NEW BOOK FROM COLIN ROSS
DIY or Call a Guy: The Bathroom Edition
100+ bathroom problems. One page each. A straight answer on whether to fix it yourself or call someone.
Running toilet, dripping faucet, cracked caulk, a fan that just hums. Some of these are a 20-minute fix. Some turn into a ceiling stain downstairs if you guess wrong. This book tells you which is which before you start.
Or read 7 pages free first (PDF) →
Paperback · 144 full-color pages · 8 x 10 · Also on Kindle
Every page ends with a verdict
No "it depends." Each problem gets one of three calls, so you know where you stand before you buy a single part.
DIY
A careful first-timer can do this with basic tools. If it goes wrong, the damage is small and easy to undo.
DIY with care
Doable, but one step can cause a leak or break something if you rush. Read the whole page first, and stop at the red box.
Call a guy
Check it yourself, then hire it out. The page shows what to look for and what to tell the pro. That's a good result, not a failed one.
FREE SNEAK PEEK
Read 7 free pages before you buy
A free 7-page PDF: the cover, how the pages work, the symptom finder for leaks, and one page of each verdict (The toilet keeps running, Replace the fill valve, and Heat, buzzing or a burning smell). No email needed.
What's on every page
Every problem is laid out the same way: a verdict, four numbers, a drawing, the steps, what you need, and a red box that tells you when to stop.
- The verdict: DIY, DIY with care, or Call a guy.
- Time: roughly how long it takes.
- Parts: what to pick up before you start.
- Skill level: rated 1 to 5.
- Pro cost: a national price range for hiring it out, so you can weigh your time against the bill and spot a quote that's way off.
Layout shown for illustration.
A few of the problems inside
Straight from the table of contents. Each one is its own page.
The toilet
- The toilet keeps running
- Swap a worn-out flapper
- The flush is weak
- Water around the base
- The tank is sweating
Sink & faucet
- The faucet drips
- Replace a faucet cartridge
- Find an under-sink leak
- The bathroom smells like a drain
Tub & shower
- The tub spout keeps running
- The shower runs hot and cold
- Water escapes the shower
- The tub or shower base cracks
Caulk, grout & walls
- The caulk is split or moldy
- Lay a new bead of caulk
- A tile is loose or the floor is soft
- Mold keeps coming back
Fan, electrical & hardware
- The mirror stays foggy
- The fan is weak or noisy
- Heat, buzzing or a burning smell
- A grab bar moves
Make it better
- Choose a toilet that fits
- Replace a faucet
- Grab bars, done right
- Compare contractors and quotes
Plus the maintenance pages (after-shower, weekly, monthly and yearly resets), a "New house? Start here" page, and two pages on using AI to troubleshoot without getting burned.
Also inside
Symptom finder
Don't know what the problem is called? Start with what's going on and it points you to the right page.
Workbook pages
Room to keep notes on your own bathroom and the repairs you've done, so the next fix is easier than the last.
Sources in the back
Where the facts came from, so you can check them yourself.
Built for the paperback
Full color and 8 x 10. Keep it on the shelf or with your tools, and write in the workbook pages.
Why I wrote it
I'm Colin Ross. I run Colin Can Help, a handyman business in Euclid, Ohio, and I've been doing bathroom repairs professionally since 2020, and I've flipped houses too.
Most of what's in this book started as the same conversation, repeated in a lot of different bathrooms. Somebody would meet me at the door and say they probably could have done it themselves. Usually they were right. Sometimes they were very wrong, and the difference was never how handy they were. It was whether anyone had ever shown them what the job actually involved before they had to decide.
That's all this book is. Not a push to do everything yourself, and not a sales pitch for calling someone. If it saves you a call, that was the point. If it talks you out of one you were about to regret, that's even more the point.
Who it's for
- Homeowners who want to handle the easy stuff and stop paying for 15-minute jobs.
- First-time buyers who just inherited a bathroom full of mystery problems. It makes a practical closing or housewarming gift.
- Landlords and anyone keeping more than one bathroom running.
- Anyone who'd rather know when to stop before a small repair turns into a big one.
Common questions
Do I need tools or experience to use it?
No. The skill rating tells you how hard a job is, and the parts list tells you what to buy. Plenty of pages end in "Call a guy," and that's worth knowing too.
Paperback or Kindle?
The paperback. It's full color, sized at 8 x 10, and has workbook pages you'll actually want to write in. Keep it with your tools.
What if the verdict is "Call a guy" and I'm near Cleveland?
I serve Euclid and Cleveland's east side. See my toilet repair, plumbing, caulking and bathroom painting pages, or text me a photo at 216-800-5883. I don't do drain snaking or sewer work.
Where can I read more for free?
The blog has a lot of bathroom repair articles, and you can see real bathroom jobs on my projects page. Other titles are on my books page.
Know before you start.
100+ bathroom problems, a straight verdict on every one, and a paperback you can keep with your tools.
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