Ultimate Guide to Floors, Walls & Ceilings: Build, Remodel, Repair Book

I get a little on edge anytime I see anything with "do-it-herself" on the cover. It gives me visions of pink tool belts, floral-themed hammers (a real thing, btw. Target carried them), and lots of "Gosh this is hard, but we can do it, girlfriend!" In short, I don't want to be treated differently in my fix-it instructions simply because I happen to be female. Happily, this doesn't occur. It's written in a folksy, yet non-condescending manner, and has lots of helpful tips with good black and white illustrations.

The projects are the type that are the most common repairs or replacements that you'd have to make. (And it seems like every single one of them are featured in the short-sale home we just bought). What I like about the projects that they are not dramatic (no completely rebuilding a chimney or the like), but are the types of things you'd probably hire someone to fix simply because they seem more complicated than they actually are. For example, my husband and I hired someone to replace the ceiling lights for fears of being electrocuted. Had I read this in advance, I would've saved the money and simply done it myself. Basically, if you've got a weekend, some basic tools, and a basic level of reading comprehension, then save yourself some money (a lot of money in some cases!) and do it yourself.