To buy from a selection of online sources click here

Over 800 colour photographs

• Over 800 photographs and diagrams show you how to do every decorating task and project around the house with complete confidence



• Expert advice on essential home improvements tasks, including painting, wallpapering, tiling, laying new floors, carpentry skills, security, repairs and maintaining your home



• Advice on how to use the right tools for the job effectively and safely



• Make the most of your home and learn how to develop your practical skills with confidence



• Clear step-by-step visual instructions and tips from expert authors make information accessible and easy to follow

This superb do-it-yourself and home improvements handbook covers all the information the home decorating enthusiast will need to know about maintaining and improving their house or apartment with complete success and confidence, with detailed instructions and helpful hints and tips from expert authors.

Divided into six chapters, it covers planning your work, the tools and materials you will need, how to maintain your home, basic carpentry and decorating. The book demonstrates how to plan your work safely, and introduces all the tools and techniques you will need when starting out. It clearly illustrates how to choose the correct tool for the job and how to use it both efficiently and effectively; including those specialist tools that you might have to hire for a one-off task.

This book takes the fear out of repair work around the home, both interior and exterior, and stresses the importance of maintenance to help you save both time and money in the future. It shows the beginner the best way to tackle problems and gives practical and helpful advice on floors, walls, ceilings, windows, doors, drains, gutters, roofs, paths and drives, insulation and ventilation. Security is an ever-increasing concern and this book shows how to fit window and door locks and bolts. All the basic woodworking skills are covered - from the correct way to put up shelves, fit hinges and catches to more complicated jobs, such as rehanging doors.

A detailed section on decorating explains the importance of keeping your home well fitted to create an enjoyable living environment. It highlights the need for preparing surfaces properly, gives detailed instruction on painting, wallpapering and choosing colours, and explains the importance of using good quality materials for a better finish. Laying all types of flooring, from tiles and wood to vinyl, is made easy and tiling walls and surfaces is covered in depth.

This handy, easy to use manual is an invaluable practical reference book as well as a source of inspiration, and it will help you tackle jobs around the home with confidence while ensuring you achieve professional-looking results every time.

About the Authors

John McGowan - Author

John McGowan has written about home maintenance and improvement throughout his career. He is an author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and partworks. He has consulted, written and collaborated on countless books, including the Do-It-Yourself Book of DIY and Home Maintenance, Terence Conran DIY by Design and The Reader's Digest Manual. Other published works include: Do-It-Yourself Essentials (Southwater); Renovating Furniture (Thorsons); Step-By-Step Guide To Home Improvements (Reed); and Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement Manual (Octopus Books). He is currently the Editor of the United Kingdom's leading do-it-yourself magazine, HomeDIY.