Book creates new handymen

THE OFFICIAL RENT-A-HUSBAND GUIDE TO A SAFE, PROBLEM-FREE HOME, by Kaile R. Warren Jr. and Jane MacLean Craig, Broadway Books, 237 pages, $17.95.

At first glance, this looks like any other “how-to-do-it” guide that you can find in your local bookstore or hardware store. Sure, it’s a book that’s ideal for the new house-owner or for anyone who has to tackle the “handyman” projects around a home, such as unclogging the toilet, replacing a wall switch or scraping wallpaper.

But it also covers home improvements – customizing closets, converting storage spaces and finding and utilizing spaces in unexpected spots. And there’s another section that alerts you to potential dangers lurking in your home and how to fix them – including childproofing your home and choosing a home security alarm system.

Written in a straightforward, light-humored way, the book is the outgrowth of the “Rent-A-Husband” business started in May 1996 by Mainer Kaile R. Warren Jr. Today, the business is franchised in four states and Warren expects to add 100 more franchises in the coming year. He’s the president and CEO.

Warren is a Portland native who is active in his community and volunteers at Camp Sunshine, the Casco camp for children with life-threatening illnesses. He has appeared on CBS “Saturday Early Show” once a month for the past year and was recently hired as its home improvement correspondent, the position once held by Bob Vila. You may have seen him on other TV shows such as “Today,” “Leeza,” “Oprah,” CNBC’s “Powerlunch,” “To Tell the Truth,” “The Maury Povich Show” and “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.” An accomplished speaker, Warren is into photography, car racing and songwriting.

Warren’s co-author, Jane MacLean Craig, also was born and raised in Maine, but now resides in New York City. She has authored two books and runs her own public relations consulting agency.

“Rent-A-Husband” was based on the idea that there was a need for home repair services that were reliable, trustworthy and universally available. It came from Warren’s construction experience and work in many homes where he observed, “the frustration that results from those pesky household chores that never seem to get done. The drips, drops, squeaks, and cracks of daily life.”

While the franchise aims to make available a reliable handyman, the book goes a step further and neatly describes – including sketches – how to solve many of the common household problems of today so that the reader becomes a “Mr. Fix-It.” The language is clear and easily understandable, with humorous little anecdotes sprinkled casually among the “how-to” descriptions, and “Insider’s tips” framed neatly in the text.

For example, have you ever had a difficult time gripping something with a pair of pliers while trying to turn it? Warren says, “For especially tough turns, try tightening a wrench onto the handles of your pliers and using it to turn them. It will substantially increase your leverage.”

Warren starts you off with a Starter Kit of tools, simply and clearly described.

Then he jumps right into household problems – plumbing, electricity, wallpapering and painting, flooring, and how to select a contractor for those bigger jobs.

Early on, he’ll introduce you to such things as the “overflow tube” in the toilet tank because invariably you will benefit from knowing about this bit part. Who hasn’t had a toilet overflow?

Installing a new wall switch or fixing a lamp are easily described. And, for those who have been puzzled about what the different colors of electric wires mean, it’s comforting to learn that “black is hot, white is neutral, and green (or uninsulated copper) is ground.”

There’s a handy section about carpets and carpet care, including tips for carpet stain removal (water-soluble, oil and grease) and odor removal.

In the “Room for Improvement” section, he tackles improvements room by room, including a home office. He tells how to use color and mirrors for various effects in different rooms. An important reminder is the need for safety glass in mirrors and tub enclosures in bathrooms. There’s also an inventive section on “Clutter Containment.”

And did you know that, “Deep drawers tend to get messier faster than shallow ones; if possible, avoid too deep drawers.”?

You’ll even find a reference to the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui – the state of your surroundings can affect your health. Warren notes that feng shui practitioners “believe that clearing your front entrance of obstacles may allow you to do the same with the obstacles in your life. Just a little food for thought.”

The “Home Safety” section includes tips on indoor security, family safety and outdoor home security. This section alone is worth the price of the book. Did you know that there’s a device available, called “hot stop limits,” which can “restrict how far a handle can be pushed to the hot side”? – Great, if you have small children.

There’s also a thorough discussion about the dangers of radon – a deadly gas hovering in many of our homes – as well as about contaminated water and the filters you can install to correct the problem.

This book, with its clear writing and easy sketches, may well cut back on the need to hire a “Rent-A-Husband”!