Living Homes: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Integrated Design and Construction

Rating:
Summary: Great description of slipform stonewall building
Review: I was really excited to see this book appear. A classic "Build Your Own Stone House" is now out of print, and I thought there was nothing to replace it. Since I am a bookerseller of alternative housebuilding books I was looking for another resource on stone building. Elpel does a very good job of covering all the bases for the prospective owner builder. He allows the reader to envision how home siting, use of passive solar, water needs and energy use will affect the final home for years to come. He covers plumbing, electric, septic, even making a solar hot water heater. But the best part for me was the description of the "terra Tiles" earthen floor method. This is good stuff! Chapters on straw bale and log home building allow the reader to compare various methods. Also coverage of masonry stove building, overall Elpel provides a real understanding of "how to", and an easy to read book.

Rating:
Summary: big problems with technical information
Review: This book has a lot of big ideas, but is very weak on techincal details. The author repeatedly uses phrases like, "We tried this, but it didn't work very well" without offering a follow up of something that DOES work. Maybe some of the suggestions would work better in an arid climate, but around here many of his suggestions are recipes for mold growth, rot and indoor air quality problems. Also, much of what is suggested is in violation of building codes, such as using a single wall heat exchanger in a solar water heating system where the heat exchange takes place between glycol-based antifreeze and potable water. Use the book for ideas, but please get your technical information somewhere else.

Rating:
Summary: Designing an energy-efficient result
Review: Thomas Elpel's Living Homes is an invaluable reference on the concept of integrated design and construction that will appeal to anyone remodeling their home as well as to new home builders, though the latter group will be more interested in the ground-up building approach offered her. From the planning process to designing an energy-efficient result, Living Homes provides construction and how-to tips the home do-it-yourselfer will appreciate.