Home Maintenance For Dummies

The easy way to keep your home in tip–top shape! Just like a car, a home requires regular maintenance to operate safely and efficiently. Home Maintenance For Dummies, 2nd Edition, gives you the latest tips and advice on how to inspect, tune up, and make repairs to every part of your house! You′ll get expert, step–by–step information that will empower you to roll up your sleeves and make your home safer, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. Home maintenance and you — practical information on the benefits of home maintenance and the major systems and components in your home The energy envelope — guidance on understanding your home′s exterior surfaces and associated components, like windows and doors, the roof, the basement, and the foundation Plumbing and HVAC — instructions on how to tackle problems with mechanical equipment, common household appliances, and heating and cooling systems Open the book and find: Ten home maintenance skills you′ll be glad to have Tips on preserving your home′s value and avoiding costly repairs Green maintenance and cleaning options Tips on day–to–day repairs from walls and appliances to decks and fences Straightforward advice on what you can tackle yourself and when you should call a pro Step–by–step instructions on everything from replacing a furnace filter to insulating your home

Introduction. Part I: Home Maintenance and You. Chapter 1: Home Maintenance: What It Is and Why It Matters. Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your House and Its Systems. Chapter 3: Putting Together Your Home Maintenance Plan. Part II: The Energy Envelope. Chapter 4: Foundation and Floor Frame Fundamentals. Chapter 5: Roofi ng and Siding. Chapter 6: Windows, Exterior Doors, and Insulation. Part III: Key Systems: Plumbing and HVAC. Chapter 7: Plumbing, Part I: Pipes, Water Heaters, Water Softeners, and More. Chapter 8: Plumbing, Part II: Fixtures. Chapter 9: Plumbing, Part III: Sewer and Septic Systems. Chapter 10: Heating, Ventilating, and Air–Conditioning Systems. Part IV: Inside Home Sweet Home. Chapter 11: Walls and Ceilings. Chapter 12: Floors and Interior Doors. Chapter 13: Cabinets and Countertops. Chapter 14: Appliances. Chapter 15: Don’t Get Burned: Fireplaces. Chapter 16: Maintaining Your Home–Safety Systems. Part V: Out in the Great Wide Open. Chapter 17: Walkways, Patios, and Driveways. Chapter 18: Decks, Fences, and Retaining Walls. Chapter 19: And Then There Was Rust. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 20: Ten Cleaning Solutions You Can Make at Home. Chapter 21: Ten Maintenance Skills You Need. Index.

James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award–winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.