5 comments about The Homeowner's Guide to Mold.

1. If you are looking for an authoritative guidebook on mold, this is it. I wish we had read this book before we bought our house, but I'm grateful we read it afterwards. We bought our "dream home" on 5 acres, only to find after living there a few days that it had a nightmare mold infestation that made my family ill. Michael Pugliese's Homeowners' Guide to Mold is an outstanding practical guide to dealing with a mold problem--from small, do it yourself fix-ups to professional remediation (like we had)!
   
   It helped us understand just what we were facing and recommended steps we needed to take to fix the problem. This guide is thorough, easy to read, and goes beyond "just mold." It addresses what questions to ask, water problems, testing and cleanup, finding remediators, insurance, and prevention of mold recurrence. In addition, the guide is generously illustrated with color photos, and concludes with a resources section that deals with companies, products, and government agencies, so you know where to look for materials, laboratories, remediator qualifications, or further information.
   
   The author also includes an informative website for additional questions and information. This is really an impressive, educational guidebook. It reflects a lot of experience and knowledge put into a clear and concise format that anyone can understand. Michael Pugliese has helped us tremendously.



2. I bought this book looking for info specificaly to avoid building mistakes that could lead to mold. There is really no info on building techniques, this book is written for what to do after mold is already there. It's a disapointment for me as I have two old stone structures to renovate and 'prevent' mold. This book will be helpful to you, however, if you have a mold situation already.



3. I bought this book at Home Depot. I am a certified microbial Consultant (glorified mold-inspector) by the American Indoor Air Quality Council.
   
   I thought the book was well written and contains sound advice as far as removing and cleaning mold. It's nice to finally see someone tell people that bleach is not effective for mold remediation.
   
   I can tell the author has a lot experience as a mold remediator. There are some things I disagree with in the section on testing for mold. Petri dishes (self test kits) are useless for the homeowner. They are very inaccurate. They may tell you have mold problem when you don't and miss a mold problem that exists.
   
   Reading test reports is not always that simple either. The author has done a better job of explaining testing than most other books on the market.
   
   The other disagreement I have is with the EPA guidelines on quantifying "how big is your mold problem". The problem with these guidelines is that they are based on the amount of mold you can see. Most mold is hidden. The EPA adapted them from the state of New York in the beginning when there were not other guidelines around.
   
   Very interesting appendix on estimating how much it cost to have a professional do the mold remediation for you. It's nice to see some numbers. Usually the estimates from remediators vary greatly. Maybe this can be used a baseline to do a reality check on the estimates you get.
   
   I (Dan Stih) am the author of Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health.



4. This is a terrific book, and the best investment on MOLD that I could ever have made. I found it while searching for information on the hazards and identification of mold and how to safely remove it. It is an easy read that provides a wealth of information and guidance. I had a small mold problem and after reading the book, going to the author's website and a couple of phone calls to Mr. Pugliese, I successfully removed the mold at a mere fraction of the cost of professional remediation. I highly recommend this book to every do-it-yourself homeowner who may encounter a mold issue.



5. This book is clear and direct with just the right amount of necessary information if you are buying a house or need to remediate a mold problem.
   Unfortunately I read this book after having an inadquate remediation. He emphasizes that the contractor who is doing the remediation should never be the same firm that is doing the pre and post-testing--a clear conflict of interest. I found it helpful that the real magic humidity number is 47% or less in order to discourage mold growth. And yes, he actually did spend time on the phone with us regarding our particular situation!

5 comments about How to Start a Home-Based Housecleaning Business, 2nd (Home-Based Business Series).

1. Melinda Morse started a housecleaning business when she was in college, had $80 in the bank, needed an income, had to have flexible hours to stay in school, couldn't find a job. A friend suggested that she pick up just a few housecleaning jobs as a quick fix. She knew nothing about starting a business. In a few years she had learned a lot, probably more than she learned while getting her Ph.D.
   
   This book starts at the beginning and talks about what's necessary to set this up as a legitimate business. It covers the legal, moral, and what I call the real rules about setting up a business. And don't kid yourself, it is a business with all the aspects of business that General Motors or IBM has. She presents a lot of sample forms in the book (If she had put these in Excell format on a web site somewhere it would be a great help.) that will help with expenses, what to do at each house, invoices, and keeping your ever present partner (if you wanted a parter or not) the IRS happy.
   
   This book is very oriented to a house cleaning business - but house cleaning could well be considered to include janitorial, disaster clean up, etc. And the concepts she brings out are good for nearly any kind of small business. Good, well written book.



2. I recently read this book by Laura Jorstad and I'm new to the housecleaning business. Because I have no background in this profession, but am considering offering a service like this one in my local community, I found Jorstad's book to be a good place to start. She provides a very good Guide to Services, which seems fairly well thought out, but obviously would revisions based on the cleaning business you start. Overall, the book was easy to read and has good ideas. I think whenever you decide to go into business for yourself (any business) you should do as much reading and research as you can. Therefore, I would not limit myself to reading just this source, but consider other home-based, house cleaning businesses to get more ideas and better understand what lies ahead for you.



3. This book was extremely helpful. It really goes in depth on the topic. This is by far the best book on the subject and is loaded with helpful information.



4. This is a great book. Very Imformative. After following some of the guidlelines set out in the book, I landed my first cleaning job in just a matter of days. Well worth the money. Take the time to read this one if you are thinking of starting your own cleaning business.



5. We found many of the tips useful when starting our housekeeping business. The author works by herself, however, and recommends as such so if you are planning to have a larger business with employees as we are then you will not find much information in that regard.

5 comments about Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life (Susanka).

1. I am hooked on Susanka's books describing how to give our homes more of the character found in 50+ and older homes. I'm hoping to build using some of the detailing she explains, instead of having to buy an old house and renovate, in order to get a cozy, unique and homey dwelling.



2. I bought and then gutted a 1960s, three-story, 3,700 SF office building. Serving as my own architect and general contractor, I completed the two lower floors as offices for my professional engineering firm. I then turned my attention to converting the third floor into a luxury two-bedroom apartment.
   
   Although my original intent was to make the apartment a rental space, family circumstances of a regrettable but common kind will soon require me to make the apartment my own residence. With the floor plans nearly completed, I realized that the "oh my God" reaction from first-time visitors that I was seeking required great attention to detail.
   
   During the design of the office portions, I had studied about a dozen design books from Amazon and now wanted resources for the architectural details of the apartment. (Architectural details include windows and doors, floor, ceiling, and wall finishes, cabinetry, molding and other millwork.) With architectural details well done, the apartment or home looks inviting and interesting even before furnishings and decorator items are added.
   
   This book was the third to arrive of the ten I ordered so far. The first two were entirely forgettable, but this one yielded a dozen good ideas.
   
   The 210-page book has a chapter for each of twenty-three projects, each by a different architect. Most projects were renovations of a home of 1,200 - 2,100 SF. Architectural interior detail styles range from craftsman and usonian, to contemporary and gentle modern. Each project is notable more for the interior design details than for the building exterior or site.
   
   My favorite, but not my only source of ideas, was a Block Island cottage by the Newport architect, James Estes. My apartment, located at a charming 1900-vintage village center of a NYC suburb is 15 miles from the nearest salt water, but the quiet serenity and color palettes of an ocean-front cottage had been in my mind as an organizing concept for some time. No matter that the large band of windows on the east end overlook a parking lot instead of beach and ocean.
   
   The Amazon listing shows the cover photo, a project not to my liking. You can page through the other pages available on Amazon for other samples. Note the excellent color photography and the expert and well written commentary of Sarah Susanka, the principal author of the many volumes of the Not So Big House series. Co-author Marc Vassallo is an architect, and he now writes fulltime, including fiction.



3. Absoultely amazing insight ....worth every penny; the quality of the photos alone will justify the purchase....it will be the single best expenditure that you can make in building a new home or remodeling an existing area. Makes things so clear that everyone will get it. They say "You don't know what you don't know"....after reading this book and her others in a series....you will know what you did not know that you did not know...Just buy the book and you will understand what I am saying



4. This is one of my favorite books. I love Susanka's style - modern, but also friendly and warm. The layout of the book is excellent too, lots of photos with helpful annotations.



5. I bought this book because I am looking to renovate my house and I found it very useful. There are plenty of photos of the various details in the houses and a great explanation of how to achieve a similar look. It is an excellent source of ideas if you're looking to transform your home.

5 comments about Organize Your Garage In No Time.

1. Barry's book covers all the bases. He starts out by helping set a goal, create a plan, and envision the finished project. Then using small steps and understanding humor he guides the reader through the important basics of the organizing process as it applies to storage areas. From there Barry opens the world of storage options. Do you hang it, put it on a shelf, in a cabinet, or a drawer? He has pictures galore of different products and tricks you can devise yourself.
   
   These suggestions are invaluable for someone who needs to know what he or she has to choose from. And he addresses how you can use what you already have for storage, the cost of what you will need, and having a garage sale.
   
   Some of the best chapters are the extra ones about storage in sheds, attics, and basements. He even throws in a chapter on storage of seasonal and holiday items.
   
   Barry has left no stone unturned. If you need to organize your garage, you have what you need here.



2. I purchased this book as a gift for my husband. It is a good information book. I am very pleased with it.



3. I have read a lot of books regarding garages and this so far is the best one on step-by-step how to do it. The author has experience and knowledge and ability to put it in an easy to read book.
   The basis for organizing can also apply to closets and other things.
   Book is in a format that allows you to read only what applies to you.
   I highly recommend this book for someone starting on this seemingly overwhelming task



4. I enjoyed reading this book because I felt it was the first organizing book in which the other thinks the way I do. It was a refreshing change from othe organizing books. The topics were clear and the suggestions were practical. It is also unique in the use of images showing products out on the market that are mentioned in the book. I was happy to see things covered that I hoped I would find in a book on garages and was intriqued by others I didn't know about.



5. Organize Your Garage in No Time was everything I thought it would be and more....easy-to-implement ideas and great pictures that not only guide you to the garage of your dreams but also helps you see the finished product before it's done! Not only is it true to its claim that you really can organize your garage in no time--it's fun to read and the strategies in it will help you organize any room of your home.

5 comments about Confessions of an Organized Homemaker: The Secrets of Uncluttering Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life.

1. Each chapter naturally leads into the next, so the writing flow is smooth, but what sets this book apart from others of its kind is the sheer volume of ideas. The author doesn't provide a one-size-fits-all mentality and allows the reader to draw his/her own conclusion(s) and adapt to his/her own environment. More pictures would have been nice.



2. I was a 28 year old working woman who was overwhelmed with my domestic responsiblites and drowning in a sea of mess,clutter and chaos. Thanks to "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker" now my home is well put together and neat. No longer do I stress out over grocery shopping, laundry, and planning meals. I was a constant last minute person, doing the laundry when I was down to the last towel, grocery shopping only after I had exhaused all meal possibilites it was terrible. I even served chicken thighs on hamburger bun havles with gravy on top! Thanks to Deniece Schofield I have my life back. She covers everything from finding storage spots to creating your own grocery lists where the items are grouped together by catergories. She lets the reader apply what works and leave what doesn't. This book is perfect for newlyweds and young people who have moved out of the house. Buy it and you'll see what I'm taking about!



3. As a professional organizer, I have read quite a few books on organizing. This book was very light and easy to read, which I liked. In addition, it has practical ideas for using inexpensive (and sometimes free) storage containers. Many people are on a tight budget, but with the suggestions made in this book, you can find the products inexpensively and at your convenience.
   
   If you don't want to read this book cover-to-cover, there is an index in the back that can be used to find solutions to a problem area you want to tackle.
   
   I'd recommend this book as a resource for tackling each room in your home.



4. This is a really great book on organizing. The ideas are practical and doable. I like the puzzle idea of numbering the pieces, though I only used it for those puzzles we planned on doing more than once. With kids, there usually are a few of those. I found the lay-out of the book easy to follow, and the author's tone to be helpful and not demeaning like some "let me be tough" with you tones in other books. All in all it is a very good book and one that I used often when my sons were younger. Looking around my house, I would have to say I am due to read it again.



5. I first found this book at the library when my daughter was four and now she is eighteen! At that time, I had her and my baby boy keeping me running in circles. I just could not keep up with the messes, toys, laundry, etc. Deniece's book broke it down for me and helped me to tackle each element that seemed out of control. But all those "tips and tricks" are not really what stayed with me. I do continue to refer back to my book (I returned the library's copy and bought my own!) for those kinds of helps occasionally, but what has really stayed with me are the Basic Organizing Principles presented in Chapter Two.
   They are:
   1. Think before you act
   2. Discard and sort
   3. Group
   4. Be motion minded
   5. Practice preventive maintenace
   6. Use your accrued benefits
   
   Those principles can be applied to every situation in your life and I still find myself relying on them to be efficient at home and at work. I think the book is worth the price just to get familiar with those principles.
   
   The other part of the book that continues to be helpful to me fourteen years after my first read, is the Personal Planning Notebook. Rather than use an expensive pre-packaged system with sections and categories that are not relevant to you, you buy a 5" x 8" binder and Deniece shows you how to set it up in a way that is completely useful and relevant. I have my monthly calendar pages that act as an "index" or "overview" of the month and those help me to organize my daily pages in such a way that I actually get things done!
   
   Not every section in this book is going to be relevant to every reader, but there is plenty here to choose from. I admit that at times Deniece's prose comes across as a little Donna Reed-like, but I forgive her because she is sensible and she knows what she is talking about! She is also the first to say that you need to fit the tips, plans, and advice to fit YOUR life. It is not a cookie cutter approach, but rather an expert's wisdom which you are free to put to use in the way that best suits your life.
   
   I have read and tried the Sidetracked Home Executives and FlyLady, but this is really my bedrock system when it comes to meeting all the "have to's" in my life so I can get to the fun "want to's"!

5 comments about The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life.

1. Some things to think about from this book:
   *If things are too hard to put back, they usually just stay out.
   *Have a place for everything so you can keep everything
   in its place.
   *Store things as close to their point of use as possible.
   *The more steps it takes to do something, the less likely
   it is to get done.
   You can read the first chapter if you go to the author's website.



2. I certainly agree with some of the reviewers: the book is boring; reading long, useles stories is just time consuming. It is not supposed to be a momoir: it should be a MANUAL "how to organize your life". You cannot learn it from a book which is, in many ways, not very well organized.



3. I found this book easy to read (although, a little repetitious) and the strategies outlined in the book are highly useful to get and stay organized. The book is full of examples stories, including sevearl short ones and one Full-blown-crisis, in each Chapter(strategy). The story format can be motivating if happen to see yourself in one of them. However, the story format may be boring if you are looking for specific tips on organizing.
   
   The strategies are useful whether you are completely disorganized or evenly mildly disorganized. Quiz type questions at the back can help identify which strategy or strategies are giving you trouble, and you go from there. Since sustaining a good system seems to be the most difficult part, this review section will be useful for quick refresher if things start piling up again.
   
   My opinion is that this book paired with another that outlines specific tips would be more useful than this book alone. (And I plan to get another, after I check out some more reviews:)
   
   My personal experience with this book - most of what I read was common sense type stuff, and after reading, I realized I'm not as dis-organized as I though I was! The sections on sorting and weeding highlight that keeping something just because you "paid good money for it", or because "you might need it someday" are NOT good reasons to fill your valuable space with useless items. In the back of mind, I knew this, but hearing it from an outsider, gave me the extra push I needed. I went through every closet in my house, and had a much easier time tossing or donating things. I admit I had let myself grieve over a few sentimental items, but it feels great to have the space back. I'm moving on to living spaces and organizing my time better now that the storage spaces are is in order.



4. Kathy has done a great job defining 9 strategies import to organizing. She begins with understanding your environment and the challenges currently in your life and then teaches the steps necessary for thining out your belongs, setting your environment up to be successful, and the strategies to maintain it.



5. If you are serious about getting and staying organized, this book is for you. If you want someone to just give you a system to try that does all the organzing for you, then don't get this book. I really liked this book because of the simple steps Kathy Waddill breaks things down in. I now look at little things in my house and think, is there a better place for that, do I use that, is that in a place that will create a problem later? I have a husband that has to have a lot of stuff for his job and this has helped me to be able to keep his things organized, too. I do not like to have to use a lot of steps and complicated systems where I won't know how to keep things clean because it won't fit the system. This book is not like that at all. Great resource for those who want help with things they need to keep or get rid of.

1 comments about Home Enlightenment: Create a Nurturing, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Home.

1. I have the first edition of Home Enlightenment and just looked the new book over and like changes.
   
   I am a green interior designer and have found Home Enlightenment to be a very useful reference for my work. it covers a wide assortment of topics, but centers on creating a green and toxic-free environment.
   
   I also like how the elements--earth, water, fire and air--are incorporated into daily living.
   
   Bond is tireless in her research for this book and it is jam-packed with information about what products are eco-friendly, how to clean everything and much more.
   
   I also practice Feng Shui, so Home Enlightenment,Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet(for green, Feng Shui and a beautiful home) and Feng Shui Tips for a Better Life are always in easy reach in my office.

5 comments about The Woodburner's Companion: Practical Ways of Heating with Wood.

1. In an age of rapidly rising energy costs for the homeowner, fresh attention is being given to heating alternatives to electricity and natural gas. Foremost among them is the woodburning stove and/or fireplace. Dirk Thomas is a Vermont chimney sweep how drew upon his many years of experience and expertise to write The Woodburner's Companion, a definitive "how to" manual and guide on the proper ways to utilize wood and fireplace stoves, boilers, furnaces, masonry heaters, and more. Thomas comprehensively covers such pertinent issues as the fuel value of various woods, how to purchase firewood, getting the most heat from what you buy, the environmental impact of woodburning, and a variety of chimney and flue arrangements for best efficiency. Curry provides specific emphasis on the safety issues involved with burning wood for fuel and heat. "Must" reading for the novice wood burner, The Woodburner's Companion will also offer considerable value for experienced woodburners with detailed discussions of woodstove installation, and American and Canadian building and fire codes.



2. If you operate a woodstove, you should have this book. It covers every topic the woodburner should read prior to purchasing, for installation and operation. The information on safety, cleaning and chimney problems is vital. The advice on buying wood will prevent a rip-off (very easily done in the cord wood biz). Woodstove manufacturers should ship this book with their stoves. Highly recommended.



3. In his earlier, complementary book "The Harrowsmith Country Life Guide to Wood Heat" Dirk Thomas lays out burning wood for heat from A to Z. Everything is covered from felling and limbing trees, using block and tackle to move them on any kind of surface, rigging up trucks to remove trees on hillsides, bucking wood, to installing stoves and chimneys. "The Woodburner's Companion" is more for the less adventurous homeowner who gets his wood ready-to-go or who is building a new house with woodburning in mind.
   As such the book is very useful. Heating values of wood, fuel, coal and the like are compared, stove installation and chimney maintenance are covered in some depth, and enlightening facts about clean burning and types of creosote are discussed. I especially value Thomas's remarks on the best way to keep a proper fire in a wood stove going, which is to neither frequently feed it all the time nor starve it down to embers.
   He covers types of chimneys, pros and cons of various materials, chimney cleaning techniques, and how best to handle fireplaces and fireplace inserts, as well as wood stoves and wood furnaces.
   This is a capable book whose information will get the novice off to a flying start and hone the woodburning skills of the veteran. It will enhance efficiency and safety in the home.



4. I found this book to have answered every question that can come to mind involving burning wood either as a primary source of heat or esthetic enjoyment. It is enjoyable reading as well as informative. I particularly enjoyed the pros and cons revealed about different methods of wood heat and also Dirk's subtle sense of humor in defending the burning of wood as an institution---as he so aptly states, it is defensible politically since no wars have been fought over wood (unlike oil), and if you have a wood spill, you're not looking at a major ecological catastrophe. It's not hard to see that Mr. Thomas likes his trade (chimney sweeping)and is the best choice to write a book of this nature. To all prospective readers: Enjoy!



5. I have burned wood in a woodstove for years, but there was a lot that I didn't know, especially regarding chimney safety. I will be having my chimney inspected for cracked flue tiles, since I know that there was once a chimney fire (before my time). I don't want to endanger my family to save a few bucks. Thank you, Dirk, for writing such a clear and sensible guide. I expect that more people will be using wood to heat their homes as fuel and electricity costs continue to rise. This book is well worth buying as a reference and guide to safely useing a woodstove or fireplace.

No comments about Everything (almost) In Its Place: Control Chaos, Conquer Clutter, and Get Organized the Buttoned Up Way.

5 comments about Organizing Magic: 40 Days to a Well-Ordered Home and Life.

1. As usual, Sandra Felton provides a thoughtful, kind, step by step program for getting out of a mess into a clean, organized home. While this book alone will leave you with some questions, buy it in conjunction with almost any of her other books, and you will have a guide to solving your most pressing home organization problems.
   
   Felton provides her suggestions with more than a little bit of insight into how things got to be this much of a mess to begin with. She is a reforming messie person, and doesn't hesitate to share her experiences with you.



2. Nowhere near as good as other organizing books. If you do want to get a book on organizing, get: organizing from the inside out and organizing plain and simple. Those 2 combined give you all the info you need...



3. I was considering purchasing this book (no, I have not read it). After reading one of the book reviews below, I was drawn to visit, the author, Sandra Felton's website. I surfed around her website a little until I came across a Teleclass she hosted on Decluttering Your Life. I could only manage to listen for about 10 minutes because I was getting so agitated and annoyed with her inane and repetitive questions of the interviewee. I don't know how the poor interviewee, Marsha Sims, could make it through the interview without screaming?! Not only did the questions Felton was asking appear idiotic, but the whole Teleclass was disorganized and chaotic. I find it hard to believe that I could learn any organizing methods from someone who is more disorganized than I am. After listening to Sandra Felton for 5 minutes, I decided not to purchase any of her books! Marsha Sims had some really interesting ideas (that she was barely able to get through on the interview) and I have decided to see if she has written any books of her own.



4. This should actually be "40 STEPS (rather than DAYS) to a Well-Ordered Home and Life." I love the idea of becoming Martha Stewart in less than two months, but, unfortunately, it took me six months to get through the book. (I wanted to implement each chapter before moving on to the next.) And I'm still not Martha Stewart.
   
   This is a great book! The author offers practical and sound advice for behavioral change. It's not a book of "put this here and buy this organizing tool." Rather it is a collection of tiny steps to help people change their behavior toward more organized living. The author doesn't want to give people cleaning schedules; she wants to help people maintain clean and organized homes by encouraging clean and organized habits. The book design is colorful (quite feminine, but I'm a woman, so I didn't mind too much) and easy to read. Sidebars and shoutouts are prevalent. The chapters are short making it perfectly bite-sized reading.
   
   Final Thoughts: Definitely RECOMMENDED.



5. As organizing books go, they usually fit into at least one of 3 categories: 1) hints/tips, 2) 'clutter psychology/personality types, or 3) managing (getting rid of/finding storage for).
   
   The author has tried to do all three and ended up doing none. Although the book claims to have one-hour activities, there's really little meaningful substance at all. There's no clear progression where any activity builds on or logically follows another, so the whole thing feels kind of random.
   
   Only a couple of pages are devoted to each day, and these examples are quoted from the book:
   
   * Envision your goals.
   * Stick to a system.
   * Wear glasses that darken automatically in the sun.
   * Serve dinner dishes on the kitchen counter.
   * Drop out of a group or club.
   * Stop sending Christmas cards.
   * Look down the road for trouble.
   * Give away unwanted, outgrown, or downright unpleasant items.
   
   That last one is the most disturbing of all. If it's "downright unpleasant," why would you give it to anyone?
   
   If the book didn't have Sandra Felton's name printed right on the cover, I wouldn't have believed she authored it.
   
   If your clutter problem is just annoying, you won't get anything from this book you're not already doing or didn't already know. If you're a serious clutterbug, you won't find anything here that will help you make any major impact on your clutter.