Mr. Fix-It Introduces You to Your Home

“Whether you are building, updating, or just trying to get the toilet to stop leaking, Lou Manfredini has found a way to take the intimidation out of your relationship with your home. He brings out the ‘Mr. Fix-It’ in all of us. Thanks Lou!”
—MATT LAUER

How well do you know your home, or the house you are planning to buy? How does it feel? Is it sturdy, solid, built to last? Are there things to look for or warning signs to heed? If there’s a drip in the sink or a major leak in the roof, can you repair it on your own? If not, who should you call and who can you trust?

Just ask Lou Manfredini, a.k.a. Mr. Fix-It. A house, he insists, is more than a pile of lumber and bricks. A house is more like a living, functioning organism—one that doesn’t come with a set of instructions. And whether you want to maintain, repair, or renovate your home, the more you know about your house, the more likely you are to get the job done right. Quality always shows and, without exception, adds comfort, beauty, and value to your home.

In this fun, friendly, fully-illustrated guide, Mr. Fix-It provides a "walking tour" of your house, from basement to attic, floor to ceiling, and helps you untangle the wiring behind the walls, the piping snaking its way to sinks and bathrooms, and the workings of windows and walls. The result: you’ll have a clear understanding of the systems that make up your house, and gain the expert knowledge to proceed with any job, big or small—whether you’re hiring a contractor or doing it yourself. Discover

• How your house works: an anatomy lesson
• The wonders of water—where it comes from and where it goes
• Getting wired—the magic of electricity
• Windows—ways to bring in the sunshine and keep out the drafts
• The joys of being floored—good floor construction and maintenance
• Wall Power—it’s not what’s on them but what’s in them that counts
• Decorating secrets the pros don’t like to share

Plus Mr. Fix-It’s sixty-minute home inspection, an essential tool list, and an ABC glossary of terms: from air duct to weatherstripping!

With his relaxed, neighborly style, Lou Manfredini is the trusted friend every home owner wishes they had—someone who knows houses. A must-have guide for both inexperienced and seasoned homeowners, Mr. Fix-It Introduces You to Your Home will help you spend your money wisely, avoid getting ripped off, create the house of your dreams . . . and turn your home into a castle that will endure and delight for years to come.

Lou Manfredini started working in a hardware store when he was thirteen years old. He worked as a carpenter’s apprentice in college and opened his own construction company in Chicago in 1985. His media career began ten years later when he pitched the idea of a call-in show to a local radio station. WGN-AM picked up the show, and Mr. Fix-It was born. The radio show is now nationally syndicated, and Lou is also a frequent contributor to television and print media as well. He appears regularly on the Today Show, and has a bimonthly column in USA WEEKEND. He still runs his own construction company, and actively builds and renovates homes. Lou lives in Chicago with his wife and four children.

Curtis Rist is the coauthor of This Old House Homeowner's Manual. He is a former senior writer at both People and New York Newsday, and is currently a contributing editor for Discover and Family Fun. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.