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Understanding Construction Drawings

Understanding Construction Drawings ...
Thomson Delmar Learning :: Technology & Technical & Manufacturing Industries & Trades :: Technology & Industrial Arts :: Technology :: Structural drawing :: Science&Mathematics :: Dwellin :: Understanding Construction Drawings

 

How to Plan- Subcontract and Build Your Dream House- Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Pitfal

3 stars (Voice of experience--good advice) - The best part of this book is its easygoing style. Written seemingly entirely from memory, you'll understand and remember every word. The author skips the commonly available info and writes about the crucial nuts-and-bolts problems of building a house: what do you do if you've drilled a hundred foot well and come up dry? (Keep drilling.) His advice on some details, vapor barriers for example, is OK but you'll want to check the latest thinking on the topic too. Some harmless misinformation is passed along, like that Palladio, eponym for those short-tall-short windows, "invented" them. (He may have invented residential architecture, but those windows date to antiquity. In his day they were known as serliana, after the architect Sebastian Serliano.) The scientific explanations fall a bit short, and the chapter where he disparages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's engineering does not show him in a good light. However he does caution you that drywallers, more than any other trade, will try to rip you off with a high materials estimate. Stuff like that you can't get anywhere else. 5 stars (Great first source) - If you want to have a house built, this is a great book to start with. The author is a general contractor who has seen it all and wants to educate readers about the building process. His intention is to prevent others from the pitfalls and scams of building, and simultaneously he explains the science behind plumbing, electricity, sewarage, insulation etc. He also discusses the attitudes and scams of subcontractors and local bureaucrats. This is not a how-to book; the purpose is to educate you enough so that you know what questions to ask as your house goes up. He begins with purchasing the land and ends with the final detailing of the house. He includes interesting anecdotes to make his points. I was impressed his ability to go from the abstract to simple things usually overlooked. Although I was lost in th...
Trojan Homes :: Superintendence :: Subcontracting :: Houses :: Dwellings :: Design and construction :: Building :: Architecture :: Domestic :: Amateur's manuals :: Technology :: Selectio :: How to Plan- Subcontract and Build Your Dream House- Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Pitfal

 

The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair- With 350 Projects and 2300 Photos Black - Decker

5 stars (Invaluable Resource) - We recently purchased an old home with lots of "problems". I borrowed this book from my local library (along with Black & Decker's Home Improvement) and was amazed at how clear and detailed it was. I think the best part is how they use real photos of everything, and not sketches. There are well over 2000 photos. Within days, I was dealing with and solving basement issues, plumbing problems, electrical outlets, and many more things that I did not even thing of. The books helped so much that I decided to go ahead and purchase them here on Amazon. There are countless home improvement books out there and some rank better than others. From what I've seen, the Black & Decker series ranks at the top and are an invaluable resource. It literally pays for itself with all the money saving tips and instructions. I recommend this book, along with Black & Decker's Home Improvement and Outdoor to anyone looking to save money on home repairs. 5 stars (My new favorite home repair guide) - A good home repair guide is an absolute requirement for those of us who know very little about home repair but feel the urge on occasion to tackle some of those odd jobs around the house. While there are many guides on the market today the best ones have an abundance of photographs or detailed illustrations to help the reader see what they are supposed to be doing. With over 2,300 photos Black and Decker's The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair is the epitome of this class of books. Processes and techniques are described step by step in detail with no prior knowledge assumed. Everything is so well done anyone can complete any of the projects if they can read and follow directions. I've had several home repair books, but this one just became my top choice for the one I want to have around as my primary reference. The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair is a very highly recommended book for every homeowner or handyman. ...
Creative Publishing International :: Repair :: Remodeling & Renovation - General :: Maintenance and repair :: House & Home :: Home Improvement & Construction :: Dwellings :: Do-It-Yourself - General :: :: The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair- With 350 Projects and 2300 Photos (Black - Decker)

 

Insulate and Weatherize - Expert Advice from Start to Finish Taunton-s Build Like a Pro

5 stars (Essential reading for every homeowner!) - Insulating your house is fraught with dangers and there are lots of sharks out there only too delighted to take your money and ruin your house. Although I am still learning this stuff, I'm still confident that I know more than most of the insulation contractors that have come through my door. Scary, isn't it? The dangers of doing it wrong aren't just a waste of money. There is a real risk of mold in the short term and rot in the long term. Read this book, but let it be your first step. See the Taunton forums at their web page, the Building Sciences Corp web page, and do your homework before you let anyone do anything to your house. I agree with a previous reviewer that a weakness of this book is its lack of step-by-step guides, and as a complete novice on house construction I had to look elsewhere for some of the terminology. But I'm still giving it 5 stars just because it has so much important information, to counteract all the misinformation and misconceptions out there. 3 stars (Very useful overview, but not a step-by-step manual) - This was one of the first books that I bought after purchasing an older, leaky home. And not having insulated a house for ten years or so, and knowing many people with rigid-insulated McMansions, it was a relief to see a book that treats insulation as something to be planned, like any other infrastructural component, not just done ad hoc. Like other Taunton publications, this one is nicely laid out and designed. However, as an amateur, I wanted to see a game plan that I could follow, including which tasks I could be expected to do reasonably well myself, and which things should be left to a professional. Sure, this advice is scattered in the content, but having something like a checklist and timetable would make this a great reference, not just a great overview. 5 stars (Clears up common misconceptions about insulation) - I am very pleased with this book. In addition to covering...
Taunton :: House & Home & Reference :: Sealing (Technology) :: Repair :: Insulation :: House & Home :: Home Maintenance And Repair :: Home Improvement & Construction :: Dwelli :: Insulate and Weatherize - Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Taunton-s Build Like a Pro)