The Handyguys discuss their favorite DIY and Home Improvements books.

The Handyguys have quite a selection of books that have accumulated over the years. We cant talk about all of them but we would love to highlight our favorites. You need to listen to the podcast for our commentary on each handyman tome. You can get these excellent books  through our Amazon affiliate store. You can look for them at your library, book store or home center but they are not always in stock.  And watch out for the shortened versions of the black & Decker books.

Electrical books

Black & Decker Complete Guide to Wiring

Plumbing books

Black & Decker Complete Guide to Plumbing

General home improvement books

	New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual
	The Family Handyman: Helpful Hints

Basement Book

Remodeling a Basement

Advanced books

	JLC Field Guide to Residential Construction – Volume 1
	JLC Field Guide to Residential Construction – Volume 2

Home Improvement magazines

	Family Handyman Magazine
	Fine Homebuilding

Bad Books

Oh, and what are the bad books? There are a lot of mediocre books out there, some which have not been updated to account for newer products and codes. Avoid these books which gave been recalled:

The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers

Wood Floors on Concrete, Plumbing Repair and Finding Carpet Stains

This is a very full show covering many different topics. We start off commenting on a article in Fine Home Building magazine about wood floors over concrete, address two listener questions (one on leaky faucets and one on garbage disposals), and then we wrap up the show with a tip from Brian about how to find pet stains in carpet.

Wood floors on concrete

Can this be done? Sure it can. Brian and Paul comment on an article in Fine Homebuilding. The Author, Charles Peterson, discusses a technique that uses two layers of plywood and a vapor barrier to create a stable, floating, subfloor for installation of your finished floor. Check it out and listen to The Handyguys comments in the podcast.

Drippy faucets

The Handyguys love getting questions where the answer is simple and inexpensive. We received this question from Cheryl

I have a leaky bathtub faucet, it started dripping and it has gotten worse, do I need to replace the entire faucet? My house was built in 1953 and I’m guessing the faucet is probably that old too! It consists of two knobs, one of hot and cold and the spigot of course. I think both the hot and cold are leaking, I can’t really determine which one it is! Thanks for any help you can provide.

Cheryl – Thanks for your question. NO, you do not need to replace the faucet. The fix is pretty simple. We assume you mean the drip is coming from the spout, not from behind the handles. Our friends over at hammer zone have put together some instructions. I’ll let you read them instead of my recreating the steps here. Check out HammerZone’s how to replace a washer article and listen to our podcast for details.

There could be a few other issues. Give the washer replacement a try first, its easy to do.

Some possible pitfalls

• The washer screw is broken off
• The seat (what the washer presses against) is damaged
• Parts are corroded preventing removal
• The handle you have may remove differently than in the pictures at hammerzone

If you have trouble please let us know. You can hear our discussion of the issue in the podcast.

Garbage Disposal Smells

This stinky issue keeps generating interest. We have received many tips and tricks. We thought we would answer Dave’s question and pass along his tip.

I always shut off the circuit breaker to the disposal anytime I am going to stick my hand in there. Just to be sure that it will not turn off.

Have you guys used Draino? I had a problem where soft foods weren’t getting shredded enough to go down the drain so I started getting an odor. I poured draino down there and after it sat for awhile I ran it again and the food and smell were gone. Do you know of any problems in using draino in a disposal. ex corrosion or other problems?

Good tip about the circuit breaker Dave, better safe than sorry. As for Draino. Yes and No. It depends on which draino product you are considering. Check the label. The crystals are not recommended for garbage disposers, the gel is fine according to the manufacture. Bottom line, check the label.

First up the electrical tool kit we talk about some key tools for doing electrical work and comment on an article in Fine Homebuilding called An Electrical Tool Kit by Brian Walo.
Fine Homebuilding says (About Brian Walo’s article):

He recommends three electrical testers, a variety of drivers (Phillips head, flat head, nut driver, and Robertson drivers), pliers (side-cutting, crimpers, strippers, end cut, and needle nose), and materials (electrical tape, wire nuts, crimping sleeves, bonding screws, cable clamps, staples, and screws).

Well we discuss what a typical handyguy may want to have and share some of our own favorites in the podcast.
Below are some must haves.

Testers

Well, we think there should be several types of testers. Some simple, some fancier, depending on what you are testing. The three types each have different purposes.
First – A non-contact voltage Tester. This type of tester can tell you if you if a wire is “hot” without needing to remove a wire nut. Its a good first check but many recommend that you also use a true voltage meter to be positive the electric is off before you work on something.
Second – A tester that checks for correct wiring. These are simple devices that you plug into a receptacle and indicator lights tell you if its wired correctly. The one in our kit below also can test GFCIs.
Lastly – A voltage meter – A voltage meter is used to measure the voltage on a particular wire or for testing continuity. It can also test batteries and other low voltage circuits.
This kit from Greenlee includes all three at a good price.

http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B000FCIMFS

Drivers

Screwdrivers are needed. For electrical work a number of different sizes and styles are needed. The Handyguys and the author of the Fine Homebuilding article all despise “standard” or slotted screwdrivers but they are a necessary part of the process. You couldn’t install a faceplate without one. Many of the older devices only have slotted screw heads. You will need two sizes of slotted, small and medium. Philips is pretty common these days and a decent #2 Philips is probably your most used size. Many of the newest devices use square drive or robertson tips. They give very good positive grip on the screw heads.
This set from Klein http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B000MKMIH6 is top of the line and wont break the bank. It includes all the sizes you would need except the square drive

The square drive http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B00093D6YU can be bought separately. This square drive screwdriver also has a little hook right below the handle for bending wire. It really speeds up the job of putting in outlets and switches because you do not need to reach for your pliers to put the bend on the end of a wire you are going to terminate.

Pliers

Get the best pair of “linemans pliers” http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B0000302W6 you can buy. Cheap ones will dull, chip and generally frustrate you . They are used for many things from cutting, twisting, crimping and pulling.

Strippers – You can strip wire with a pocket knife or even your linemans pliers. A tool dedicated to the task will be easier and faster. http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B00080DPNQ

Miscellaneous

In the podcast we also go into a lot of other items such as wire nuts, screws, crimps, clamps, staples and so forth. If you want links to any of that just use our contact form and we will get them for you.

Tips

• Have some extra screws handy. 8/32 and 6/32 will be the most common size.
• For fishing wire the author uses a 10′ piece of pex tubing. Read the article for how that works.

When the power goes out.

The music provided at the beginning of this segment is from Mevio’s Music Alley. Check it out at music.mevio.com

When would you use a portable generator and when would you want a standby generator? The Handyguys discuss the options and pros and cons of different types.

Bottom line – when using a portable generator make sure you follow all of the safety rules provided in the owners manual.