Gary Hedstrom & Peg Hedstrom 
How to Fix Everything For Dummies 

If I had a hammer: The fun and easy way for do-it-yourselfers to repair home appliances and furniture

For anyone who’s ever been frustrated by a repair shop rip-off or just wanted to join thousands of others in the DIY craze, How to Fix Everything For Dummies is a no-nonsense guide showing you how to troubleshoot and fix a wide range of furniture (with wobbly legs, for example) and household appliances — vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, toasters, blenders, radios, televisions, and even computers and printers.

Packed with step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, it’s a must-have money-saver for the half of all homeowners who undertake Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home projects. This hands-on, DIY manual shows you not only how to fix faulty appliances but also tend to all those irritating repairs that cost more to have someone else fix than the item is worth. How to Fix Everything For Dummies is for you if you

* Are a homeowner or an apartment dweller

* Want to fix things around the house but aren’t sure where to start

* Have some experience but need guidance on tackling more and larger repairs

* May be frustrated about throwing things away because you don’t know where to go to repair them

* Don’t want to pay for service calls when the problem is minor

Featuring clear, concise directions, How to Fix Everything For Dummies also covers the proper tools and materials to get the job done correctly without breaking the bank and important safety measures to take so you don’t hurt yourself. You’ll learn how to

* Fix creaky stairs

* Patch basement floors

* Restore damaged carpets

* Correct drywall and repair plaster walls

* Fix door and cabinet hardware problems

* Rewire fixtures

* Get doorbells to work

* Fix garage door openers

* Unclog drains and fix leaky pipes

* Mend wooden fences and decks

* Repair minor cracks in the concrete driveway or pool

* And a whole lot more

Additionally, this friendly guide is written in plain English and includes a list of home repairs you should not take on yourself but should leave for the professionals and tips on how to hire one. Grab your copy of How to Fix Everything For Dummies, grab your screwdriver and wrench, and get to work!

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1

Part I: Gearing Up to Fix Everything 7

Chapter 1: If Your Broken Stuff Needs Repair 9

Chapter 2: Tackling Basic Tools and Equipment 19

Part II: Repairing Your Home’s Interior 33

Chapter 3: Taking the Creaks, Cracks, and Holes Out of Floors, Stairs, and Basements 35

Chapter 4: Conquering Door and Window Headaches 55

Chapter 5: Closing In on Walls and Ceilings 79

Chapter 6: Tending to Cabinet, Closet, and Countertop Glitches 93

Part III: Conquering Simple Electrical, Air, and Plumbing Repairs 115

Chapter 7: Don’t Blow Your Fuse: Minor Electrical Repairs 117

Chapter 8: Handling Your Heating, Cooling, and Air Quality Systems 143

Chapter 9: Sailing Through the Waterworks: Plumbing Repairs 163

Part IV: Keeping Your Stuff in Good Shape 191

Chapter 10: Looming Large Over Major Appliances 193

Chapter 11: Getting Small Appliances to Work 221

Chapter 12: Fine-Tuning Communication Equipment 239

Chapter 13: Rescuing Your Favorite Furnishings 259

Part V: Working Outside Your House 279

Chapter 14: Sprucing Up Your Home’s Exterior 281

Chapter 15: Improving Your Outdoor Leisure Areas 305

Chapter 16: Repairing, Patching, and Sealing Concrete and Asphalt 323

Part VI: The Part of Tens 337

Chapter 17: Ten Repairs You Should Leave to the Professionals 339

Chapter 18: Ten (Okay, Twelve) Tips for Hiring a Repair Specialist (When All Else Fails) 343

Index 351

Über den Autor

Gary and Peg Hedstrom are self-taught repair masters with experience in carpentry, plumbing, appliance repair, and more. Judy Ondrla Tremore is a writer and editor for various newspapers and magazines.