Packed with inspiring ideas and practical advice on tools and techniques, the "Reader's Digest DIY Manual" is an essential in every household. It contains invaluable advice for anyone fixing, extending, decorating, renovating or building their home. Whether you want to know how to repair a leak, wallpaper a stairwell or lay a patio, it's all here. Each project is laid out with step-by-step instructions and clear photographs, drawings and diagrams. The completely up-to-date text reflects new legislation, including the latest wiring and glazing regulations. This updated edition also includes new material on energy-saving DIY, providing information on assessing and improving your home's energy efficiency rating, government grants available for energy-saving improvements, advice on choosing eco-friendly paints and flooring, installing solar panels and the latest energy and water-saving home appliances.
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"'This is the DIY bible that no home should be without. Thoroughly practical, utterly reliable, and packed with all the information anyone could possibly need, it will pay for itself time and time again.' - New Homes, Wales"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By David Bailey
Format:Hardcover
First let me say that I am an ageing and experienced DIYer. I have used earlier versions of this book for many years and found them useful and reliable. I have plumbed in a complete bathroom twice, rewired a flat and a house and tiled and decorated. I have fitted a kitchen as well as done all the other things like fitting up shelves and so on. The earlier versions of this publication have been of great use to me.
I bought this book in advance of release as I was moving to a new house and I felt that my experience of 1960s and earlier properties would be inadequate to encompass modern building methods. I have to say that I have been disappointed in what this book has to offer. Perhaps nowadays, with all the restrictions on what an unqualified homeowner can do for themselves only an overview is now relevant, but even this seems to be lacking in parts of this book.
I discovered that I had a sealed central heating system. The book says it is very similar to a vented system and gives it a paragraph, it isn't. It is in fact significantly more complicated as I have found by searching the web. There is no mention at all of dab and board construction (dab and dot) despite the considerable problems I had getting fixings in this type of wall, no help was available from the manual. It was as if this type of common modern construction hadn't even been introduced.
The electrical advice, although accurate, is far from comprehensive and misses out so many DIY jobs yet it goes into detail on outside lighting, kitchen and bathroom work, which must now be professionally certified and is therefore hardly worth the trouble of a DIYer who will have to pay as much for certification as they will for the job to be done by a professional in the first place.
All in all this book has not been very well planned and is far from comprehensive, I cannot therefore recommend it to any householder, be they a keen DIYer, a beginner or just someone who wants to know enough to talk intelligently to tradesmen.
I bought this book in advance of release as I was moving to a new house and I felt that my experience of 1960s and earlier properties would be inadequate to encompass modern building methods. I have to say that I have been disappointed in what this book has to offer. Perhaps nowadays, with all the restrictions on what an unqualified homeowner can do for themselves only an overview is now relevant, but even this seems to be lacking in parts of this book.
I discovered that I had a sealed central heating system. The book says it is very similar to a vented system and gives it a paragraph, it isn't. It is in fact significantly more complicated as I have found by searching the web. There is no mention at all of dab and board construction (dab and dot) despite the considerable problems I had getting fixings in this type of wall, no help was available from the manual. It was as if this type of common modern construction hadn't even been introduced.
The electrical advice, although accurate, is far from comprehensive and misses out so many DIY jobs yet it goes into detail on outside lighting, kitchen and bathroom work, which must now be professionally certified and is therefore hardly worth the trouble of a DIYer who will have to pay as much for certification as they will for the job to be done by a professional in the first place.
All in all this book has not been very well planned and is far from comprehensive, I cannot therefore recommend it to any householder, be they a keen DIYer, a beginner or just someone who wants to know enough to talk intelligently to tradesmen.
40 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By B. Davies
Format:Hardcover
I've used previous editions of this manual extensively, and have recommended it to many friends as a vital DIY reference manual.
I was looking forward to upgrading my copy to the latest, given so many changes in electrical regulations.
The updated electrics section is indeed excellent - even if a large part is academic only with current building regulations requiring qualified electricians to do or check and sign off the work - points wisely clearly discussed by the editors.
All well and good, until I realised that much older material has been rationalised - the sash window maintenance section is heavily reduced - there is no longer anything (apart from a mention) on spiral balance windows. I'm not sure how the editors can justify cutting the real DIY stuff down, for more features on "green things" etc. Surely the core DIY maintenance stuff is the most important feature of the book, and should not be compromised?
A winning formula should probably have just been updated, as opposed to re-written - the old layouts were near perfect.
That said, it's still a good book. Just don't think you can throw away the old editions - they have more in them!
No idea what's on the CD-Rom - not really ideal for DIY - you can't have a computer kicking around a workshop for reference. I must have a look and see if subjects are covered with more depth on it though!
I was looking forward to upgrading my copy to the latest, given so many changes in electrical regulations.
The updated electrics section is indeed excellent - even if a large part is academic only with current building regulations requiring qualified electricians to do or check and sign off the work - points wisely clearly discussed by the editors.
All well and good, until I realised that much older material has been rationalised - the sash window maintenance section is heavily reduced - there is no longer anything (apart from a mention) on spiral balance windows. I'm not sure how the editors can justify cutting the real DIY stuff down, for more features on "green things" etc. Surely the core DIY maintenance stuff is the most important feature of the book, and should not be compromised?
A winning formula should probably have just been updated, as opposed to re-written - the old layouts were near perfect.
That said, it's still a good book. Just don't think you can throw away the old editions - they have more in them!
No idea what's on the CD-Rom - not really ideal for DIY - you can't have a computer kicking around a workshop for reference. I must have a look and see if subjects are covered with more depth on it though!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By road nomad
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
this is a very comprehensive DIY manual. it covers everything the DIYer needs to know about home maintenance. the book is well illustrated, with easy to follow instructions to tackle jobs at home-interior&exterior, also jobs to do in the garden.i got it to keep at hand to tackle any DIY jobs at home. a really good investment for any DIYer.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Handy Andy!
Got this to replace my old one which fell to bits after years of use. Price of new one way beyond my pension. This was fine. Good copy, well packed and speedy delivery.
Published 1 month ago by David I. Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars
feed back
An excellent book I gave it to a young man who is trying to make a living doing odd jobs
No problems with any part of this sale
No problems with any part of this sale
Published 1 month ago by olivia
4.0 out of 5 stars
Did it himself
bought this for my hubby, the one he had was really out of date.
This is excellent in showing you how to do things and gives many tips and hints
I gave this 4 stars... Read more
This is excellent in showing you how to do things and gives many tips and hints
I gave this 4 stars... Read more
Published 2 months ago by loopylind
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good with reservations
the sellers delivery date was great, arrived before the due date.....however the accompanying disk was not compatible with Mac so was useless to me. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. R. Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Xmas Gift
Brilliant looking book + cd.Bought for son for Xmas as he is buying his first house. Hope he's pleased! Good,fast delivery, and cheaper than the stores.
Published 17 months ago by suey
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING MUST HAVE BOOK!!
This book is a must-have for anyone living in their own home and interested in doing some DIY! It is amazing, providing step by step directions on just about every basic DIY... Read more
Published 18 months ago by busylizzy278
3.0 out of 5 stars
good for diy
i was a little shocked to find this book is the same as my old readers digest diy from 1996, in fact there is only 3 diy jobs that different from my 1996 book. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. P. Stocken
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the money
Good clear information many illustrations well set out and covers most topics a householder would need. The instructions are also written in laymans terms so easier to understand
Published 18 months ago by Conways
5.0 out of 5 stars
readers digest DIY
Great value for the money and very heipfull, haveing decidid to replace my bathroom suite
and re tile, and getting a quote from a well known DIY store, i decidid to do it... Read more
and re tile, and getting a quote from a well known DIY store, i decidid to do it... Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2011 by J .CEE
3.0 out of 5 stars
If your house is not brick then don't bother
I did find some of the content of this book useful but, it assumes that everyone in this country lives in a brick house and does not cover anything older than 20-30 years which... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2011 by R. Denton
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