cover image Housemending

Housemending

Dale McCormick. Dutton Books, $22.5 (232pp) ISBN 978-0-525-24456-1

McCormick, whose Against the Grain: A Carpentry Manual for Women demystifies basic carpentry, here offers a reassuringly simple and useful guide to mundane but inescapable home repairs: leaky faucets, broken window-sash cords, peeling paint, stuck doors and the like. She cheerfully reveals the small mysteries of the physical world: what to do, for example, when there's not enough room to hammer a nail straight on (drive it in at an angle, a process called toenailing) and why ordinary screws don't screw in when one wants them to (drill a pilot hole first; or better yet, use pointed drywall screws). McCormick uses lay language, explains the proper, safe use of common and unusual tools, and provides hints on how to get help at hardware stores and lumber yards. There are abundant, clearly rendered and detailed line drawings and a short glossary for quick reference. McCormick is a professional carpenter and contractor who teaches house-building and carpentry. (September 21)