10-Minute Home Repairs More Than 200 Fast, Effective Fixes You Can Do Yourself JERRI FARRIS Text © 2006 by Fair Winds Press First published in the USA in 2006 by Fair Winds Press,a member of Quayside Publishing Group 33 Commercial Street Gloucester,MA 01930 All rights reserved.No part ofthis book may be reproduced or utilized,in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,without prior permission in writing from the publisher. 10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN 1-59233-203-X Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Farris,Jerri. 10-minute home repairs :more than 200 fast,effective fixes you can do yourself/ Jerri Farris. p.cm. ISBN 1-59233-203-X (pbk.) 1. Dwellings--Maintenance and repair--Amateurs' manuals.2. Do-it-yourselfwork. I.Title:Ten minute home repairs.II.Title. TH4817.3.F375 2006 643'.7--dc22 2005028617 Book design by Anne Gram Cover illustration by Elizabeth Cornaro Illustrations by Robert Leanna Printed and bound in USA To my dad, Chuck Farris, and my mom, Nora Farris, who taught me to rise to the occasion. Notice to Reader: Use caution,care,and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book.The publisher cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse of the information provided.Always follow manufacturers’instructions included with products and materials. Table of Contents Chapter One Ready,Set,Repair! 11 Chapter Two Good Boundaries 23 Walls 24 Floors 49 Ceilings 72 Chapter Three Grand Openings 77 Windows 78 Doors 91 Chapter Four Kitchens 113 Chapter Five Bathrooms 137 Chapter Six Laundry Rooms 167 Chapter Seven Systems Made Simple 175 Plumbing 176 Electricity 193 Heating,Ventilation,and Air Conditioning 212 Chapter Eight The Great Outdoors 229 Glossary 242 About the Author 254 Chapter 1 b Ready, Set, Repair! Almost every homeowner in the world has a list—either written on paper or floating at the back of his or her mind—of small repairs that need to be done around the house.Most homeowners are waiting for the right time,the right materials,or the right information to come along so they can get started on these projects.Well,now that you’re armed with the information in 10-Minute Home Repairs,that time is now!  Make Time Ifyou think you’re too busy to get your home in better shape,think again.You can fix that annoying faucet leak or the creaky floor board that’s bugged you for months in the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta! Read through this book,and see for yourself.It’s filled with easy projects,almost all of which can be done in ten minutes or less.Think of how accomplished you’ll feel when you fit a successful home repair into your day! Develop a Can-Do Attitude No matter how much experience you have (or don’t have) around the house,you can do every project in this book.How can I be so sure? I can do every one,and I once was the most inexperienced,timid home- owner ever to pick up a screwdriver. I grew up the least handy person in an extremely handy family,and I married an extremely handy man.My version of fixing something was to point out the problem and wait.Then one day,I suddenly and unexpectedly found myself in charge of a big suburban house and 