About HandymanLib
A free, open library of home maintenance and improvement guides — built so a homeowner can scan a page and finish the fix in the next hour, not in the next twenty-minute video.
Max Jiang
Founder & Editor, HandymanLib
I started HandymanLib because I was tired of watching 20-minute YouTube videos to find one tip. I wanted a written, scannable, trustworthy reference library for fixing things around the house.
I grew up around tools — my dad was a contractor — and I have done most of these projects myself, from re-tiling a bathroom to rewiring a finished basement. The guides on this site reflect that hands-on experience, supplemented by deep research and verification against manufacturer specs and trade authorities.
- Homeowner / DIYer with 15+ years hands-on experience
- All electrical work performed under licensed-electrician supervision
- Guide research cross-referenced with Family Handyman, This Old House, EPA, and OSHA guidance
Why I built this
Most home-repair search results are 20-minute videos with 4 minutes of intro, or text articles with 800 words of preamble before the fix. I built HandymanLib because I wanted a written, scannable, trustworthy library that respects your time.
Every guide has the same shape: a one-paragraph TL;DR up top, an at-a-glance block with cost and time, then the steps with measurements, tools, and warnings in the right places. No ads stuffed mid-paragraph. No tracking that follows you elsewhere.
Editorial process
- 1.
Drafted from hands-on experience and primary sources
Every guide starts as a real fix done by a contributor — not a content scrape. Tool lists are pulled from the actual job, measurements are taken from the manufacturer spec, and warnings come from incidents I or trusted DIYers have personally seen.
- 2.
Edited for safety, accuracy, and clarity
Each draft is reviewed for: tool requirements verified against the trade, safety warnings placed before the step where they matter, code references checked against current IRC/NEC, and step ordering tested against the real workflow.
- 3.
Refined by readers
Published guides accept reader tips and ratings. Good tips get folded into the main body in subsequent revisions. The "Last reviewed" date on every guide reflects the most recent editorial pass.
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Free guides
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