Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home – Detailed Illustrations for Women: Plumbing, Electrical, and Safety

by Julie Sussman, Stephanie Glakas-Tenet

And it's not your husband's, your brother's, your boyfriend's, or the guy's next door. Dare to Repair is a do-it-herself book for every woman who would rather be self-reliant than rely on a super or contractor. No matter the depth of your pockets or the size of your home, a toilet will get clogged, a circuit breaker will trip, and a smoke detector will stop working. It's up to you how you'll deal with them -- live in denial, pay the piper, or get real and do it yourself. Dare to Repair demystifies these home repairs by providing information that other books leave out. In Dare to Repair, you'll learn how Filled with detailed illustrations, Dare to Repair provides even the most repair-challenged woman with the ability to successfully fix things around the home. Once you start, you won't want to stop.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, How To, Self Help, Home Improvement, Lifestyle

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I get home after work, and all I really want is a shower. That's it. So I'm taking out my contacts......

.....and one flips right out of my eye. I hear it slide across the sink, and the unmistakable sound of it going down the drain.

{INSERT CHOICE OF CURSE WORD HERE].

So I stand there, frozen.

All of a sudden, I remember a book my mom got me last christmas. Dare to Repair. I look through it, and sure enough, there's a section on retrieving lost items from the drain.

I weigh the options. Nasty slimy drain which I don't really have the tools for? Or going without a contacts for two weeks while I go through the hassle of the eye doctor? Not to mention my lenses are a hundred bucks each (gas permeable). AND my insurance only covers either glasses or contacts, not both, and this was the year to get new glasses.

So, I try it. I empty out all the stuff from under the sink. I get my bucket. I have no wrenches the right size, so I just try twisting the pvc pipe. IT CAME OFF! No tools at all! I empty the sink trap into the bucket, and sure enough... there's the darn lens. I screw everything back up, turn on the faucet, no leaks!!!

I am so extraordinarily tickled.


THANK YOU, Dare to Repair! You saved me a hundred bucks!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda cheesy but whatever i'm a single female homeowner - this helped me change out my toilet seats!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as comprehensive as the title might suggest, but a good place to start if something goes wrong.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book that you sit down and read cover to cover.... unless maybe you're a guy and fixing things really revs you up. However, I used this book last night to unclog my bathroom sink and felt like it definitely deserved a shout-out on goodreads. This book rocks!
It explains how to fix all kinds of things in the house from plumbing to electricity to you-name-it with its intended audience being women. It is written by two women. It doesn't try to be cute, and there's no dumbing down. It's just really, really clear and has lots of good diagrams. Now, I suspect that men get a masochistic enjoyment out of decoding indecipherable instructions. It makes the ultimate triumph ever so much sweeter. Women, on the other hand.... well, we've got better things to do with our time.
This would make a fantastic gift for any female friend, especially one who has just moved into her own space or kicked out an ex-boyfriend. Happy repairing!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this on a friend's book shelf right after buying a house and thought it would be a good reference guide to home repairs. Don't let the Rosie Riveter on the cover fool you, this isn't just for girls.

The book contains lots of handy diagrams and clear instructions on how to repair or change stuff around the house. I found it especially useful when I had a leaky faucet that needed its rubber washer replaced. I also used it to take apart my bathroom doorknob so that guests could stop locking themselves in!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good basics in here on toilets and heaters. I guess I didn’t realize how much knowledge I had until I read this and realized I already knew a lot lol

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with the very basics, this takes you through all those things that the first-time homeowner or tenant may need to know. Each topic takes you through a number of scenarios, with step-by-step instructions, useful diagrams and a list of the basic tools you actually need. It's written with a novice in mind, so the tone is more like someone you know giving you instructions over the phone than some of the other repair manuals (which may start by saying "Turn off the water at the mains and replace the flapper" without telling you how to find the mains shut-off, what it looks like or what a flapper is). They also include useful tips to make your life easier.

In short, if you ever felt stupid for not knowing something ("You vacuum the fridge's WHAT?!") or how to do a basic home maintenance task, this is the book for you. Many of those troubling things are actually pretty simple once you know how and that is what this book shows you.

Sections cover plumbing (including troubleshooting your water heater, unclogging a toilet or sink, repairing a leaking faucet), electricity (including circuit breakers and fuses, basic wiring info, replacing switches and outlets), major appliances (including freeing a jammed garbage disposal, cleaning dryer ducts and HVAC filters, lighting a gas pilot light), windows, walls & doors (including freeing a stuck window, maintaining/fixing screens, patching small holes), and home safety (including installing windows pins on double-hung windows, 3 ways to secure a sliding glass door, installing a peephole and how to use a fire extinguisher).

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are all of women, there are useful pages showing everything you need (with pictures, so if you wonder what on earth a dry wall saw is, you can see one), it says when you need a "helpful friend", and is written with much female humor. ("The age lines are showing after years of over-exposure to the sun. Does it help you feel better that we're just talking about your deck?") There are helpful bits about how to find the right thing at the hardware store, and they explain stuff like what a stud in the wall is, how to find one, and so on.

Useful info, although most of it I already knew how to do. The one thing I really needed to know, however, was there! How to repair a Large hole in dry wall, if-- just for example-- your 11 year old daughter has recently kicked her foot through it.

[Lisa Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book paid for itself the first week I had it! I'm a pretty handy person with tools, but some home repair jobs are intimidating for women (and men) who have never tried before. I gambled on this book right before I called a plumber, and I'm glad I did! With the diagrams and step-by-step process, explanations of parts and tools needed, anyone can do these repairs. Leaky faucet, no problem. Clogged water intake on the washing machine, fixed in a jiffy. Simple re-wiring project, done without danger! The authors don't talk down to the reader, but they explain the repairs in a way anyone can understand. A good reference book for any homeowner who needs a little encouragement to tackle new jobs.

[Taylor Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare to Repair is an awesome book for any woman who is motivated to get things done, but doesn't know how to. It focuses more on the 'manly' tasks, as some would say. But it is the 20th century and not all of us have husbands, or at least husbands who know how to do half of the stuff mentioned in this book. This book will save you a lot of money on hiring contractors and different handy men to come over and do work around the house for you. There are also different books by these lady's I have seen floating around but haven't gotten to read yet. They are all similar at least the ones I have stumbled across, in terms of being do it 'herself' kind of books. This is so practical, that's what I love most about it!

[Mimo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had this last year when Bradley was gone. I checked it out because I was trying to see about fixing our running toilet. The toilet ended up being fixed by my brother in law. But I liked the book enough that I decided to buy a copy of the book, I figured it would be good to have on hand. The authors provide clear examples and explanations of how to fix various household maladies. They also provide tips on preventative maintence.

[Shelley Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great do it herself (sorry i couldnt resist) guide that is actually what it advertises. it doesnt just tell you how to nail pictures up or unclog a toilet but, in an homage to Ms. Riveter on the cover tells you essentially anything you might need to fix in your home...even some things you have no business fixing regardless of your gender.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offers a lot of tips for people who are just moving out on their own. Not the best DIY repair book available, but offers very basic instructions on a random collection of repairs to be made around the home.

For those who like illustrations (or learn better from them), you may want to skip this book. There are a lot of drawings, but no actual photos.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic for a basic DIY book written in "girl speak" by a couple of girls. Two women who's husbands work for either the FBI or CIA had to fend for themselves as their husbands traveled for work. Very well written and easy to understand in regard to directions of how to fix basic repairs, IE, clogged toilet, dripping faucet, etc...

Can't beat the cover either.....

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read this book cover to cover. But I have used it to fix some things around my house (like my bathroom sink drain). I like how simple it is--I was never shown much about home repair, so having diagrams and pictures of the tools needed are very helpful for me. I think this book does a great job of balancing easy to understand instructions without condescension.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great reference guide written by women for women. This book was a great introduction to home repair. Plumbing to electrical breakers... all explained in language that was easy to understand. I definitely would not attempt all of the repairs explained in this book but it is a great guide to decide if a repairman is truly needed.

[Chelsey Cosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that feeling of self-reliance. Although I won't be a plumber or electrician, I feel like I know more than the average bear now when it comes to home maintenance and repair. If you'd like to feel that way too instead of calling a serviceperson every time something goes awry, I recommend reading DARE TO REPAIR.

[Rase McCray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is good for what it is, though not nearly as comprehensive as you'd think it would be. However, there are a good number of drawings, and the text is clear throughout. All in all, a good companion book for something with greater depth, such as Home Maintenance for Dummies?.

[Kevyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guidance for simple to intermediate repairs around the home, but best of all, it includes a season-by-season schedule of maintenance tasks you should perform to keep your home running smoothly by avoiding larger repair issues. Not overwhelming, so you can start using it immediately.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saved my life a number of times! I have learned so much and it is written in easily digestible bites that make it all seem like nothing--not a big deal, no reason to be worried. Seriously this is an asset to every home. Oh and the kick ass Rosie cover does not hurt!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-have for women who want to tinker around the house but may not possess inherent tinkering chops. My grandma was an immensely capable woman, and I proudly march in her footsteps, this book in tow, installing my own toilet seats, replacing screens, and even venturing into plumbing!

[JaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this out mostly to try and learn a few things that we should be doing by way of preventative maintenance. And I definitely did find some more things that should be on my regular "to do" list! Success!

[Felice Trirogoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

listen up: get this book. if you own a house, thinking of owning a house or have terrible apartment maintenance people, you need this book. i just fixed my garbage disposal!

[Kristel · Rating 4 out of 5]

good... basic... information that I wouldn't be scared to do all by myself

[S]

643.7 SUS

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my bible around the house! Solutions to all your household mishaps!!!! Who needs a man to fix things?

[Betsy Jibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Travis got me this for graduation. Apparently it reminded him of me.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! I'm planning to purchase these as wedding gifts or first apartment guides. Meant for a novice woman repairperson, but young guys might appreciate it, too.

[elbren]

Dare to repair : a do-it-herself guide to fixing (almost) anything in the home by Julie Sussman (2002), 1st ed

[Jodi]

Got on a book-buying trip to Louisville.