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Index
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part I: Home Maintenance and You
Part II: The Energy Envelope
Part III: Key Systems: Plumbing and HVAC
Part IV: Inside Home Sweet Home
Part V: Out in the Great Wide Open
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Home Maintenance and You
Chapter 1 : Home Maintenance: What It Is and Why It Matters
Keeping Up with Upkeep
From little to big
From inside to outside
Benefiting from a Little TLC
To your health (and safety)
Comfort: You’ll miss it if it’s gone
Money in the bank
Let the Games Begin!
Chapter 2 : Getting to Know Your House and Its Systems
The Exterior: It’s Nice to Fool Mother Nature
Your home’s infrastructure: The foundation and floor frame
Roofing and siding: Your home’s protective coat
Windows, exterior doors, and insulation
Walkways, patios, and driveways
Decks
Fences
Retaining walls
Ornamental iron
The Interior: Your Home’s Insides
The plumbing system
The heating, cooling, and ventilating systems
Interior walls and ceilings
Floors and interior doors
Cabinets and countertops
Appliances
Fireplaces: Traditional and gas
Your home-safety systems
Chapter 3 : Putting Together Your Home Maintenance Plan
Your What-to-Tackle List
Musts: Safety and health
Shoulds: Reducing costs and preventing problems
Coulds: Improving appearance and function
Making your maintenance plan
Your Home-Maintenance Schedule
Things to do annually
Things to do seasonally
Things to do monthly
Shutting-down checklist
Other periodic maintenance tasks
Paying Attention to Safety
Your clothing and safety gear
Your work habits
Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro? The $64,000 Question
Finding a pro
Getting a quote
Selecting a pro
Part II : The Energy Envelope
Chapter 4 : Foundation and Floor Frame Fundamentals
Focusing on the Foundation
Types of foundations: Slabs, basements, and crawlspaces
Foundation materials
Fixing Common Foundation Problems
Is there a fungus among us? Dealing with efflorescence
Being wise about cracks
Preventing moisture under your home
Tackling spalling and disintegration
Not settling for settling
Keeping Your Basement Dry
Basement water collection systems: The sump pump
What to do when it floods
The Floor Frame
Floors that go bump in the night
Getting on the level with your floors
Chapter 5 : Roofing and Siding
Your Roof: The Fifth Wall of Your Home
Staying safe on the roof
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Replacing an asphalt shingle
Preserving a wood-shake or shingle roof
The naked truth about flashing
Dealing with all that dam ice
Finding a roof leak
Getting Your Mind into the Gutter
Cleaning gutters and downspouts
Patching up leaks
Maintaining gutter-protection systems
Siding: A Raincoat to Keep You Dry
Aluminum siding
Vinyl siding
Stucco
Wood siding
Chapter 6 : Windows, Exterior Doors, and Insulation
Saving Energy with Insulation
Looking at different types of insulation
Getting the lowdown on insulation materials
Understanding R values
Adding insulation all over your house
Controlling air leaks in your ceilings, walls, and floors
Windows: See the Light, Feel the Cold
Dealing with water and air leaks
Preventing condensation
Maintaining storm windows
Maintaining screens
Buying new windows
Installing windows
Getting In and Out: Maintaining Exterior Doors
Fixing leaks between the threshold and door bottom
Stopping air leaks with weatherstripping and sealant
Caring for wood and painting
Showing some love to your sliding glass doors
Part III : Key Systems: Plumbing and HVAC
Chapter 7 : Plumbing, Part I: Pipes, Water Heaters, Water Softeners, and More
Thar She Blows! Turning Off Your Water Main
Replacing a Damaged Section of Pipe
Copper pipe
Threaded pipe
Protecting Pipes in Frigid Weather
An ounce of prevention
Quick fixes for burst pipes
Quieting Noisy Water Pipes
Combating water hammers with air chambers
Tightening loose mounting straps
Adjusting too-high water pressure
Some Like It Hot: Your Water Heater
Maintaining your water heater
If you have a gas water heater
If you have an electric water heater
Caring for your tankless water heater
Softening Your Water
Wishing Your Well Is Working Well
Chapter 8 : Plumbing, Part II: Fixtures
Maintaining Fixture Surfaces: Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Fiberglass, and More
Stainless-steel fixtures
Porcelain-on-steel and porcelain-on-cast-iron fixtures
Fiberglass fixtures
Composite fixtures
Vitreous china fixtures
Cleaning Your Faucet Works
Cleaning the aerator
Cleaning and polishing the outside of a faucet
Removing copper residue
Toilet Training 101
Cleaning the toilet
Unclogging plugged toilets
Preventing a sweaty tank
Looking for leaks in and around the toilet
Maintaining Tubs and Showers
Keeping your tubs and showers clean
Re-caulking
Avoiding overflow leaks
Chapter 9 : Plumbing, Part III: Sewer and Septic Systems
Sewer-System Basics
Keeping Your System Clog-Free
Being careful what you put down the drain
Preventive pipe cleaning
A word about commercial drain cleaners
Unclogging the Waste Lines
Keeping Vents Free from Debris
Getting rid of blockages
Putting preventive measures in place
Avoiding Problems with P-Traps
Your Sewer System’s Fall
Maintaining Your Septic System
Being careful about what goes in
Cleaning and pumping your septic tank
Chapter 10 : Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems
Making Friends with the Monster: Your Furnace
Taking care of a forced-air system
Hot-water systems
Steam systems
Electric systems
Ventilation: Letting Your House Breathe
Interior ventilation
Structural ventilation
Big or Small, an Air Conditioner Cools Y’all
Central air-conditioning systems
Window air-conditioner units
Part IV : Inside Home Sweet Home
Chapter 11 : Walls and Ceilings
Cleaning Walls and Ceilings
Dealing with Drywall
Repairing small cracks
Filling bigger cracks
Filling holes like a pro
Tackling truss uplift
Putting the stop on nail pops
Plaster: More Trouble than You May Want
Fixing small cracks and holes
Dealing with sagging and other big problems
Interior Painting: Doing the Job Right
Preparing to paint
Gathering your paint and painting supplies
Painting made easy
Cleaning up right, storing smart
Making Paneling Look like New
Cleaning and oiling paneling
Correcting surface imperfections
Wondering about Wallpaper
Removing wallpaper
Fixing loose seams and clean tears
Patching wallpaper
Chapter 12 : Floors and Interior Doors
What’s Underfoot? Flooring
Vanquishing vinyl trouble
Laminate love
Ceramic tile a go-go
Wild things: Bamboo
Engineered hardwood
Keeping natural hardwood good
Keeping carpet clean
Interior Doors
Common door-maintenance tasks
Special tasks for different types of doors
Knobs, locks, and latches (oh my!)
Chapter 13 : Cabinets and Countertops
Keeping Cabinets Looking Great: Cleaning Know-How
Cleaning wood cabinets
Cleaning painted wood, metal, laminate, or vinyl-covered cabinets
Something Old Is Something New: Refinishing Your Cabinets
Getting your cabinets ready for refinishing
Painting or varnishing . . . at last!
Maintaining Your Cabinets
Making Your Lovely Laminate Last
Cleaning and caring for your laminate
Bursting bubbles
Hiding chips, cuts, and scratches
Caring for Super Solid Surfaces
Keeping Your Tile Terrific
Sealing out grout grunge
Cleaning grubby grout
Staining grubby grout
Replacing grout
Replacing a broken tile
Protecting Marvelous Marble
Caring for Granite
Taking Care of Wonderful Wood Chopping Blocks
Chapter 14 : Appliances
Safety First
Gas appliances
Electric appliances
Caring for the Cooktop
Cleaning up the cooking crud
Maintaining your electric range and cooktop
Keeping your gas range and cooktop in tip-top shape
Opening the Door and Rolling Up Your Sleeves: The Oven
Cleaning your oven
Checking the oven temperature control
Replacing the oven light
Hanging Out in the Range Hood
Microwave Maintenance Mania
Dishwashers
Refrigerators and Freezers
Taking care of the condenser coils
Cleaning the gasket
Keeping the interior clean and fresh-smelling
Defrosting the freezer and drain line
Maintaining inline water filtration
Washing Machines and Dryers
Cleaning your washing machine
Keeping your dryer’s lint traps lint free
Taking care of the dryer vent
Keeping the dryer duct free from obstruction
Mysterious dryer death: Knowing what to do
Chapter 15 : Don’t Get Burned: Fireplaces
Having Your Fireplace Inspected and Swept Regularly
Staying on Top of Fireplace Cracks
Dealing with the Damper
Caring for the Outside of Your Chimney
Taking care of the flashing and flue pipe
Sealing the deal
Arresting sparks and other hazards
Cleaning a Soot-Covered Brick Fireplace Face
Making the Most out of Glass Doors and Screens
Cleaning glass fireplace doors
Giving sluggish glass doors a pick-me-up
Screening out difficulties
Chapter 16 : Maintaining Your Home-Safety Systems
Preventing and Dealing with Household Fires
Smoke detectors
Fire extinguishers
Preventing Carbon-Monoxide Poisoning
Maintaining your carbon-monoxide detector
Paying attention to sources of carbon monoxide
Keeping Your Natural-Gas Line Safe
Shining a Light on Electrical Safety
Maintaining Your Burglar Alarm
Testing the Safety Mechanisms in Your Automatic Garage-Door Opener
Guarding Your Home against Natural Disasters
When disaster is upon you
Putting things back together
Part V : Out in the Great Wide Open
Chapter 17 : Walkways, Patios, and Driveways
Cementing Your Relationship with Concrete
Cleaning off grease and oil stains
Cleaning up mildew: No slip slidin’ away
Patching cracks
Sealing concrete
Painting your concrete
Staining your concrete — intentionally
Repairing concrete steps
Getting Things on an Even Keel
Leveling settled brick patios and walkways
Leveling and resetting stone paths
Recoating an asphalt driveway
For the Love of Masonry
Dealing with stress cracks
Cleaning your masonry
Applying a sealer
Chapter 18 : Decks, Fences, and Retaining Walls
Preserving Wood
Paint
Preservative
Stain
Clear finish
Cleaning Your Wood and Composite-Wood Structures
Power-washing
Using a wood brightener
Giving wood a facelift with sanding
Tightening Loose Rails, Fence Boards, and Fence Posts
Remedying Sagging Gates
Termite Treachery: Protecting Your Wood against Critters
Extending the Life of a Wood Retaining Wall
Chapter 19 : And Then There Was Rust
Shielding Your Metals with a Protective Coat
Choosing your primer and topcoat
Applying the paint
Stripping Off Rust
Step 1: Removing rusted fasteners
Step 2: Getting rid of the rust
Step 3: Repairing damage to the surface
When All Else Fails: Converting Rust
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 20 : Ten Cleaning Solutions You Can Make at Home
All-Purpose, Handy-Dandy Cleaner
DIY Cleanser Scrub
Gentle Glass Cleaner
People-Friendly Oven Cleaner
Super-Duper Disinfectant Cleaner
Super Wood Cleaner
Soda-Pop Concrete Stain Remover
Easy All-Surface Mildew Remover
Special Drain Freshener and Cleaner
Universal Roof-Cleaning Formula
Chapter 21 : Ten Maintenance Skills You Need
Caulking
Knowing How (And What) to Lubricate
Recognizing and Testing for Problems
Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
Testing an Electrical Circuit
Painting
Knowing How to Shut Things Off
Venting Moisture from Your Home
Replacing Filters and Cleaning Sensors
Checking On the Chimney
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