Home base: Got a job to do? There's a book for you

The Orlando Sentinel (MCT) - It's Saturday, so grab your hammer and get ready to tackle all those projects you've left unfinished.

"If I Had a Hammer: More Than 100 Easy Fixes and Weekend Projects" by Andrea Ridout (Collins; $17.95; paperback) offers step-by-step instructions paired with black-and-white illustrations for common household projects that take less than a weekend to complete.

The techniques in the book are comprehensive and easy to follow and include: removing stains, updating old appliances with faux stainless steel, adding wallpaper cutouts to your bathroom, repairing leaky toilets and renovating a kitchen with new cabinet hardware.

Projects for your outdoor spaces also are included.

Balancing work and life is that much harder when you work where you live and live where you work.

"Live/Work: Working at Home, Living at Work" by Deborah K. Dietsch (Abrams, $35; paperback) has innovative ideas for those struggling with this arrangement.

Featuring 30 home offices from huge to small, in garages or backyards, permanent or temporary, the guide offers solutions for the classical and ultramodern homeowner. A "lessons learned" section for each space offers advice on researching zoning regulations, creating grand or private entrances to the new area, and mixing styles and materials to make the most of your space. Color photos complement the text.

Have some home repair to do? Don't go for your tool box just yet. Grab the peanut butter or the Kool-Aid instead.

"Joey Green's Fix-It Magic: More Than 1,971 Quick-and-Easy Household Solutions Using Brand-Name Products" by Joey Green (Rodale Books; $17.95; paperback) offers quick and easy-on-the-pocket solutions for home repairs.

Organized alphabetically, the book's list of almost 2,000 creative fixes includes: fixing a broken dishwasher with Kool-Aid; removing water stains from wood furniture with Miracle Whip; removing wallpaper with Heinz white vinegar; and cleaning driveway spills with Coca-Cola.

Sidebars and a "strange facts" section make the practical book a fun read.

Don't know what to use to decorate your floors, kitchen countertops or bathroom? How about tiles?

"The Home Decorator's Tile Bible: A Complete Guide to Using and Choosing Tiles" by Morwenna Brett (Firefly Books; $29.95; hardcover) is a guide to selecting those decorative pieces, which are simple to use and install.

With more than 800 photos detailing the versatility of tiles _ they come in a variety of materials, colors, patterns and finishes _ the book offers step-by-step instructions explaining how to achieve your desired results.

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Compiled and written by Martha Phifer. She can be reached at 407-420-5259 or mphifer@orlandosentinel.com.

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© 2008, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).