by: Peter Hemp
Topics include:
Book Description:
Reviews:
Not really for UK market: The book illustrates perfectly the rough plumbing involved in a typical house. It is laid out in a very readable format. The author obviously has many years in depth knowledge of the subject. On a negative side, it is very much for the American market. Sizes in the book are all in feet and inches and Europe is metric. Again it is probably great to have a list of all the tools and where to buy them but I live in England and this is therefore irrelevant. When I bought this book I did'nt realize that I also need to buy the second book. It was actually the second book that I needed since I wanted to know how to fix appliances such as sinks, showers, leaks etc. Having said that, you cannot fault the information in the book. The author has done a very thorough job describing the exterior/interior piping and drainage/waste/venting. Unfortunately for my needs, I have bought the wrong book, I really needed the second book in the series which deals with the fixtures such as baths/showers/toilets. I will now have to buy the other book.
Excellent book: The is a great book for the ambitious DIYer. This is the best book on a home building topic that I have read. The book details procedures, reasoning, tools, and materials. It desribes the use of readily available, up-to-date products. However, it also shows how to handle many situations arising from remodel work such as replacing parts or tapping onto existing equipment. The "built to last" focus emphases the importance of quality parts and workmanship The book has taken the mystery out of plumbing for me. It has enabled me to replumb a bathroom, replace waste lines, and install a gas line.
A valuable reference with helpful tables and sizing guides: As a do-it-yourselfer, I found this book to be the best of 3 I took out on loan from the library, I used the tables and pictures in the book, to add a full bathroom on the second floor of my house. I felt so confident with the book, I bought my own copy for future reference.