The Complete Home Renovation Manual

This guide to doing work that needs doing but that nobody has done yet is suitably broad in the net it casts: seven chapters tackle such subjects as how to assess newly acquired (or soon-to-be-acquired) property; how to plan for renovation, wall, roof and chimney repairs; upgrade insulation, doors and windows; how to fix lighting, heating and ventilation systems; how to solve the problems of bathrooms and stairs; how to make allowances for future expansion; and how to take on projects involving porches, decks and permanent structures for sheltering cars. Calling on a variety of illustrations, from full-color photos of finished kitchens to drawings and diagrams showing how to patch plaster and mend laths, the book tries to teach the reader without imposing too much know-how at one time. Of course, not all the tasks explained will be within everyone's reach--not all of us are up to fitting a newel post--but, within reasonable limits, this guide is ``complete.'' McGowan is editor of Do it Yourself magazine; DuBern is editor of Traditional Woodworking ; Bradford is a professor of architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design; Lawrence is a freelance writer. (Mar.)