Today’s most comprehensive course in residential construction. The Complete Visual Guide to Building a House not only lives up to its name, but the detailed illustrations put this reference in a league of its own. It’s your single source for reliable instruction in building a house from foundation to finishing touches ― and it’s a beautiful book as well.An essential reference for builders, carpenters, and homeowners! Find everything you need in one easy-to-navigate guide that covers all the bases: Building the structure: foundations; floors; walls; ceilings; raftered and trussed roofs Closing the house to weather: roofing; installing windows, doors, siding and trim; controlling moisture Finishing the house: wall and floor coverings; hanging interior doors; installing trim and cabinets; building stairsExpert step-by-step instruction and detailed illustrations. The Compete Visual Guide to Building a House combines the expertise of builder-author John Carroll with over 1,200 full-color drawings by illustrator Chuck Lockhart. Finally, a step-by-step guide that provides a complete course in residential carpentry and construction from two pros who, together, have over 65 years of experience in the building trades.Eliminate guesswork and avoid costly missteps. Building a house is a complex and challenging undertaking that requires knowing what needs to be done at every critical step – and that’s exactly what you will find in The Complete Visual Guide to Building a House. With this guide in hand, you’ll be armed with the right information and clear illustrations whenever you need them.

Here's your chance to become a more efficient carpenter. Larry Haun has been a production framer for more than 35 years and a teacher of apprentices for more than 20. In this book, Haun shows you, step by step, all the techniques he uses to frame a basic house, from laying down the sills to cutting the rafters. You'll learn about: cutting and installing posts and girders joisting and sheathing fluently laying out, cutting, assembling, and raising walls framing gable roofs, hips and valleys, and truss roofs building various types of stairsThere is an opening chapter on tools, plans, codes, permits, lumber, and materials, and additional information throughout the book on safety and site-built tools. The Very Efficient Carpenter is no less than a complete course in basic framing.

Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, by building your own home you can save 20 to 40 percent or more. By reading The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality. From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your own home. You will learn how to choose a site, draw up a construction time line, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, comply with building codes, select features and fixtures, choose the style of the house, decide on the size of the rooms, prepare plans, and get permits. You will learn about building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing, wiring, ceilings, floors, railings, and attics. In addition, you will learn how to design a home that will meet your needs, perform constructions tasks safely, and build amenities. We will inform you about common problems to watch for, including foundation, roofing, walls, stairs, sidewalks, driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity, and wiring. This book will detail money-saving options and environmentally friendly techniques, while at the same time allowing you to monitor the quality of the materials and the workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the results are exactly what you had envisioned.

Save 30% on home construction!Whether you want to take on all the responsibility of contracting your home or simply want to intelligently communicate with your homebuilder, The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home can help you save 30% or more on the cost of home construction by teaching you the ins and outs of managing your construction project.Learn how to get your project off to a solid start. Get financial and legal details in language you can understand. Learn what to consider when selecting a lot and how to deal with suppliers, labor and subcontractors. Gain understanding of building codes and inspections so you can manage with authority, confidence, and efficiency.This extensive guide walks you through each phase of construction including preconstruction, foundations, framing, roofing, plumbing, electrical, masonry, siding, insulation, drywall, trim, painting, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, tile and landscaping.Completely revised and updated, this edition includes a new section on sustainable building as well as the most comprehensive building resources section ever compiled. You'll find schedules, order forms, control logs, contracts and checklists to help keep your project on track.

Building a home is a complicated, precise, and labor-intensive process. From drawing a design to selecting the site to laying the foundation, building the frame, installing the plumbing, wiring, HVAC, and everything in between, there are countless opportunities for something to go wrong. So how does a homeowner, builder, or remodeler make sure that their project stays on track every step of the way? Having a copy of The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling, 4th Edition on hand is a great place to start. This new edition has 48 pages of brand-new material―including new chapters on solar power and best-practice insulating―as well as the latest code information and updated sections on framing, sheathing, air sealing, and heating and cooling, enabling the reader to visualize exactly how to tackle any building project or problem. With 25 chapters, 688 pages, and a whopping 1,700 full-color illustrations and 300 quick-reference charts covering all aspects of home design and construction, this tome is the quintessential resource for home builders. As an added bonus, you can use it to hammer a nail if you leave your toolbelt at home.

Whether you're a first-time selfbuilder or seasoned professional, this book tells you how to succeed at housebuilding. It explains everything you need to know about managing a build, buying and using materials, finding and employing the right people - and doing it all without the pitfalls. Previous editions have won huge praise. 'It contains all the things the trade know and take for granted, but that non-trade wouldn't know,' said one reader. Another wrote: 'This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to understand the options when building or improving a property.' Written in a highly readable style this twelfth edition is fully updated and comes complete with tables for costing your building project.

The key principles of designing a pleasant, comfortable and healthy eco-home, with a foreword written by HRH The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.Designing an eco-home is much more about working with your house's location and situation than relying on intrusive technology and hi-tech materials. With the soaring energy bills and the climate crisis, it is now more important than ever to invest in a home that is considerate of keeping heat in.In this handbook, architect Christopher Day draws on his extensive experience to explain the key principles of eco-home design, using common-sense methods. Packed full of practical information, it includes several case studies of eco-homes, reviewing (with hindsight) what worked well and what could have been better. There is also guidance on how to generate energy, upgrading old buildings, and site planning.With beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, Christopher explores how to use local topography, combined with landscaping, to improve your home's microclimate and keep your house dry and warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. There are also handy tips on how to minimise hidden environmental impacts, and ideas on ways to make your home a safe and healthy place, both emotionally and physically.The Eco-Home Design Guide is essential for anyone who wants to create a attractive, environmentally friendly home that is in harmony with its location.

You don’t need to depend on (or pay) a general contractor to manage your construction project. Whether you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one, you can manage the job yourself. Carl Heldmann outlines how to purchase your own land, set a reasonable budget and schedule, describe your needs and vision to an architect, and hire subcontractors to do the actual building. Cut out the middleman and save as much as 25 percent on your beautiful new home!

Everything you need to know to make building the home of your dreams the pleasant and profitable adventure it should be. Every day, somewhere, someone starts the process of building their dream home. The process always begins as an exciting, joyful event. It doesn't always end that way though. In many cases, what should be a wonderful experience, turns into a disaster. How can an event, filled with so much promise, end up causing disappointment - wasted money - wasted time, and in some cases even divorce? In most cases it is a failure to understand the process, what to expect, how to prepare, how to stay on budget, how to find the right contractor, and how to prevent being cheated. How many times have you been deeply involved in something important, only to realize you made mistakes that could have been avoided - sometimes costing you thousands of dollars? It's really not necessary. If you're even considering building your dream home, now or in the future, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "How to Build Your Dream Home Without Getting Nailed" - by The Chubby Builder. For less than three bucks, you can learn everything you need to know to make sure your home turns out like you always dreamed it would - and ends up being the wonderful experience it should be. In this book, now available in both Kindle and paperback formats, you'll learn:Often overlooked secrets to finding the right building lot.How to position your new home on the lot, to make your new home more livable and control utility costs.How to find the right contractor FOR YOU and YOUR NEEDS.What you need to know in order to choose the right contractor.How to NEVER pay for the same product or service twice. ( Hey,It happens all the time!)How to make a budget and stick to it.What to expect during the home building process.How to deal with all the people involved in the process. The terms and language of the building business. (It's hard to know if they're right, if you don't have a clue what they're talking about.)What should happen as the process progresses.How to tell if the job is being done the right way and more importantly when it's not.A basic understanding of different building methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each. How to prevent ending up broke, homeless, and lonely!...And So Much More."The Chubby Builder has given us a book that’s as Entertaining as it is Informative.” (Dr. Julie)Don't regret mistakes that are so easy to avoid. Get your copy NOW, BEFORE you do something dumb. It's happiness insurance for less than 3 bucks.

Joanna Gaines' instant #1 New York Times bestseller—Homebody is your ultimate guide to creating spaces you never want to leave.In Homebody, Joanna Gaines walks you through how to create a home that reflects the personalities and stories of the people who live there. Using examples from her own farmhouse as well as a range of other homes, this comprehensive guide will help you assess your priorities and instincts, as well as your likes and dislikes, with practical steps for navigating and embracing your authentic design style.Room by room, Homebody gives you an in-depth look at how these styles are implemented as well as how to blend the looks you're drawn to in order to create spaces that feel distinctly yours. A removable design template at the back of the book offers a step-by-step guide to planning and sketching out your own design plans. The insight shared in Homebody will instill in you the confidence to thoughtfully create inviting spaces in your own home.

Building Construction Handbook contains everything you need to know about the construction process. Up-to-date examples of everyday practices and processes, accompanied by detailed drawings to illustrate the construction building elements, make this text a core reference for both students and professionals.The eigth edition has been fully revised and updated with additional examples of building practice. New material on the following areas is included: energy conservation, sustainable construction, environmental and green building issues and fire protection to elements of construction.Building Construction Handbook is an essential, easy-to-use resource for undergraduate and vocational students on a wide range of courses including NVQ and BTEC National, through Higher National Certificate and Diploma, to Foundation and three-year degree level. It is also a handy reference for building designers, contractors and others working in the construction industry.

Ten years ago, Sarah Susanka started a revolution in home design with a deceptively simple message: quality should always come before quantity. Now, the book that celebrated that bold declaration is back in this special 10th anniversary edition featuring a new introduction and 16 additional pages that explore three new homes.Nearly a quarter-million people bought this ground-breaking book when it was published in Fall 1998. Since then, the book's simple message ― that quality should come before quantity ― has started a movement in home design. Homeowners now know to expect more. And the people responsible for building our homes have also gotten the message. Architects and builders around the country report clients showing up with dog-eared copies of The Not So Big House, pages marked to a favorite section.Why are we drawn more to smaller, more personal spaces than to larger, more expansive ones? Why do we spend more time in the kitchen than we do in the formal dining room? The Not So Big House proposes clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements, whether for a couple with no children, a family, empty nesters, or one person alone.In 1999, Sarah Susanka was then architect and principal with Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady & Partners, the firm selected to design the 1999 Life Dream House brought Frank Lloyd Wright's same common-sense, human-scale design principles to our generation. Consider which rooms in your house you use and enjoy most, and you have a sense of the essential principles of The Not So Big House. Whether you seek comfort and calm or activity and energy at home, The Not So Big House offers a place for every mood.

This book equips owners with the information and strategies needed to turn their vision into a home or renovation project that can be executed on time and within budget. Chapters give detailed coverage of critical topics: design options, selecting and supervising the architect and contractor, cost estimates, budgets, plan specifications, contracts, dealing with town officials and keeping track of everything along the way. For each stage of the project there is detailed information on common pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as insiders' tips which reveal what most contractors can't tell you. This book was previously published by Warner Books (2004) and titled What the "Experts" May Not Tell You About Building or Renovating Your Home.

The Achitecture of Happiness is a dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our locations.One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets that surround us. And yet a concern for architecture is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. Alain de Botton starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.

'As we move towards the 2016 zero carbon target in house building, Passivhaus construction looks like becoming not just popular in the UK, but commonplace. This is a no-nonsense and engaging introduction on how to do it.' KEVIN MCCLOUD-The Passivhaus Handbook is an essential guide for anyone wanting to realise a supremely comfortable, healthy and durable home with exceptionally low energy costs.Passivhaus design focuses on getting the building fabric right, to achieve ultra-low energy consumption cost-effectively. The approach is relevant to a wide range of building types and climates. Its methodology can be combined with elements of other building standards, such as the UK's Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), or with other sustainable building goals, such as a commitment to using low-impact or natural building materials.Whether you are building an extension, retrofitting your house or starting from scratch, and whether you are new to low-energy design or already have some experience, this book will help you navigate around the potential pitfalls and misconceptions. It brings together current thinking and best practice.The book includes a clear explanation of the underlying building physics and terminology, as well as detailed information on key elements of Passivhaus: avoiding air leakage, designing thermal (cold) bridges, moisture management and ventilation strategy. There is also lots of practical advice on setting up a project, including developing a motivated project team, and a discussion of economic considerations and the policy context in the UK.As pressure on global resources increases and energy prices continue to rise, the Passivhaus approach, proven over 20 years, meets the challenge of ultra-low-energy building for the future.

A New York Times bestseller. “With pages of tips and twelve DIY projects, the book makes the free-spirited style easy to achieve.” ―Architectural DigestIn The New Bohemians, LA-based designer Justina Blakeney defines the New Bohemians as creative individuals who are boutique owners and bloggers, entrepreneurs and ex-pats, artists and urban farmers.They embrace free-spirited, no-rules lifestyles and apply that attitude to all areas of their existence, including their homes. With little distinction between work and play, the new boho home often includes an office, art gallery, showroom, photography studio, restaurant, or even a pop-up shop.The New Bohemians explores 20 homes located primarily on the East and West coasts. Exclusive interviews with the owners, 12 DIY projects created by Blakeney and inspired by objects found in the homes, and a “Plant-O-Pedia” offer insight into achieving this aesthetic. In addition, each home is accompanied by an Adopt-an-Idea section that offers general decor, styling, and shopping tips for easy duplication in your own home.“The New Bohemians is sure to inspire readers to create, to reuse, to grow, to let loose, and to invite some cool and collected energy into their own homes.” ―California Home+Design“A colorful and endlessly inspiring cover-to-cover read . . . From the dreamy homes of twenty stylesetters across the country to easy DIY projects, The New Bohemians is our new favorite coffee table book for home inspiration.” ―One Kings Lane“Fans of Justina’s style will be glad to see [the book] reads like a how-to for finding one’s own inner bohemian . . . the book is as functional as it is gorgeous.” ―Apartment Therapy

This is an accessible and authoritative guide to sustainable building. It explains the technologies involved, from air pumps to wind generators and solar panels, helping you to achieve a zero carbon home.

Sustainable Home is a stylish, inspirational and practical guidebook to maintaining a more environmentally friendly household.Sustainable lifestyle blogger and professional Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home – the living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom – offering tips, tricks and 18 step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle.From guidance on decluttering and living minimally to advice about plant-based foods to tips on repairing old clothes, this book touches every aspect of home life.Whether its by making your own toothpaste, converting to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of plastic, growing your own herb garden or upcycling old pieces of furniture, the projects in this book offer numerous ways – both big and small – to make a difference.With environmental issues at the forefront of global politics, the desire to make small changes on an individual level is on the rise; this book will guide anyone hoping to make a difference, but who perhaps don’t know where to begin.

Exactly how to build your tiny house on wheels--step by step--even if you have little to no construction experience...There are a lot of timelapse videos of people building their own tiny houses, both on wheels and on foundations, and they are nothing short of inspiring.One of particular interest is of a young couple that builds a tiny house on wheels so they can live a debt-free, adventurous, and environmentally-friendly life as they travel around making memories.The video shows the couple building their tiny house from start to finish, starting with nothing more than a trailer foundation sitting in a warehouse....In high speed, the couple builds and mounts their walls, adds a roof, and completes their windows and siding.They work on the interior walls and loft, fly through plumbing and electricity, install insulation, and finish the interior.They then take their tiny house on the road and off they go.This type of story inspires and motivates. The young couple makes building a tiny house look quick and painless.Yet, as you begin preparing to build your own tiny house, you probably have found that building a house--even a tiny one--is a pretty daunting task with a lot of details and opportunities for error.Maybe you have spent countless hours watching instructional videos and reading tiny house blogs.Maybe you simply aren’t sure where to start.Maybe your problems are more specific to a particular part of the build, but you feel stuck in place, unsure how you’ll solve these issues.Maybe you are so overwhelmed you’re wondering whether or not you should really be building this house at all.If you are in any of these situations, this book is for you. In this book, you will discover the secrets to tiny house success through the following: Detailed step-by-step instructions to go from zero to completed tiny house in 60 steps, all clearly explained in layman’s terms The 6 pillars of a tiny house build: preparation, structure & walls, power, plumbing & water, air control, interior How to choose and install the best option for your specific needs across all areas of the build, from the trailer to the roof to the plumbing and beyond The fundamentals of construction and how to apply them to your tiny house How the components of a tiny house should (and should not) work together in unison How to identify what you can do yourself, what you should do yourself, and what you should not do yourself Why there is no such thing as a perfect tiny house, but there is such thing as your perfect tiny house How to design your tiny house to be on-grid, off-grid, or both, all with the budget in mind A comprehensive list of the tools and materials that you will need The 3 most common tiny house construction mistakes to avoidand much more…With this book, you’ll be guided through not just the concepts of a tiny house, but will also be taught how to apply them and turn them into a physical reality.Through a combination of evidence, research, stories, and advice from tiny house experts and construction experts, this book provides something never done before: it simplifies the vast knowledge of tiny house construction into a linear and easily followed instructional guide--so easy that even someone who has never built anything in their lives could do it.If you want to successfully build your own tiny house on wheels, then scroll up and click the Buy Now with 1-click button to get your book instantly.

Meryle Secrest's Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography focuses on Wright's family history, personal adventures, and colorful friends and family. Secrest had unprecedented access to an archive of over one hundred thousand of Wright's letters, photographs, drawings, and books. She also interviewed surviving devotees, students, and relatives. The result is an explicit portrait of both the genius architect and the provocative con-man."Secrest seizes the themes most evocative of certain of our cultural myths, forging them into a coherent and emotionally plausible narrative."—New Republic"An engaging narrative."—New York Times Book Review"The real triumph of this biography . . . is the link it makes between Frank Lloyd Wright's personal life and his architecture."—The Economist"Secrest's achievement is to etch Wright's character in sharp relief. . . . [She] presents Wright in his every guise."-Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune"An extremely engaging profile."—The Philadelphia Inquirer"A spellbinding portrait."—Library Journal"The best [biography] so far, a huge and definitive accumulation of fact."—Time

Select from a catalog of more than 360 expertly prepared plans for building small homes—1,200 square feet or less! Over 360 plans to select from for building a variety of small homes 1,200 square feet or under Easy-to-follow construction blueprints and materials lists are available for each project to ensure success Variety of plans including cabins, cottages, small homes, and tiny houses in Craftsman, Country, Contemporary, and Traditional styles Includes helpful advice on rightsizing your home, and maximizing your living space with organization, decorating, and storage solutions Practical do-it-yourself guide helps save money, making planning and cost estimating easier when building the small home of your dreamsSmaller homes are growing in popularity as more of us decide to live simpler yet fuller lives with less square footage, less responsibility, and less stuff. Smaller homes can provide substantial savings in tax, building, heating, maintenance, and repair costs, with reduced ecological impact.Build the small home of your dreams by doing all or part of the work yourself! This practical do-it-yourself guide will help you make your dreams a reality. Whether you're looking to build a cabin, cottage, small home, or tiny house, you're sure to find the ideal small home with the features that will fit your lifestyle inside The Big Book of Small Home Plans.Select from a catalog of more than 360 plans, prepared by expert architects and designers, for building a variety of small homes under 1,200 square feet. Easy-to-follow construction blueprints and materials lists are available to purchase for each project to ensure success. Construction blueprints are available in both print and digital formats.The Big Book of Small Home Plans is also packed with advice for rightsizing your house while maximizing your living space, with useful tips on small home organizing, decorating, and smart storage.Choosing a new house design is exciting, but can be a difficult task. The Big Book of Small Home Plans makes it easy with small home designs for everyone, with all of the amenities and features homeowners are looking for in a new home today. Start your search right now for the perfect small home!

Do you have what it takes to live tiny?Do you dream of simplifying your life, freeing up your financial resources, and ditching all of the clutter that's weighing you down? Learn the nuts and bolts of what it really takes to achieve this dream of designing, building, and living in a tiny house of 400 square feet or less!Tiny house professionals Gabriella and Andrew Morrison have been involved in the trade for over 20 years, helping others to construct their own tiny homes, and they have poured all of their expertise and firsthand experience into this guide.Tiny House Designing, Building, and Living is the one-stop manual into this innovative concept of minimalist living. Dozens of helpful images and a full-color insert displaying different types of tiny houses help you visualize your dream.• Advice on how to embrace the tiny house lifestyle!• How to design and build a house that's an ideal fit for your needs.• The nuances of foundation types, financing and insurance, and legal standards• Building techniques, must-have utilities, off-the-grid living, and home placement.• Inspiration for functional décor and storage.• Three tiny house floor plans, with detailed illustrations!

Written by seasoned builders from across the country, this revised edition of Foundations & Concrete Work features 17 new articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine, all focused on helping builders form and pour the absolute highest-quality foundations.more than 375 on-the-job photos and drawings 272 pages chock-full of advice, tips, and tricks from the world's most foremost home building experts from Fine Homebuilding magazine, the most respected residential construction magazine in the country.Foundations & Concrete Work, is the only book on the subject that builders will ever need!