5 comments about Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook.

1. I first became aware of straw base houses when I visited friends who had built one high in the Colorado rockies. In spite of the bad winters in that location, they reported that they very rarely used any heating beyond opening the drapes on the south facing windows. I don't know what the R-value of a bale of straw might be, but it is high.
   
   They also reported that in the few years they had lived there they had had virtually no maintenance. I had imagined little cracks in the exterior covering and furry little critters living in the walls. But they reported that nothing like this had occurred.
   
   This book is put out by the Red Feather Development Group. They are a non-profit group chartered to provide low cost but efficient housing on indian reservations. They have been developing straw bale contruction for houses over many years, many buildings.
   
   This handbook is not exactly a complete primer on building a straw bale house, to me it is an idea book. There's not much here, for instance on plumbing, heating, wiring and so on. Fair enough, those things are much the same for any house, and well understood by architects and contractors. What this book does is talk about building the house itself, the wall structure, supporting the roof, the things that are unique to building with Straw Bales. There are lots of pictures, illustrating lots of points that you wouldn't think of unless you had been there and done that.
   
   Highly recommended!



2. This book gives an over view of the process to build a home using straw bale construction that is used by the Red Feather Development Group. Modeled after Habitat for Humanity they help tribal members living on Indian reservations achieve home ownership. The book takes you through the building process with many photos and diagrams. There is also pictures and discriptions of straw bale homes that are still lived in after 80 years, showing that sustainable housing is not a passing fad.



3. This was really a good book and I would recommend it very much.



4. I found this book to be very helpful with pictures and building concepts easy to understand by the layman. The chapters are well layed out on each step of the building process and gives a lot of good tips both in dealing with the building code requirements and common sense ideas to building a straw bale house. While the houses in this book are architectually simple, a rectangle shape, the ideas can be use in more complex designs.



5. Frankly, I like this book, despite my 2-star rating of it. It has some excellent information in it as well as excellent photos, and it is well laid out. However, it is intended for very specific and limited uses, which are not really disclosed in the product description. So, read on to learn what I had to discover about its limitations through trial and error:
   
   This is NOT a book on the theory and history of straw bale construction. It spends very little, if any, time outlining the different styles of bale construction, nor the variety of techniques and details that have been tried over the years, nor the many factors - environmental, structural, practical - affecting a particular construction project that might make the builder choose one technique or detail over another. If you are a new owner/builder at the conceptual stage, trying to decide if a bale house is right for you, or how exactly to build the bale house that is best for you, this is NOT the book you want.
   
   This book focuses on one philosophy of design only. It is a guide, not on how to build a bale house, but on how to build one specific bale house. What I find troubling is that it does not even explain, in most cases, why the methods being described were chosen. If you already know a good deal about bale construction, you will quickly read between the lines to see why the authors consider their chosen techniques most suitable for their situation - I did, and quickly determined that little in the book was applicable to my own situation. Ok, fair enough. But, if you do not already understand the basics of straw bale architecture, I can easily imagine the reader following this book down what might well be the wrong path for his or her own project and, at best, wasting a lot of time in the design stage considering inappropriate techniques. At worst, the reader could end up making some very poor and costly choices without realizing why they are poor.
   
   So, what is this book good for? It presents a straight-forward, step-by-step guide to project planning for a particular type of builder attempting a particular type of project. It does not present enough technical details or drawings to be a comprehensive construction manual (what book does?), so it will not take the place of preparing blueprints or having them prepared for you. But, it is nonetheless an excellent place to start IF AND ONLY IF you are...
   
   1) ...Poor, or otherwise interested in building a small, simple, budget-oriented house for a single family. Don't get me wrong: the house this book describes is perfectly sound, perfectly livable, and should last longer than most conventional houses, but it is definitely "no-frills." Frankly, all Americans should be focusing on more modest, economical, and sustainable housing, regardless of income level. Be that as it may, if you are wanting something bigger - multiple stories, luxury oriented, more architecturally unique - you will not find it here.
   
   2) ...Part of a large community or very large family interested in helping you build this house quickly through a massive and intensive volunteer effort. If your access to volunteer resources is more modest and your construction schedule, therefore, more relaxed, you could well run into serious problems trying to follow the path laid out in this book. If you plan on hiring only professionals to build your house for you, well, you probably shouldn't build a bale house in the first place, but at the least you will need to find different books.
   
   3) ...West of the Mississippi and building in a very dry environment. All throughout this book you will find details - 3 string bales, metal rebar inserted into the bales, moderately sized roof overhangs, cement-based plaster with ground-to-ceiling stucco mesh - that are either unique to the West or generally appropriate to a desert or prairie climate. For builders in other areas, most of this book likely does not apply to you.
   
   4) ...Interested in a load-bearing straw bale design. See my note on rebar, cement plaster, and stucco mesh above. There is also much in the book on full structural window and door bucks as well as building a roof-bearing-assembly top plate. Of course, there is nothing wrong with load-bearing bale walls, but in many parts of the country they are no longer the most widely-accepted design solution.

5 comments about Building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): Strength and Energy Efficiency Through Structural Panel Construction (For Pros By Pros).

1. this book provides a thorough and well detailed look at SIP anatomy and construction techniques. information on this construction type is extremely difficult to find from sources other than (possibly biased or glossed-over) information from SIP manufacturers. the content covers so many details of its construction that it could concievably be used as a primer/manual/textbook for contractors or others interested in using this construction type. any information needed to supplement the information found here will most likely be so specific that it will be material related to a particular manufacturer's product or information gleaned directly from materials testing reports. i have looked extensively, and not been able to find, any materials on SIPs that could compare to the value of this source.



2. Good book to explain the fundamentals and ideas behind why Structural Insulated Panels area a good building medium. Unfortunately, the solid information on estimating the costs or tricks to design that the interested party are looking for are not there.
   
   I look for someone to write the next book in the series.



3. Excellent overview of SIPs construction basics and techniques. Author explains in ordinary terms so any layman can understand. Anyone considering SIPs construction should buy this book. It would be nice if a newer version (this one is 2002)were available to discuss the latest products.



4. This book is a good primer for anyone who has doesn't know much about SIP's, but I found it quite basic. Also, there are passages in the book that show just how badly it is in need of an update. For instance, in the first chapter, it says something to the effect of "...with energy costs being relatively low, builders have a hard time selling energy efficiency and sacrificing the two story fake stone arch...' If this technology is to get a solid foothold in the building industry, MANY books should be written to provide builders with the resources they need to handle both high-end custom homes and affordable homes as well.
   
   In short, if you are just trying to get up to speed on what SIP's are, this is probably worthwhile. Otherwise, spend some time on the phone and visiting with your SIP dealer, talk to contractors who have used them, and look around online. I think you will find more detailed and specific (and UP TO DATE) information.



5. Many people have swung a hammer, but I have participated in remodeling and new home construction. Frankly, it bothers me to laboriously assemble each wall, then add trusses and rafters, and sheath the whole thing. Insulating after this can be a repetitive process (not to mention itchy). I have wondered how to simplify home construction.
   SIPs are the solution. Structural outer sheets of wood bonded to Insulation with another Panel of wood inside. There! The whole thing can be positioned in a bed of adhesive to form a small or large section of wall. Slightly longer and thicker panels form roofs with vaulted ceilings below. Factories can preform SIPs with electical wire recesses and window openings. Just follow the blueprints, use a crane for the heavier pieces, and the book claims homes can be closed up in 4 days. They are going to be more wind resistant, quieter, and energy efficient.
   This book covers introduction, history, and current state of art. The author is an experienced home-contractor and is enthusiastic enough to reveal the brand names of his most useful powertools (and how to use them), the factories he is familiar with, and the back of book lists resources for experienced SIP architects, manufacturers of SIPs, and tools. It is not quite a how-to manual; that must come from the manufacturer of the specific panels. But I feel confident that I could deal with an experienced architect who wanted to use SIPs to create a beautiful home for me (and I would spend all my free time helping the crew!)
   The pictures are highest quality, too.

5 comments about Tips & Traps When Building Your Home.

1. This book was the first book I read on building. It has also been very informative and simple to understand.

   If you are beggining in building this is the perfect book for you.

   The Author really knows what he is talking about. Unlike some other books out there written buy someone who has never done it....




2. This is a very good book that is easy to read. Now, there were some things that I disagree with, as well as other "expert" developers, but overall the tips and traps were right on. So, this is a book that you should read if you are building a hime, but also read at least one other good book. Because of some of those things that were too specific (i.e., not mentioning other reasonable options), I nearly gave it four stars. However, it is worth reading and normally would warrant the five stars.



3. If you're new to building homes, this is a good book to get you started.



4. If you are looking for a really thorough book, this isn't it, but many of the tips are very helpful. Read it with a highlighter and just mark the good stuff and then refer back. I bought this along with Woodson's "Build Your Dream Home for Less" and found that the two together were a great pair. Woodson's is very thorough and takes you through step by step, and Irwin's had a lot of additional tips that Woodson's didn't. Irwin tends not to define many of the "trade" terms he uses and for people who aren't handy, it's frustrating. On the other hand, Woodson does define most terms so if you read both, you're in pretty good shape. This book is not the be-all, end-all book but definitely worth buying - it should save you some money if you are general contracting your home.



5. This is not the book to teach you all details of how to actually construct your home, but it's extremely useful to help you understand the process and get things started. Excellent "tips" and "traps"!!!

5 comments about Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat.

1. We used the ideas in this book to add nice touches to our Mt. Rainier cabin rental. The photos are great and the projects well described. the ideas are very creative.



2. I'm tending to agree with both sides here! And I think it's a great book. I have been reading building and cabin books for a year (we're building this Summer). This one is pretty great - a good way to inform yourself about options, the decisions you need to make, kinds of cabins, etc. Another reviewer writes as if I were going to go out and build my cabin based on the info in this book. Now that would be silly wouldn't it? I need architect drawn plans. So read this wonderful book, and go buy some plans. No, yt's not a how-to, and it shouldn't be used that way. But it's still a great book.



3. This book has been quite valuable to me as I plan my cottage in Canada. While it is not totally comprehensive, it does a very good job of explaining many of the relevant concepts of cabin planning, design and a fair idea of the building process. Some useful details concerning construction techniques are provided, as well.
   
   Other reviewers have argued that much is left out--correct, given that the book only runs 240 pages. I think that those reviewers misunderstand the intent of the book: to give the reader ideas, not to hand-hold them through every single step of the process. For example, many of the building plans that are provided are lacking in some key details. So what? I intend to have an architect draw up my plans anyway.
   
   At minimum, I know a heck of a lot more after reading the book than I did beforehand.



4. As others have noted, this is a useful book for generating ideas and getting the creative juices flowing. I bought it to obtain those features, and it did not disappoint me.
   
   The Stiles are, apparently, a prolific couple on this and similar topics, and they certainly deserve credit for effective packaging and marketing. David Stiles has filled the book's pages with material--some good, some irrelevant, and some good for entertainment--but he certainly has filled it nonetheless. The layout and tone of this book is vaguely reminiscent of a copy of an early 1970s Mother Earth News. The reader's challenge is to extract the kernals of insight from the volumes of chaff. What the book lacks in detailed engineering and construction discussion and techniques it makes up for in peripheral and, in some cases, funny advice. Consider the detailed description of the electronic vehicle-arrival and gate-unlocking monitors--this in a book purported to find ways to get one in touch with mother nature and perhaps forego electricity entirely. Or the sketch plan for the garden-hose remedy against racoons infiltrating your metal trashcan. The advice is intriguing enough, but one suspects that a bit more discussion on well-installation or obtaining running water might be in order before turning to a technological solution involving the use of pressurized water for a racoon problem. Given the Stiles' ties to Manhattan, maybe the accepted security measures of their current environment don't seem quite as ridiculous or irrelevant as they probably do to anyone who actually lives in a rural area. Or consider their admonition against Coleman lanterns being "Scary and hard to light." Hmmm, I, too, have fears and I'm certainly not the most dexterous fellow, but I've learned that five minutes of hands-on practice can turn even the most hardcore urbanite into a safe and proficient Coleman-lantern lighter. Something tells me Mr. Stiles has not taken the time to do the same, and this casts a disconcerting pall over the value of much of his other advice. How much of it has actually been tried?
   
   But this book is valuable for the focus it gives to architecture and perhaps encouraging one to pick up a tablet of graph paper and start sketching floorplans or facades; extract those ideas and use them as fodder for formulating your own. Read the rest with a grain of salt. For a more focused, pragmatic, and obviously tested perspective on cabin-building, get a copy of G. Wayne Fears' "How to Build Your Dream Cabin."



5. Ive begun a mission to build a small cabin on some family property here in Oregon. Recently, Ive done a good deal of research and purchased 5 notable books on how to build a cabin/small dwelling.
   Upon reviewing this material it looks like its well thought out, but is lacking in alot of depth. Gives a wonderful representation of what could be done, and what is possible (something which other books lack).
   Out of these 5 books, Ive got two which will carry me to the end with great depth, and 3 that will be "reserves" for ideas. This is definitely the top of my reserve pile, and my first for pictures of ideas.

5 comments about Traditional Construction Patterns: Design and Detail Rules-of-Thumb.

1. I am using this book to assist in the detailing of my house, which we are renovating right now. I lent it to my architect and he says it is a great resource and time saver. He will be buying himself a copy. This book provides many examples of what to do and what not to do and will allow you to focus in on those details that make homes look "just not right" and correct them before costly mistakes are made.



2. I am not an architect, but I am a city planner and frequently work with architects and draft zoning codes which govern architecture. To me, this book is worth the money simply for the "lexicon" at the beginning which describes and illustrates the key elements of traditional building construction. No other book I have used provides these descriptions in such a readily understandable way.
   
   Most of the book consists of a listing of "do's" and "don'ts," illustrated with photos and small drawings, that explain how each of the details should be used and work together to form a composition. I agree with one of the earlier reviewers that some of the photos are hard to read, but for the most part, it works. You may or may not share the author's strong opinions--a lot of people seem to prefer McMansions to the simpler forms of traditional architecture--but regardless of your aesthetic judgements, this book will teach you like no other how the design details come together to determine the overall look and feel of the building.



3. I only wish I had known about this book six months earlier! We're attempting to build a period-inspired colonial house. I was so dissatisfied with the house plans I saw that I decided to just design the house myself using library books and determination. I wanted to build something beautiful and the "anti-McMansion". If only I had had this book earlier we would've done so many things differently: my second floor windows would've been shorter to accommodate all the stuff that's supposed to be under the eaves but now won't fit. I would've put the little stoop in a different spot. My dormers would have different proportions. The only problem with reading this book is that now when I look at our house I see all the things I did wrong.



4. Mr. Mouzon has written a very informative book about both the terminology of architecture elements, and the reasons behind traditional construction design that just "looks right".
   
   As someone who grew up in the building trade, most of my architecture terminology was limited, just as architecture elements implemented in most recent homes have been likewise limited. For example, the full range of classical entablature elements are seldom used today, and therefore the terminology describing those elements are not common in construction use. This book has an excellent chapter on architecture lexicon complete with a depiction of each element for ease of reference. This lexicon is very useful when describing homes built at the first of last century or earlier, and will hopefully come into use again as McMansions start rediscovering the beauty (and distinctiveness) of properly implemented classical design elements.
   
   Concerning the appearance of correct design, this book does a great job of explaining why certain building elements are perceived as being "right" while other elements are perceived as being "not right". Originally I purchased this book so to provide guidance in the renovation of an 1884 Victorian home I purchased - I want to add on to the house but in a way that blends seamlessly into the existing structure - but found it more useful in explaining my negative visceral reaction to certain home designs I've witnessed over time, including most of the McMansions being erected in my current tear-down neighborhood of Dallas. Many of the "not right" elements I have seen are thoroughly detailed in this book - too many gables, too many different materials used on the facade, a hodge-podge of window shape and sizes, improperly scaled columns and porches, etc. I've jokingly told my wife that if another house close to mine is purchased to be torn down, I'm going to personally deliver this book to the builder with the instructions to read it before any construction plans are finalized!
   
   This book would best benefit someone in the building trade that doesn't have a strong architecture background, someone who wants to build their own mid-to high-end home, or someone who builds spec homes of that range, all without the input of a competent architect. For the person who is building a lower-ended home many of these rules of thumbs just aren't financially attainable, though an awareness of the other applicable rules of thumbs will keep a muddled design at bay.
   
   I will continue to use this book both as a lexicon dictionary and design reference when, in the near future, I return to the building industry.



5. For those who want to put the home back into the house this book explains how traditional detailing works and why it makes us feel so comfortable. It's a technical manual and a spriitual inspiration.

2 comments about 2006 International Fire Code - Softcover Version (International Fire Code).

1. Not much use if specific info is required. References a lot of other specs but provides little or no information that can actually be applied to design a fire fighting system. I would not buy it again or recommend purchase.



2. This book is a required reference for anyone dealing with fire code issues for any reason. There have been many revisions of previous codes, so buying a personal copy is recommended even though it is expensive. Best if used in conjunction with the latest edition of the International Building Code.

3 comments about Build Your Own Treehouse: A Practical Guide.

1. Build it and they will come! After having visited Mr. Barkley's truly amazing backyard of creations, we had to buy a copy of his book as a keepsake. The photographs are wonderful...so much better than ours. My husband is currently building a clubhouse on stilts for our daughter and will undoubtedly reference this book for ideas and instructions. You don't have to be a child to fall in love with the tree houses, various swings, many collectibles and gorgeous gardens. Everyone who has looked at our copy of the book has been impressed. If you are ever near Rochester, NY, I recommend a visit to the tree houses and a souvenir copy of his book.



2. I had the joy of climbing in and around the treehouses built by Mr Barkley with 4 of my grandchildren. His book is practical and contains lots of "how to" information with close up pictures and diagrams. His tree houses are a delight, and Mr & Mrs Barkley are friendly and generous hosts to their treehouse neighborhood. Lots of thought and planning went into the book, to make it a pleasant read and useable reference.



3. This is the fourth treehouse book I've bought. If it had been the first, it would probably have been the last. There isn't much he doesn't cover from site evaluation and preparation to safety gear. I like following in detail a single project to completion through the book.

5 comments about Construction Business Management: What Every Construction Contractor, Builder & Subcontractor Needs to Know.

1. If you are a person that is just starting out in the Construction industry, this book can help guide you in the right direction. Many mistakes that I have made in the past 10 years are covered in these pages. I wish I would have had this book back then. It would have made our company grow and prosper without the glitches. I highly recommend this book.



2. I purchased this book for my son. He said it was very helpful and very informative. It tells you exactly what you need to know.



3. This book is the source to all of your questions regarding Construction Management. This is a "must buy" all the way! The teachings of this book are valid and mandatory for all Builders, Sub Contractors, and General Contractors. If you want to do things right and boost your potential, than read this book.



4. This book provides a great foundation and overview of the construction industry as well as guiding the reader through the ends and outs of some of the finer details. Potential readers should review the book's index to get an idea of how thorough this book is. Great read!



5. This is a basic book, suitable for technical colleges, but not at university level. The author shares with you his experiences on running a small niche construction business, the dos and don'ts, throughout the entire project cycle. What it lacks is depth (so I knocked off one star), because each topic is often dealt with in one or two pages. But it made up by sharing some gems of wisdom. If you are looking for serious stuff, such as detailed cost estimating for bids or variation orders, this book is not for you. But if you are looking for a basic guide, this book is worth a look.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Strength of Materials 4th Edition.

1. This book is very good. First year students will find it very user friendly. Even a graduate engineer may need it to brush up previouly learned skills. All topics - e.g. material properties, stress, beam deflection, bending moments, columns, etc. are covered in very lucid manner. A must book for EVERY engineer.



2. I have already finished courses in strength of materials etc., and am using this book as a reference, instead of those voluminous handbooks. The book is very well written and William Nash has an excellent, straight forward way of putting forth the key points. The book has all the information you might need for a first course in strength of materials. I also use this book in conjunction with a finite element text to give me the theoretical values for comparison. In summary, if you need a solid backup for your textbook and a useful reference, you won't go wrong with this one.



3. I found the book to be very useful in that it summarizes my class textbook and offers many worked out example problems. I have since purchased Schaum's for my other classes and I find them equally useful



4. This is an excellent book. Very well written and with very explicit examples for a beginner or a pro.
   The new facts are the programs for some beams, columns and typical elements of strength of materials.
   The reading is easy and the processes are very simple and the exmaples are very clear.



5. I obtained this text in an older edition, around 1994. Although I had a college course in strengths, I really learned what I know through using this book and working all the problems. Later I found an even older edition of the Nash book at a used bookstore. I believe the copyright for this was around 1960 +/- 5 years. So it is probably one of the oldest Schaum titles, and it is the one I found most useful in my career in structural engineering and for passing the FE and PE exams. I have not looked at any recent editions, however provided that the editors retained the Nash chapters that use classical methods for calculating axials, shears, moments, deflections and stresses, you WILL learn by going through this carefully and working the problems in the back of each chapter. At some point this book was not available, and only the combined Strengths/Statics book by Nash was offered. I have that also (an early edition) and believe that it is not quite as good as the one devoted solely to strengths (this book.)

No comments about Construction Accounting & Financial Management (2nd Edition).