My Home, My Money Pit:
Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Adventures in Home Improvement

Warming Up: Getting Ready For Home Improvements

SECTION 1: Inside Your Money Pit

Chapter 1: Designing Confidence

• On The Walls: Solutions For Surfaces
• Finding Your Way To Fabulous Flooring
• Looking Up: Ceiling Solutions

Chapter 2: Cooking Up the Kitchen of Your Dreams Without Getting Burned

• The Basics of Kitchen Space Planning
• Kitchen Flooring: Begin At The Bottom, and Everything Starts Looking Up
• Counters: High-tech Tops for Beauty, Convenience, and Safety
• Cabinets: Put it Away
• Plumbing: Solutions for Sinks
• Lighting For Task and Effect
• Appliances: Where Most Kitchen Remodels Begin

Chapter 3: Bathrooms

• Facelifts: The Lighter Side of Bathroom Remodeling
• Let There Be Light...Lots of It!
• Plumbing Fixtures
• Bathroom Décor: The Finishing Touch
• Biggest Bathroom Remodels: Home Spa Sanctuary
• Blown Away: Whirlpools, Air Baths and Bath Tubs to Sooth Sore Home Improvement Muscles

Chapter 4: Kids' Spaces

• Spaces That Grow
• Easy Care and Cleaning
• Safety Considerations
• Giving Your Kids a Say

Chapter 5: Laundry and Mud Rooms

• Laundry Rooms: Spaces to Keep You and Your Clothes Happy
• Mud Rooms: The Official Entrance of Your Family

Chapter 6: Bonus Spaces

• Basements, Not Wetlands
• Garages That Kick Butt
• Up, Up in the Attic

Chapter 7: New Spaces: Additions & Repurposing

• Masterful Master Suites
• Cool Workshops and Creative Hobby Rooms
• Entertainment Centers and Home Theaters: The Vacation Home Within Your Home
• Home Offices and Family Computer Centers That Work

Chapter 8: Avoid Freezing, Sneezing, Frying and Fizzling...and Freaking Out over Utility Costs

• Heated Discussions about Heating
• Cool Down: Air Conditioning Talk
• Hot Tips for a Comfort and Efficiency
• Troubleshooting System Snafus
• Breathing Easy: The Fungus Among Us and Other Irritating Irritants
• Carbon Monoxide: Solutions for a Serious Safety Issue
• Comfort on the Cheap: Top Ten Tips to Save Costs
• Charged Up: You and Your Electrical System

Chapter 9: 50 Design Ideas under $50

SECTION 2: Outside Your Money Pit

Chapter 10: Bringing the Inside Outside with Decks, Patios, and Porches

• Getting All Decked Out
• Perfect Patios
• Perfect Porches
• Bringing the Inside Outside with Outdoor Rooms

Chapter 11: Curb Appeal and Other Strategies to Keep Your Neighbors and Homeowner's Association Happy

• Points of Arrival: Driveways and Walkways
• Days on the Green: Lawns and Landscaping
• Making an Entrance: Door "Belles"
• Fabulous Fences
• Outdoor Lighting for Safety and Impact

Chapter 12: The Building Envelope: Siding, Roofing and Windows

• Siding Selections
• Picture Perfect Exterior Painting
• Roofing Review
• Window Shopping

Chapter 13: Critter Control

• Battling the Wood-Destroyers: Termites, Carpenter Ants, and Carpenter Bees
• Warm-Blooded Pests: Mice, Rats, Moles and Squirrels
• Vampire Varmints: Mosquitoes, Ticks and, Yes, Bats
• Critters in Flight: Woodpecker and Pigeon Proofing

Chapter 14: 40 Fabulous Facelifts for Your Façade

SECTION 3: Managing Your Money Pit

Chapter 15: Hiring Help: If Do-It-Yourself will Do You In, Don't Do It at All

• Types of Home Improvement Professionals
• Due Diligence: What to Look For, and How to Hire
• Evaluating Bids
• Contracting With Your Contractor

Chapter 16: Protecting Your Money Pit, Part 1: Homeland Security

• Fired up Fire Protection
• Get Smart on Security
• Vacation Protection for Your Home

Chapter 17: Protecting Your Money Pit, Part 2: Earth, Wind and Fire

• Creating a Plan
• Storm-Tossed: Secure Your Home Against the Tide
• Lightning Protection
• Power Protection: Avoiding Sags, Surges and Spikes
• After the Storm
• Products That Protect

Chapter 18: Home Selling Tips and Advice

• Hiring a Home Selling Pro
• Styled To Sell
• Home Inspection Survival
• Seller Disclosure Can Reduce Liability

Chapter 19: 30 Under 30 – Best Maintenance in Under 30 Minutes

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Home Improvements by Number: The age of your home delivers clues to what might need work

Appendix 2: Best Return on Investment

Appendix 3: Life Expectancy of Home Components

Index