Did you know you can protect your car door with a pool toy? Or preserve open glues and sealers by storing them in glass jars? The expert editors at The Family Handyman magazine will guide you step-by-step through a wide range of DIY improvements including:

• Interior Projects and Repairs Stop drafts, fine-tune a thermostat, dry up a wet basement, revive woodwork trim, make a carpet last longer, upgrade a bathroom on a small budget, add beams and panels to a ceiling, remove wallpaper
• Electrical and High-Tech Fix wobbly outlets, repair a remote control, install a larger electrical box, monitor power outages while you're away from the house
• Plumbing, Heating, and Appliances Repair a water-heater pilot light, replace a toilet, unclog a vacuum cleaner, tune up a gas grill, fix your dryer, connect a gas line, save on new appliances
• Woodworking and Furniture Rout perfect edges, build a super-simple workbench, apply a smooth polyurethane finish, put together a window planter, avoid common injuries from tools
• Exterior Maintenance and Repairs Quiet a noisy garage door, repair a leaky frost-proof faucet, make your lawn chairs puddle-free, fix slippery steps
• Outdoor Structures and Landscaping Sharpen a lawn mower blade, know when to rent power tools, prune for healthier bushes, build a $25 campfire bench in just two hours, find buried cable
• Auto and Garage Replace burned-out dash lights, put the brakes on high car insurance, change your own oil, prevent license-plate theft, burglar-proof your garage

"New Tools and Gear" and "Great Goofs" features point you toward useful new products and let you learn from others' mistakes. You'll also find bonus sections on painting, cleaning, and storage as well as a collection of the experts' favorite shortcuts and hints.