Ranch Revival: Ranch House Resources - Ideas & Discussion: Books for DIY Help

Ranch House Resources:

Affordable Remodel: How to Get Custom Results on Any Budget (Paperback) by Fernando Pagés Ruiz. Published by Taunton Press (2007). This is the remodeling guide for people who like the wisdom of not going over their heads in debt to do a remodeling project. You'll appreciate the tools the book offers to stimulate your imagination and thinking process -- like good photos, floor plans, charts, and other illustrations -- as well as the reality checks on things like planning and budgeting to help you achieve high-end results without the big payouts.

Black & Decker's The Complete Guide to Bathrooms: Ideas & Projects for Building & Remodeling (Paperback) by Creative Publishing International. Whether you're just contemplating or seriously planning a bathroom remodel, this would be a good resource. It's well-illustrated, with in-depth, step-by-step information.

Black & Decker's The Complete Guide to Kitchens: Design, Plan & Install a Dream Kitchen (Paperback) by Creative Publishing International. Another book in this excellent series. Useful for envisioning, understanding and planning changes to your kitchen.

Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual: Completely Revised and Updated (Hardcover) by the editors of Family Handyman Magazine. Features clear explanations and instructions, and more than 3,000 photos and illustrations in 17 chapters. The ultimate show-and-tell-how book; a must have for every homeowner. Even if you don't plan on doing it yourself; read up on your repair or other project before you hire someone.

Design Ideas for Flooring (Softcover) by Joseph R. Provey. Published by Creative Homeowners (2006). A lot more than design ideas, here. Yes, it's beautifully illustrated and you'll find yourself dreaming about the possibilities, but books with pretty pictures abound. We give this one a thumbs-up for how well it describes and illustrates all the current choices in materials -- complete with close-up cutaways so you can see how each is made -- from what it calls "the naturals," the engineered & solid woods, bamboo, linoleum, cork, wool and other natural fibers, to stone and tile choices, and a complete coverage of all the current synthetic types: laminates, sheet vinyl, vinyl tiles, rubber and polypropelene, and wall-to-wall carpeting.

DIY to the Rescue: 50 Home Improvement Projects (DIY Network) (Softcover) by Karl Champley and Amy Devers. Published by Lark Books (2007). The amiable hosts of the DIY network show, "DIY to the Rescue," present a detailed, nicely photographed guide for beginners and weekend warriors. Projects cover a range of difficulty and budget, and all feature clear before and after photos with easy-to-follow instructions.

The Flooring Handbook: The Complete Guide to Choosing and Installing Floors (Paperback) by Dennis Jeffries. A complete and well-illustrated guide to flooring materials (including "green" materials) and methods. DIYers will find the step-by-step photos very helpful. Laura Hardy of the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat-Gazette says "Be warned: You may find yourself afflicted with floor lust in your heart."

What NOT to Build: Do's and Don'ts of Exterior Home Design (Softcover) by Sandra Edelman, Judith Kay Gaman, and Robby Reid. Published by Creative Homeowner (2006). If you're building from scratch or considering an exterior remodel, consider this book part of your "homework." It's an effectively illustrated sourcebook for helping you understand and apply the principles of good design to your project. Consistency, proportion, balance and scale are some of the principles discussed through illustrations of what works -- and as the title implies -- what doesn't. A variety of house sizes and types are shown, as are special issues of interest like porches and landscaping.