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 finding a straight answer to a simple home-repair question usually means scrubbing through a 20-minute video or scrolling past 800 words of preamble. I wanted the opposite — a written, scannable reference you can read in two minutes and trust before you pick up a tool.
I run the editorial side of the site. Every guide is researched against primary sources — manufacturer instructions, current building code (IRC and NEC), and federal and trade authorities like the EPA, OSHA, the CPSC, and university extension services — drafted with the help of AI tools, then fact-checked line by line by a human before it publishes. Safety-critical work in electrical, gas, plumbing, and structural repair is flagged for a licensed pro rather than glossed over, and every guide carries a visible "last reviewed" date so you know how current it is.
- Every guide researched against manufacturer specs, current IRC/NEC building code, and authorities like the EPA, OSHA, the CPSC, and university extension services
- AI-assisted drafting, human-edited and fact-checked line by line before publishing — verification is never automated away
- Safety-critical electrical, gas, and structural steps flagged for a licensed professional, with a visible "last reviewed" date on every guide
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.
Researched against primary sources
Every guide starts from primary sources — manufacturer instructions and spec sheets, current building code (IRC and NEC), and guidance from bodies like the EPA, OSHA, the CPSC, and university extension services. We use AI tools to help draft and illustrate; we never use them to skip the research.
- 2.
Fact-checked by a human editor
Every actionable claim — torque values, code requirements, cure times, amperage ratings — is verified against the cited sources before publishing. Safety warnings are placed before the step where they matter, and step order is checked for a logical, safe sequence.
- 3.
Refined by readers and re-reviewed
Published guides accept reader tips and ratings, and good tips get folded into the body in later revisions. The "Last reviewed" date on every guide reflects the most recent editorial pass; guides are re-checked when codes or products change.
130
Free guides
8
Categories
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Forever