VIDEOS: Reel Tools : Home-Improvement Videos Assist the View-It-Yourselfer

Home repair was strictly learn-as-you-go when I was a little girl.

On weekends, my father would get out the tool chest and attack a squeaky door, leaky faucet or stuck window in what he dubbed a “curse-and-bleed” operation.

That is, the job was not complete until he had split a thumb or dropped something heavy on his toe, sending him stumbling for the medicine cabinet, cursing loudly.

When my husband, Larry, and I bought a fixer house in 1983, we thought we were smarter than old Dad. We acquired a thick stack of home-improvement books, so we could read about our projects before tackling them. We scrutinized complicated charts and pondered hundreds of pages of often-confusing text in our quest for home-repair knowledge.

Despite our efforts, many a curse was uttered, many a Band-Aid needed. Three years and many mistakes later, the house was finished; the hefty home-repair manuals now occupy a shelf in our living room bookcase, where they look quite impressive.

Recently, just as technology took exercise out of the gym and onto the Jane Fonda tape, a new form of instruction for the would-be do-it-yourselfer has emerged: the home-improvement video.

Home improvement on video generally resembles home improvement in real life, with several important differences. On video, almost nobody sweats. They don’t rip or stain their clothes. They don’t make mistakes, and their neighbors don’t scream at them for running the electric saw late at night.

Most unrealistically, they never have to go back to the hardware store, and no one ever pays for anything. Naturally, a certain suspension of disbelief is necessary to concentrate on the home repairs shown on the tapes.

Will home-improvement videos ever replace the printed word and picture for the home handyperson? Unlikely. In fact, most of the tapes come with booklets or books, or at least a disclaimer advising that their video may not demonstrate everything you need to know.

When Larry and I wanted to learn a new skill, we would hire a professional who would let us observe and assist. A good how-to video is like having a professional over to your house, except the video can be rewound and watched again--and it doesn’t charge another $50 an hour.

Home-improvement videos started to appear in the early 1980s, but most of the videos on the market today have come out within the last three years. The field is dominated by two series, both of which have the promotional advantage of being aired as weekly television shows: The Do-It-Yourself Show and The Hometime Show.

“We’re happy people,” said Do-It-Yourself company President Robert Roskins, and no wonder--he claims the series is selling 250,000 copies a year at $19.95 a pop. “Hometime” host Dean Johnson won’t reveal sales figures, but says his series is carried in 6,000 retail outlets, and is doing “real well.”

The Do-It-Yourself Show (D-Y-I) and tapes are hosted by professionals Curt Burbick and Avian Rogers. They are capable, friendly and relaxed on camera. They also clearly love their work, and their enthusiasm as they build a garage or knock down a load-bearing wall is downright inspiring.

The 27 episodes available on tape are usually 30 minutes long, and always well organized, scripted and shot. Larry points out that the show doesn’t always have enough detail for a novice, but for folks who already know their way around a 4-foot level, these tapes are just the ticket.

The hosts of the “Hometime Show” are former hardware distributor Dean Johnson and former journalist JoAnne Liebeler. They’re not pros, but the show is scrupulously accurate, with elaborate descriptions and plenty of nice big close-ups. If you’ve never hung a picture in your life, this series is for you.

The 36 mostly hourlong tapes are sponsored by Chevrolet. This doesn’t mean there’s a Chevy logo at the beginning of each tape, but Dean and JoAnne go to the hardware store in a Chevy Astro, raving about the van all the way there and back. Luckily, our VCR has the double-quick fast forward speed.

Video budgets range from shoestring to elaborate, special effects from humble hand-drawn charts to flashy computer-generated graphics. The Hometime Show has a more expensive look than the Do-It-Yourself Show.

But dollars alone don’t make a good video. As I viewed more than 60 of the tapes currently on the market, I developed the requisite “Four Reals”--real professionals do real repairs on real homes in real big close-up shots. Generally, the more educational and enjoyable videos provide the Four Reals.

The presence--or absence--of “Reals” figures prominently in my notes about each home-improvement tape reviewed below. The reviews are grouped by type of repair, and listed alphabetically within each category (not necessarily best tape first).

I haven’t rated the tapes, because what’s good for a beginner isn’t always good for a more experienced renovator. There isn’t room for all 36 Hometime and 27 Do-It-Yourself episodes, but I’ve included key examples of each series.

I made Larry watch a number of the tapes, and his comments reflect his experience as a remodeler and television associate producer.

Carpentry

Fine Homebuilding Workshop--”Basic Stairbuilding,” “Installing Doors and Windows,” “Installing Trim,” “Making Kitchen Cabinets”

These tapes are the Rolls-Royce of home-improvement video--thorough, clear and well-shot. Producer Taunton Press has chosen an expert in each field to host the tape on their specialty.

Check out “Trim” video host Craig Savage as he makes short work of cope-edged joints. Or thrill to the workmanship of Scott Schuttner in the elaborate stair-building video. These tapes have all you need to know, from the basics to inspiring advanced projects.

Hometime--”Finish Carpentry”

Dean and JoAnne tackle simple stuff, such as installing a door/jamb assembly and installing molding for windows, doors, baseboards and ceilings. Then they spiral off into remodeling fairyland, making their own fireplace mantel, stairs, banisters, folding double doors and wainscoting. Fascinating to watch, but don’t try this at home.

Increase Video--”Woodworking”

This tape begins with a lengthy explanation of how to hold a piece of plywood. Then, without measuring anything, host Bob McKelvey saws many pieces of wood, while his voice on the sound track intones such sage advice as “Corneal injuries are not something you can ignore.”

Eventually, he assembles a cabinet in the murky darkness of his workshop, while he talks to an unseen person off camera. Though he seems knowledgeable, McKelvey just isn’t having any fun. Neither did I.

You Can Do It Videos--”Install a Pre-Hung Door,” “Constructing Stud Walls,” “Principles of Paneling”

Host George Giangrante brings his friend Lou along to show us how to do basic carpentry projects in these three tapes. George seems to know what he’s doing, but the camera is placed far, far away from the action.

George glues up a piece of plywood, then checks to see if it’s level. This is a prescription for disaster when a novice goes to work. On the positive side, this series is the only one closed captioned for the hearing impaired.

Decks

Better Homes & Gardens

This tape kills my interest with corny dialogue from our actor “couple.” She: “You know, I figure that our new deck will cost less than last summer’s vacation!” He: “You know, that’s what I call a bargain.” Confusing explanations of how to build the deck follow.

D-I-Y

Curt and Avian build a simple deck at Avian’s house. They cover all the basic steps--pier blocks, joists, decking, rails. I liked the fast pace and real-life situation; Larry felt it skipped over too much.

Hometime

After extensive planning, Dean and JoAnne build a deck from scratch. It’s all here, in glorious close-ups. They even show how to build the joists. The tape is full of great tips, such as which side of the lumber goes up, and the 3-4-5 measuring shortcut. They tackle a two-level deck with a cantilevered section, and lay diagonal deck planks--a little ambitious for the average homeowner. I found the tape a bit plodding, but Larry liked the detailed explanations.

Drywall

Best of Wally’s Workshop

Former “What’s My Line” host Wally Bruner was a pioneer of home-improvement video, but unfortunately, his 90-minute tapes are long on corn pone and short on clear instructions. No surprise the 24-tape series is hard to find; I came across a couple installments at a 20/20 Video store.

Wally and wife Natalie inexplicably dress and act like they’re on the set of “The Wonder Years.” Wally does offer some helpful hints--borrow tools from your neighbors instead of buying them--but there are no close-ups as Wally tries in vain to smooth the joint mud.

D-I-Y

In this thorough tape, our hosts drywall an attic space, including a round turret! It doesn’t get any harder than that. Larry goes crazy when they use lipstick on the electrical box and then press the drywall up against it, neatly marking where to cut. “I wish I’d known that,” he mutters.

Hometime

Larry put up lots of drywall at our house, and he liked this tape the best. They don’t skip the hard parts, like how to get the seams really smooth. Dean and JoAnne warn that beginners should stay away from flat ceilings. “Too late,” moans Larry.

Electrical

D-I-Y

The action takes place in an eerie black set, but the content is good, as Avian and Curt install plugs, switches and light fixtures with lots of close-ups and explanations. They also add an outlet and add circuits to their fuse box.

Hometime

Dean and JoAnne cover every imaginable basic electrical project in this 65-minute tape. Some of it’s over my head, but if you watch long enough, you’ll probably find the exact thing you want to learn. Beware though, they’re working on a set.

“In a real house,” as Dean explains, lots of things will be different. And walt a minute--they hire a pro to work on their fuse box. Wimps!

Made Easy Series

Our hosts Shelby Grimm and Julie Morgan don’t introduce themselves, and we soon learn why. While strange, throbbing synthesizer music plays in the background, they explain basic electrical repairs with a “See Spot Run” approach.

“If the light glows, stop,” Shelby says. “The current is not off. Go turn it off.” There’s no tough stuff, like adding an outlet or roughing-in new circuits. And there’s no way to stay awake.

Ortho Information Series

Our host, Thayer Walker, chats with us in a kitchen, drinks coffee and explains this series is for “ordinary people, the average homeowner.”

Unfortunately, the tape is populated not with average homeowners, but with below-average actors, who have awkward conversations about their lives while they perform basic home repairs. Why should I believe these drama students are doing it right? Mercifully, the actors are not credited by sequence, so you can’t tell who was responsible for any particular embarrassing scene.

General Repairs

D-I-Y

This tape covers plumbing, electrical and weatherizing repairs. There’s basic pipe soldering, replacing a cracked tile, fixing squeaky boards, plaster cracks and other basic home repairs. But the electrical repairs confused me; I don’t think I would understand them without seeing their electrical tape first.

Hometime

Probably the best one-stop tape. Every subject is covered in detail. They don’t just install a switch -- they install one-, three- and even four-way switches. The same thorough treatment is given to plumbing repairs, stuck windows, sagging doors, flawed plaster, ripped wallpaper, squeaky floors, and marred vinyl flooring. Whew!

Reader’s Digest Videomanual: Home Repair

A disembodied arm and a headless man perform an exhaustive series of plumbing, electrical and other general home repairs in this video. You could probably learn a lot here--if you could tolerate the “You’re-a-moron” explanations. This one’s even boring in fast-forward.

This Old House

Bob Vila’s home improvement series is probably the best known, but this tape is the only episode currently available. I was surprised to find that home-improvement legend Vila delegates a lot of the work to helpers. The tape is well shot and scripted, and full of good tips, like putting soap on screws for easy drilling and the old lipstick trick.

Besides the usual electric and plumbing repairs, we see track lighting installed, windowpane replacement, a door lock, rain gutters, floor refinishing and more. A good demo of a brick walkway shows the step we left out--pouring sand or stone dust into the bed to prevent grass from sprouting.

Home Security

Best of Wally’s Workshop

Wally skips lots of steps installing a combination burglar/smoke alarm, including drilling the holes and threading the wires behind the wall. When Wally tests it, he can only get the smoke alarm part to work. With wires draped all over the set, he proudly announces, “This is the solution.” “Yeah,” Larry howls, “now you’ve got wire linguin e all over your house.”

As a finale, the door lock Wally installed earlier pops open of its own accord--and does not trigger the alarm.

Made Easy Series

This silly tape doesn’t have a single installation. They talk about storm windows, window locks, home safes, caulking, duct wraps--but hey, how do we put them in?

Kitchen Remodel

D-I-Y

In this ambitious tape, our hosts destroy an old kitchen, then reframe the walls for new French doors, knock down a load-bearing wall, install new cabinets, and it all comes out looking great. Nothing may be too hard for them, but this is way beyond the average do-it-yourselfer’s abilities. Sure is inspiring to watch though.

Ortho Information Series

The bad actors in this tape don’t even bother to do many repairs. In one sequence, two men discuss but do not actually replace a sink. This tape does have the only demonstration I found of installing a greenhouse window. Unfortunately, a good deal of time is wasted while “Dad” explains to “Son” how much “Mom” is going to like her new window.

In another section, a young couple lay out their new vinyl flooring on the driveway to measure it--a great way to embed little pebbles in the backing, ruining the installation. “Is the flooring square?” she asks. He replies with the do-it-yourselfer’s famous last words: “Looks square to me.”

Paint and Wallpaper

Better Homes & Gardens--”Wallpaper Like A Pro”

Our expert Leonardo Torrente is affable and knows what he’s doing. His preparation is great, but once he starts hanging wallpaper, problems emerge. Demonstrations of how to trim around windows are badly shot, and the continuity is confusing--first he’s working toward the right, then suddenly he’s moving to the left. He puts the first piece on a new wall and then checks to see if it’s plumb--sure disaster for a beginner.

D-I-Y--”Interior Paint & Wallpaper”

This tape covers the basics well, but it’s vexing when Avian paints a ceiling without getting little bits of paint on her face.

Great Living Series--”Paint Like a Professional”

The disembodied arm returns in this for-beginners-only tape. The arm turns into a whole guy later, but we never learn who he is. This tape does attempt to settle the raging painter’s controversy--should you punch holes in the paint can rim or not? (If you do, the paint drips back into the can and keeps the lid from sticking. But the holes can let air in, causing the paint to harden. Their advice: Don’t do it.)

Hometime--”Interior Paint & Wallpaper”

This solid tape covers both paint and wallpaper. Good preparation, “cutting in” and a good wallpaper demonstration of trimming around a door. There’s an interesting section on stenciling--a simple way to brighten up a room.

Increase Video--”Professional Tips for Easy Wallpapering”

In this 56-minute video, nervous Nancy Mitchell, a wallpapering professional, demonstrates the easy parts of how to hang wallpaper. After a long, dull explanation of what kind of paper and tools to use, she puts her first piece of paper up in the middle of a wall. As we approach a window, she puts up one piece, then presto! In the next shot, we’re past the window.

Made Easy Series--”Paint & Paper”

This tape is a real cheater--they paint a white ceiling white again. “Cutting in” paint, masking windows and wallpapering around doors all happen off camera. Their demonstration of sizing a wall is a close-up of the sizing can.

U-Do-It-Yourself--”Wallpaper”

Producer Bruce Lamb brags “We think we’ve got the best do-it-yourself wallpaper tape on the market” at the beginning of this tape. While the program does demonstrate solutions to many wallpaper challenges, including doors, a casement window, an archway and a soffit, host Larry Camp has trouble thinking like a beginner. Pasting the wallpaper before cutting it is fine for a pro, but it’s going to be a big mess when we try it at home.

View-and-Do Videos--”Paperhanging”

This new video is a stultifying 117-minute epic. Professional Harry Davies, “wife and paperhanger” Louise and daughter Karrin are all stiff as 2-by-4s as they try to explain how to hang wallpaper.

The script is confusing and redundant: “Before you can prevent that from happening,” Harry says, “you should know what causes it to happen.” He explains further by pointing to an incomprehensible chart.

Larry says, “This guy makes you want to call a professional!”

Plumbing

D-I-Y

Curt and Avian start big, laying the plumbing for a whole house. But they’re not in a real house--it’s that strange black set, with a few wall studs and no plaster. They make it look easy, but am I going to plumb my whole house? I think not. Later, they focus on repairs. Like many tapes, they demonstrate how to fix a toilet with a cutaway tank. I know it’s hard to see in, but it still seems like a cheat.

Fix-It Series

The disclaimer at the front of this tape says producer Morris Video “is not claiming persons presented to be experts, nor do we endorse them or necessarily agree with them.” Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.

Host and apparent non-expert Jerry Jones does a number of plumbing repairs without ever setting foot in a kitchen or bathroom. Faucets are mounted on little red-and-yellow boxes. He changes a shower head while holding the whole assembly in his hand. I think it’s easy that way, Jerry, but what about when it’s attached to a ceramic-tile wall?

Hometime

The best part of this tape is when computer graphics pop in to show you where the toilet and shower will be. Repairs are well covered, but the big “rough in” plumbing job is too confusing to follow. “We cut this pipe to the right length,” Dean explains. But how do I know what that is?

Made Easy Series

In this tape, hosts Shelby Grimm and Julie Morgan dismantle many different plumbing fixtures, but reassemble almost none of them. They use a toilet diagram so silly that I now understand why most tapes use the cut-away tank. At the end of a typical repair, Julie chirps, “Now reassemble the faucet. It shouldn’t leak.”

Larry laughed until he cried at that one.

Ortho Information Series

This tape wastes a lot of time on awkward chitchat and features stiff, stiff actors doing home repairs. There’s one informative segment, when two lovable nerd-types fix the plumbing at their vacation home. Between the garish video lighting and the silly scripts, this series plays like a bad soap opera. (All My Home Repairs?)

Siding

Build Your Own Series--”Reside Your House”

This tape is sponsored by the American Plywood Assn. Since the tape covers only plywood, and 90% of siding is redwood or cedar, what we learn here is of limited use. Safety is slipshod as well.

Hometime--”Siding”

This tape features a good planning section and a good tip--varnish the wood before you install it. Covers plywood panels, cedar shakes, and it offers a book bibliography in the accompanying “Project Guide” booklet.

Tile/Glass Block

D-I-Y--”Ceramic Tile: Floors & Counters”

I watched the tile tapes with great interest, because we hired a contractor to tile our entry, and he messed up the job. After seeing how simple it is, I’m sorry we didn’t do it ourselves. This tape has good coverage of the basics, but they don’t tile a wall.

Fine Homebuilding Video Workshop--”Tiling Walls/Floors/Countertops”

These three tapes are a tile-setting extravaganza! Host Michael Byrne doesn’t just slap down some tile--he uses careful planning to create the best layout, including a graceful curved section where two walls join.

Byrne starts from scratch, installing several types of underlayment. He even demonstrates how to create a sloped shower floor. “You just can’t get results like this out of a box,” he notes. No kidding. The thinking man’s tile tapes.

Hometime--”Ceramic Tile”

This tape explains why the tile in our house is coming up--it didn’t have the cement-like underlayment that keeps the surface rigid. They work in a variety of real situations, and even replace a broken tile. I love it when they do it wrong, and rechalk their lines.

U-Do-It-Yourself--”Glass Block”

This is the only tape I found on installing glass block; luckily, it’s quite serviceable. Producer/host Bruce Lamb is a little stiff, but his preparation is very thorough, with good advice on planning ahead to avoid problems. He actually adjusts a course of blocks to make them level, just like a real person. The script could use some streamlining, but he tells you what you need to know in a compact 30-minute tape.

U-Tile-It-Yourself--”Walls/ Floors/Counters”

Bruce Lamb has three tiling tapes to address each specific job. He demonstrates tiling an outdoor patio, then tiles over linoleum flooring in a kitchen. Each tape starts with a thorough demonstration of tools and good tile-cutting and planning tips. The pounding synthesizer music is a little weird, but Lamb makes the jobs look easy.

I do get confused when Lamb shows how to create a sink surface for tiling, but once he’s done, there’s good advice on how to work with non-square walls. Lamb uses real house situations, and doesn’t skip the hard parts, like cutting tiles to fit around shower pipes.

Wood Floors

Fine Homebuilding Workshop--”Sanding & Finishing Hardwood Floors”

This tape is the most disappointing of the series--they finish a new floor, so it’s hard to see the difference. Host Don Bollinger does create some gouges, and then shows you how to fix them. A most useful demonstration for amateurs to see.

Hometime--”Wood Flooring”

Larry writhes at the thought of beginners gouging their wood floors, but I found this tape inspiring. Our hosts refinish a battered old floor from start to finish, and they don’t shy away from the tough parts, like sanding under the radiator. The floor looks ravishing when they’re finished. They don’t show any floor repairs though.

Special Projects

Build Your Own Series--”Store-It-All Barn”

Host Don Vandervort starts with an in-depth review of how plywood is made. You guessed it, it’s another tape sponsored by the American Plywood Assn. My review copy came brand new in the cellophane, but had audio problems and fuzzy picture. What I could make out of Vandervort didn’t make a lot of sense. He puts the barn together pretty neatly, but I don’t think I could do it.

D-I-Y--”Garages”

Have you been wanting to build a garage from scratch? Then this tape is for you. This special one-hour episode epitomizes our hosts philosophy--almost nothing is beyond the abilities of a determined do-it-yourselfer.

They do break down and hire a contractor to pour their concrete slab and put up the garage door. Curt and Avian divide the job into simple steps--roof, walls, windows, doors, electrical--and then, they do it all. Amazing, but beyond most remodelers’ abilities.

Hometime--”Three-Season Porch”

This tape is also quite impressive, but far beyond the skills of most remodelers. Interesting camera work is used in a wonderful dream sequence where Dean agonizes over having ordered the roof trusses in the wrong size. When he wakes up, of course, he solves the problem. The planning is extensive, the explanations are expansive, and I’m sure the project is very expensive.

Give Up?

Hometime--”Contracting a Home”

Has all this talk of doing it yourself made you want to melt down your tool chest? Then consider this option: Don’t do it yourself, but save money by becoming your own general contractor.

This staggering 10-part, two-tape miniseries is the “Gone With The Wind” of the do- it-yourself genre. We learn how to choose a site, read plans, get permits, find subcontractors, schedule (ha! ha!)--all the steps you need to take your house from idea to move-in condition.

You would think after viewing all these home-improvement videos, I could fix anything. But there’s one drawback to learning from a video--you have to find one that demonstrates your exact repair. And after watching more than 60 tapes, I didn’t see a single one that shows this plumbing problem: When we turn on our bathroom sink’s cold tap, it slowly turns itself off. The cursing and bleeding continues.