This edition includes material on energy-saving DIY, information on assessing and improving your home's energy efficiency rating, government grants available for energy-saving improvements, and much more.
This is one of the Reader's Digest practical do-it-yourself guides. It was conceived to complement our Complete Do-it-yourself Manual. Millions of people have used that book to accomplish, at minimum cost, many home-improvement jobs and repairs that would otherwise have required the services of professionals. This book is our answer. It is a total book of the house.
The essential, real-world, green home manual Everyone can make green home decisions on a budget with this inspiring, informationpacked guide. Whether you are building, remodeling, buying, or just curious, here are real-world strategies for getting the greenest results from your budget, with hundreds of ideas for a home that is built to last, comfortable and healthy, money- and time-saving in the long term, and kind to the planet. From your home's exterior to its operating systems within, from siting to interior design, this is the basic training that has given many the confidence to proceed. Award-winning sustainable design and building consultant and teacher Kathleen O'Brien and architectural designer and sustainability consultant Kathleen Smith offer their "top picks" for each phase. They've also each faced their own green home challenges in a single-family house and a duplex, and other case studies show affordable energy-efficient green homes both old and new. Brimming with ideas, clear and logical, with tips, checklists, and resources for green home planning, construction, remodeling, and maintenance, extensively illustrated with photos and diagrams, this is the essential green home manual for novice and professional alike.
This book is packed with DIY techniques and technology. It gives hundreds of ideas for renovating your home and shows you how with step by step descriptions.
A troubleshooting chart and gorgeous, clear diagrams will explain not only how to fix almost any household problem, but also gives the level of technical skill required to finish the job, as well any special tools required to do so.
This versatile guide brings together more than 2,000 helpful hints, practical tips and remedies from days gone by and shows you how they can benefit your health, lifestyle, home and garden. All have been researched and tested and more often than not you’ll find the ingredients right there in your cupboard. Did you know you can make wooden platters look like new just by rubbing them with a solution of vinegar? Or that you can get your linen as white as snow by adding a few teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda to the washing powder? That a cold wristband can bring rapid relief to headache-sufferers? Would you like to learn how easy it is to make dried apples, apricots and other fruit without the use of preservatives? This versatile guide brings together more than 2,000 helpful hints, practical tips and remedies from days gone by and shows you how they can benefit your health, lifestyle, home and garden. All have been researched and tested for their practical application in today’s world and offer simple, effective alternatives to expensive products and those using toxic chemicals—and more often than not you’ll find the ingredients right there in your cupboard. The book includes: Safe, time-honored remedies to treat or prevent health problems Homemade cosmetics and traditional beauty tips to help you look your best Clever, environmentally friendly cleaning techniques to keep your home in tip-top condition Traditional advice for preparing great-tasting, nutritious food economically in the modern kitchen Tried-and-trusted principles of decoration and organization to make your home a welcoming haven The proven know-how of generations of gardeners to help you create a green space that is safe and chemical-free For each of the six areas of life covered in the book, topics are presented in an A-Z format with special features on topics of interest, such as essential home medicines, natural cleaning products, and a season-by-season guide to gardening.
With advice on assessing your home's energy efficiency & dozens of simple energy-saving & water-wise tips, this manual will help you to cut down your bills. Topics covered include low energy light bulbs, solar panels, wind turbines, double glazing, draught-proofing, insulation, & water-saving devices.