Starting Points: Guide to Home Repair

Nonfiction   l  Reference   l   Videos  l   Additional Material  l    Web Sites
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Nonfiction - 3rd Floor  

How to Fix (Just About) Everything -  640 Mar

More than 550 step-by-step instructions for everything from fixing a faucet to removing mystery stains to curing a hangover.                       

Popular Mechanics: Complete Home How-To - 643.7 Jac

Detailed, straightforward instructions for projects inside and outside the house are supplemented with a wealth of photographs, exploded diagrams, and drawings.     

True Value Guide to Home Repair and Improvement - 643.7 Mag

Features tips, advice, and step-by-step instruction on home repair, maintenance, and improvement.    

               
Dare to Repair: A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything… - 643.7 Sus

Provides step-by-step illustrated instructions for making basic household repairs and includes home safety tips.    

How to Fix Everything for Dummies - 643.76 Hed

A guide to troubleshooting and fixing a wide variety of appliances, gadgets, and machinery shows readers how to repair lamps, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, dryers, garbage disposals, blenders, washers, televisions, radios, and other household items.     

 
Reference - 1st Floor  

How to Do Just About Anything - R 643.7 How
Reader’s Digest A -to-Z guide to over 1,200 skills and household solutions.         
                                             
New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual - R 643.7 N
Every aspect of home repair covered in 17 chapters from Reader’s Digest.                                    
                                               
Reader’s Digest Book of Skills & Tools - R 643.7 Rea
A step-by-step guide to do-it-yourself techniques. Many illustrations.                 

Videos - 3rd Floor

Dare to Repair - DVD 643.7 Dar

Provides step-by-step illustrated instructions for making basic household repairs and includes home safety tips.    

Do It Yourself Home Repairs - Video 643.7 Do

Demonstrates solutions to 30 of the most common home improvement problems. Includes repairs for plumbing, walls, doors, floors, windows, electrical, and exterior problems.        

         
Hiring a Home Contractor - Video 643.7 Hir

From the Better Business Bureau.  Topics covered include: how to locate and evaluate home contractors; how to evaluate bids and contracts; how to protect yourself and avoid being taken advantage of; and guidelines to follow when hiring and working with contractors.                

Plumbing and Electricity - DVD 643.7 Pos

Includes 93 minutes of prime-time quality instruction plus two fully diagrammed, printable booklets. Subjects include: installing new plumbing and installing new electrical.     

Finding Additional Material

Dewey Decimal browsing numbers: 643.7
In addition to reference books, you may want to search for other books and materials (videos, audiobooks, etc.) on your topic. The best way to find good sources of information is to do a subject search in our Library catalog. You can access the Library catalog from the Library or from your home computer by going to our Web page (www.wppl.org), then to Search Our Catalog.  A good subject search is dwellings -- maintenance and repair – amateurs’ manuals.

eBooks
Visit EBSCOhost to search the collection of thousands of eBooks the Library has to offer. Library card required. Contact a reference librarian for additional details.

Articles
The following sources can be used to find magazine articles dealing with your topic:

·              The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature - Adult Reference  R 050 R
       Search for articles on a subject within any given year.

       EBSCOhost and Infotrac Onefile  - Access from the Library or at home using your library card number at www.wppl.org.  Search for
       full-text articles in these online databases using your choice of keywords. You can limit the search to a certain year or even a certain
       magazine.

Web Sites

Ask the Builder: Dozens of home building, remodeling and improvement tips and a helpful advice column. Includes videos.      

Bob Vila: Hundreds of organized, how-to tips from television’s Bob Vila. Includes videos.    
      
Do It Yourself: Hundreds of detailed how-to articles and forums.    
      
Home Maintenance and Repair: Hundreds of alphabetized, practical how-to tips from abrasive cleaners to zepel (anti-soil fabrics).     
      

Home Repair: About.com’s organized, multi-linked site. Includes Home Repair Essentials.    
      
Home Tips: Links and tips on home improvement, remodeling, repair, decorating, buying appliances and more.     
      
WannaLearn.com’s Home Repair: Links to over a dozen helpful home repair sites including the BBC’s organized, illustrated homes    
          

      
**The Library also offers a collection of home repair related sites on its website.  Go to (www.wppl.org), then to Reference Resources, then Good Web Sites, then click on How to Do-It-Yourself.**

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