Reference Books That Can Help Around the House
A good collection of home improvement reference books can be every bit as handy as a good set of tools. Here are a few recommendations:
* “Working Alone: Tips and Techniques for Solo Building” (John Carroll, Taunton Press, $17.95).
This is a wonderful book for anyone who undertakes construction and home improvement projects alone. Included are more than 50 tips and techniques for everything from laying out a foundation to standing newly framed walls. Carroll covers deck building, roof framing and material handling, and offers details for a variety of simple-to-build construction helpers.
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“Paint Your Home” (Francis Donegan, Reader’s Digest Assn., $18.95).
When you’re ready to paint, this book is as useful as a good brush. Donegan covers such topics as tool and material selection, preparation, painting walls and ceilings, painting trim work, doors and windows, cleanup and special situations. There is also a good glossary and a list of material suppliers. Reader’s Digest does a great job with the repair and construction books it publishes, and this is no exception.
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“The New Flooring Idea Book” (Regina Cole, Rockport Publishers, $25).
If you’re ready for new floor coverings in all or part of your home, this is the book for you. You’ll find everything from carpets and rugs to stone, wood and tile. Cole offers advice on colors, hardwood floor designs, matching your floor covering to your lifestyle, the relative noise levels of different floorings and even cleaning and maintenance. There is also a section on supplier references.
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“Grand Finishes for Carpentry: A Step-by-Step Guide Through Molding Installation Projects” (Matt Nikitas, St. Martins Press, $17.95).
Here’s a well-written and well-illustrated how-to book that covers just about everything you want to know about the installation and finishing of a wide variety of moldings, including paneling and wainscoting. You’ll find information on tools, materials, how-to tips, even some history on moldings. There’s also a useful index.
* “The Kitchen Idea Book” (Joanne Kellar Bouknight, Taunton Press, $24.95).
In new construction or remodeling, the kitchen is the one room in the house that requires the most foresight and planning to get right. This comprehensive idea book offers chapters on general design, cabinets, shelves and pantries, counters, appliances and sinks, floors and lighting, and more. There are lots of pictures, style ideas, color and material suggestions.
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“Graphic Guide to Interior Details for Builders and Designers” (Rob Thallon, Taunton Press, $29.95).
This is one of a series of very well-done books on construction. While not really a do-it-yourself book--it’s geared more toward contractors and building designers--”Graphic Guide” offers such a wealth of detail in its drawings that anyone can learn from it. The book is printed in a ring-binding style that allows it to lay open flat for work or study, and the many line drawings offer clear instruction on door installation, door and window casings, crown moldings and other details from the simple to the ornate.
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“The Essential Book of Feng Shui: A Complete Guide to Harmonious Modern Living” (Gill Hale, Anness Publishing, $17.95).
Feng shui is a practical and philosophical method of gaining harmony in your life through the placement and interaction of most everything around you. It has gained a wide following in recent years, and this is a good, complete, easy-to-follow volume on the subject. There are many good pictures, designs, interpretive drawings and explanations that give background on the subject as well as many practical applications both inside and outside the home.
Distributed by Inman News Features.
