Books, CDs and Booksellers

Books, CDs and Booksellers

This page will offer links to books and CD that focus on construction details and techniques, home maintenance, construction design and publishers who focus on construction information.

Construction Details & Technical Information

EEBA Builders Guide
I always have this book in my truck. Be sure to select the one for your climate (Puget Sound is Mixed-Humid). This book considers the house as a system and has sections on framing, foundation, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall and painting. Not only the hows but the whys.
Habitat for Humanity - How to build a House
Directions for volunteers. Covers almost everything except electrical, plumbing & heating.
Graphic Guide to Frame Construction
A comprehensive collection of wood framing drawings and details.
JLC Field Guide
A practical visual guide to every stage of a building project: planning & design, construction, inspection, and troubleshooting. And it features more than 440 detailed technical drawings.
The Woodburner's Companion
Practical Ways of Heating with Wood, by Dirk Thomas. If you have a woodburing stove this is the book for you. I have read this book and after 25 years experience of mostly heating with wood I still found helpful tips in Dirk's book. If you like to have a fire in your fireplace or are thinking about purchasing a wood stove or fireplace insert this is the book for you. Check it out at The Woodburner's Companion . You can order on line or call 717-267-0867 to order a copy that will cost only $20 including shipping. Ask at your local bookstore to see if they carry the book.

Maintenance and Repairs

HOUSE CHECK from Taunton Press
A concise guide to the sights, surfaces, sounds -- and sometimes smells -- of your house. With this guide, you can quickly figure out what's causing those odd symptoms and what, in a nutshell, you should do to set things right. For only $16.95 it's a bargain.
Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, 3rd Edition—Consumer Reference
NAHB's Residential Construction Performance Guidelines were created to offer a third-party view of quality issues in residential construction (both new homes and remodeling). The guidelines help define the point when a potential warranty item requires corrective action. Thousands of successful builders use the guidelines to lower their warranty costs by reducing inappropriate claims.
Renovation, 3rd Edition by Michael W. Litchfield
This book is as much concerned with what and why as it is with how to. Thus, for every topic, from foundations to finish flooring, you’ll find the tools and materials you’ll need, the problems you may encounter, and workable solutions to see you through. I have the second edition and it is the first place I look for help when considering a project.

Design

The Philosophy of Sustainable Design
Our professional judgment should be more than a catalogue of expert opinions, it is more than splitting the difference among interested parties. It is a statement of values, born of a proud legacy that we must carry forward. If something is toxic it needs to be eliminated period.
Sarah Susanka
A cultural visionary Sarah Susanka has emerged as a leader of a movement that is redefining the American home. Her books *Creating the Not So Big House*, *The Not So Big House* and *Not So Big Solutions for Your Home* offer a new vision for the American home: houses about a third smaller that what you thought you needed -- but better suited to your lifestyle.
Building Construction Illustrated by Francis D.K. Ching
My copy of this book is paper back, 11.5" by 14" with yellowed dog eared pages and was copyrighted in 1975. I have managed to keep this with me for 30 years because I think it is the best single source of conceptual, clear information on the whole structure. For twenty-five years, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. Now this Third Edition has been expertly revised and updated to address the latest advances in materials, building technology, and code requirements. Complete with more than 1,000 illustrations, the book moves through each of the key stages of the design process, from site selection to building components, mechanical systems, and finishes. Topics within each chapter are organized according to the CSI MasterFormat(TM), making the book extremely easy to use. Special features of this edition include integrated coverage of environmentally friendly materials, sustainable building construction strategies, and ADA requirements, as well as the inclusion of both metric and standard U.S. measurements throughout the book.
Concrete Countertops DIY CD
Armed with a Concrete Countertops DIY Instructional DVD and NeoMix System products, you can have the concrete countertop of your dreams in just 2 weeks!
Concrete at Home & Concrete Countertop books
Own the complete collection on concrete countertops and concrete design for the home: "Concrete Countertops," "Concrete at Home" and "Concrete Countertop DIY" Instructional DVD.
Residential Construction Performance Guidelines, 3rd Edition—Contractor’s Reference
NAHB says the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines is the industry's most widely accepted reference on how homes should perform. This fully revised and updated reference was created specially for builders and remodelers to help successfully manage customer expectations while delivering high-performance homes. Features include: * A unique collection of nearly 300 guidelines in 12 major construction categories * 50 new guidelines on cabinets, cement board siding, concrete, countertops, drainage, driveways, drywall, landscaping, water infiltration, and more * New remodeling-specific content—italicized throughout for easy identification * Guidance on how to take critical measurements * Glossary of common terms

Book Sellers

Journal of Light Costruction Online Bookstore
I subscribe to this journal and support its book store. Good, practical, hands on information available here.
National Association of Home Builders official web site book store
Brochures, Business Management, Code Information, Construction Management, Home Buyers & Owners, Home Design & Projects, Land Development, Legal Issues
Taunton Press Books & Videos
One of my favorite places for books. Elegant, informative products about home design, improvement, construction, woodworking, fabricworking, gardening and cooking.
Craftsman Book Company
This site says: "Read It Online Before You Buy! Construction books, software, downloads, tools, and resources for the professional construction contractor, estimator, tradesman, and adjuster. Not sure if one of our titles is right for you? No problem! Browse the first chapter of over 150 titles covering every construction trade and task. See the book's front and back cover. Check the table of contents. Then order what you need!"
Construction Book Express
This website says: "Building codes and standards regulate the design, construction and maintenance of the built environment. They protect the health, safety and general welfare of a building's users. In most areas of the US, construction is regulated by the need to comply with locally or regionally adopted building codes and standards. These codes govern how and what you can build. The US has a diverse set of code organizations and building codes that are adopted and enforced in different ways in different places. To meet this diversity, we specialize in building codes books and products for the ICC, BOCA, ICBO, and the SBCCI model codes, the National Electrical Codes, and the various standards referenced in the codes. Search our database for over 2,000 book titles and software and over 500 related construction products and tools."