level | |
| 12) | How-To Use A Soldering Iron | |
2 - Carpentry:
Furniture, Windows & Doors, Walls & Floor Repair
Learn to make commonplace repairs to wooden and related structural objects in the home.
3 - Electricity:
Home Wiring Basics
Basic wiring repairs are accomplished easily, but don't let this be a shocker, take safety first and remember to turn-off the source of electricity at the fuse box or circuit-breaker before working on home wiring projects.
| # | Lesson (PDF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | Chapter 3: Electricity | |
| 54) | How-To Change Blown Fuse or Reset A Circuit Breakers | |
| 55) | How-To Repair Loose Electrical Plug | |
| 56) | How-To Repair Defective Male Plug | |
| 57) | How-To Install & Replace Female Extension Plug | |
| 58) | How-To Replace Female Appliance Plug | |
| 59) | How-To Replace Lamp Socket | |
| 60) | How-To Remove Broken Light Bulb | |
| 61) | How-To Repair Defective Light Switch | |
| 62) | How-To Repair Defective Electrical Wall Outlet | |
| 63) | How-To Install Grounded 3-Prong Adapter | |
| 64) | How-To Replace Porcelain Ceiling Fixture | |
| 65) | How-To Install Ceiling Fixture | |
| 66) | How-To Install Canopy Ceiling Fixture | |
| 67) | How-To Repair Broken Doorbell Button | |
| 68) | How-To Repair Broken Door Buzzer | |
| 69) | How-To Read Home Thermostat | |
| 70) | How-To Measure Indoor Temperature | |
4 - Plumbing:
Toilet Repair, Water Pipes, Hot Water Heater, etc.
Stop annoying leaks! Diagnose typical plumbing concerns that cause many homeowner and apartment dweller the willies. Simple instructions and detailed diagrams provide quick solutions.
5 - Masonry:
Home Foundation and Exterior Repair
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but eroded masonry work is a nuisance and possibly even dangerous to bystanders and long-term building health.
| # | Lesson (PDF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | Chapter 5: Introduction to Masonry Repairs | |
| Reference | Cement Mixing | |
| 97) | How-To Repair Loose Bricks | |
| 98) | How-To Repair Loose Mortar | |
| 99) | How-To Repair A Cracked Foundation (Pointing) | |
| 100) | How-To Repair A Leaking Basement Wall (Foundation) | |
| 101) | How-To Repair & Patch Sidewalk Cracks (Concrete) | |
| 102) | How-To Repair Asphalt Driveway | |
6 - Charts & Tables:
Measurements & Materials Reference
Measure Twice, cut once. Save time and money by familiarizing yourself with sizes, weights and measures. Also find helpful charts for materials usage such as adhesives, lubricants, sandpapers and paints.
| # | Reference (PDF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | Chapter 6: Materials: Nail Sizes | |
| Reference | Fasteners: Nuts Bolts & Machine Screw Sizes |
|
| Reference | Basic Safety | |
| Reference | Furnaces: Troubleshooting Oil, Gas, Electric Furnaces |
|
| Reference | Handy Engineering Formulas for Home Repair | |
| Reference | U.S. Weights and Measures | |
| Reference | The Metric System | |
| Reference | Materials Charts | |
| Reference | Lubricants Chart | |
| Reference | Exterior Paint Selection Chart | |
Related:
Consumer Guides:
Download consumer guides from the Family Circle Archive & get expert home improvement advice.
Tool Safety Guidelines:
(Also review TERMS OF USE) Tools are for everyone and proper safety is key to learning safely. Adult supervision is recommended for young adults. If your are an adult, we still suggest you have a friend nearby. It's good for morale and you'll learn more that way.
Seriously, if you are tired, under the influence, hurried, do not use any tools until you are calm, rested and of good mind. If you are under 21 years of age, you must have adult supervision!
Before starting any project, find an area in your home where you have good light, an area free of clutter and a table to work on. You should wear fitted clothing, not loose, heavy duty shoes, goggles(your vision is a gift) and gloves. Finally, if you've got long hair, bundle it up under a hat so as not to cover your eyes or tangle with the tools.