Complete Guide to Finishing Basements / Black & Decker 239 p.

Take your basement from an storage area to a dazzling functional living space.   Lovely full-color pictures illustrated each step.  Includes heating and cooling improvements, resurfacing and laying floors, installing walls and ceilings, installing egress windows, creating bathrooms, kitchens, or bedrooms.  Great for the DIY'ers.  Amateurs will find the directions easy to follow.

Sugarhouse: A Memoir/Matthew Batt/258 pages

"Turning the Neighborhood Crack House into Our Home Sweet Home"--on the cover. That pretty much says it all. A young married couple who have no experience at all in home remodeling buy their first house. It's a fixer-upper to the max. Over time, they learn how to sand floors, install hardwood and slate floors, refinish cabinets and, in general, turn a wreak into a home. When they aren't working on the house, they are dealing with Matt's family which is a big job all by itself.

This Old House Salvage-style projects / Amy R. Hughes 144 p.

This Old House magazine editor, Amy Hughes shares do-it-yourself projects utilizing salvage items. My favorite is the pot rack made from an iron window guard—very very easy. Need an outdoor bar, Amy’s got the project for you. And wish I had a shed out back to recycle into a delightful garden retreat. Each project has a supplies list, work time, cost and skill level, along with step-by-step clear instructions. Be ready to head out to the nearest salvage yard.

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