Dear Friend,

The guidebook said to use a wet sponge to remove excess grout from between the ceramic tiles.

Unfortunately, it FAILED to mention that wet grout doesnt react that well to water. It can damage the finish and it can make the grout brittle after it sets.

The guidebook also FAILED to mention that an oversaturated sponge could lead to milky residue on the tiles that would be readily apparent after drying--and that would be a major hassle to clean.

You could do the job by the book only to have an experienced tile pro laugh in your face. The guidebooks wet sponge wouldve been a slightly dampened sponge in the hands of someone whos been there and done that.

ARE YOU READY TO GO BEYOND THE BOOK?

Theres a lot to be said for handling home improvements and remodeling on your own. Being a do it yourselfer holds down costs, allows you to go after your personal vision with a passion and provides a remarkable sense of satisfaction when you complete a job.

But only if you do the job right.

And thats why we dont wing it. We get the books. We read the guides. Were the only people on the face of the earth who actually read the fine print on product labels!

We do those things for a reason. We care. We want our homes to be perfect. We want to enjoy a job well done.

FOLLOWING THE BOOK DOESNT ALWAYS DO THE TRICK!

You can follow the instruction manuals with precision, only to end up with a lousy results. It happens all time. That problem I mentioned with the wet sponge and grout was only one of hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of the way the book and reality dont always line up.

The pros understand that, too. If youve ever worked alongside someone whos been in the business, youll find that they have little tricks that work like a charm--and that dont appear in any guide or handbook.

They pick up little tips and secrets over time. After youve done certain remodeling task for the umpteenth time, you tend to get pretty good at it. You develop a feel, you master a few secrets.

You and I, however, dont have that luxury. Were not going to do 1,000 kitchen remodels over the course of a 50-year career. Were going to remodel our kitchen. Most likely, were going to do it once.

We dont get the chance to discover those little things that can mean so much when it comes to successful home improvement and remodeling.

WHAT IF YOU HAD ACCESS TO THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT USUALLY COMES ONLY FROM EXPERIENCE?

What kind of difference would it make if you could tackle your remodeling jobs with that insider information... You could:

* Improve the quality of your life, turning your home into the kind of place in which youve always wanted to live.

* Get the job done faster, using professional shortcuts that dont appear on the back of the product label..

* Produce better results. Your home improvement jobs wouldnt look like the work of a rank amateur. They wouldnt suffer from those embarrassing little flaws.

* Avoid unnecessary work. Youd spend less time correcting blunders. Imagine not having to constantly fix your own work!

* Have more fun. When you know what youre doing and the best way to do it, the work associated with home improvement is fulfilling and rewarding.

Thats why I researched and compiled Do It Yourself Remodeling: The Ultimate Tip Collection. Its an informative collection of tips, pointers, secrets and strategies to improve your remodeling work across a wide range of projects..