Carpentry & Construction

Rating:
Summary: READ THIS REVIEW FOR DETAILS
Review: This book is great for the beginner and probley a good reference for the pro. I however feel as though some sections were poorley written. The statements can seem a bit vague, at other times information which should have been kept in it's own paragraph had been spread out through a series of paragraphs. The paragraphs themselves are sometimes constructed poorly. However I do believe that the reader will be able to understand the information if he tries. One section that was for sure too sloppy was the description of the gradeline and benchmark. This information can be easily found in another book at your local library.
The content of the book is good, but as with any book that tries to cover framing, plumbing, electrical, and foundations it does not contain the most indepth information, but does cover a bit more than the basics. I would for example recommend another book for the electrical section, but not for the framing nor foundation - since any vague points are not able to be explained for all parts of the country and will be explained when one goes to check building codes for their region.
Over all the book is good and worth the money for a good introduction for do-it-your-self homeowners or construction students.

Note: I would have given the book a 5 except for the difficulty of dechipering some sentences.

Also be sure to examine the pictures carefully. I noticed that figure 3-13 on page 48 calls what should be the "rough line" as imply being the "line." In the text the "line" is referred to as the line which is created by the strings coming off the batter boards. If these lines/strings from the batter boards were followed straight down to the earth they provid the outside edges of the foundation wall. The rough line is two feet outside of where this line lays. If one looks at the book you will understand what I am saying.

Rating:
Summary: Grassroots info on building your own home
Review: From tools to termites, this book is an excellent reference tool for the construction novice (the person who is a neophyte to the trade, yet yearns to build their own home). This is a fine jumping-off point to more trade-specific references. It has given me the confidence to build my own house, even though I can't swing a hammer without hitting my thumb. Detailed drawings and illustrations complement a text that works from the "ground floor" up (forgive the pun) to the finishing touches aimed at the asthetic level.

Rating:
Summary: Just What I needed to Know
Review: The project I'm working on right now in the hundred year old house I bought is refinishing some hardwood floors. So first I turned to the index to see what they said about doing that task. It was there. The description was rather short, but exactly what I needed to know.

I then turned to how to install a toilet, yup, it was there too. So was wiring, framing walls, building a stair way, roofing, venting gas appliances, and there's a section on solar heating systems. In short, I couldn't find anything about building a house that wasn't covered (except for finding the money to cover the cost). If you're going to build a house, or have one built, I can't recommend any book higher than this one.

Rating:
Summary: Great overview of construction
Review: This book is a great overview of construction - it covers building stages ranging from the foundation to framing to roof details to types of siding available. Some electrical basics discussed, tips and tricks to keep in mind -- overall a good, lucid, well-thought out book that can get you started with construction.