4 comments about Quick Guide: Garages & Carports: Step-by-Step Construction Methods (Quick Guide).

1. Here is a cogent, extremely useful book, one of a seemingly scant offering of books on the subject of building your own carport. (Garage construction is much easier to find reference material for) Unfortunately, this brief manual deals primarily with garage building, devoting less than equal space to the special problems associated with the construction of a free-standing, unseathed structure. Nevertheless, I found it most helpful as a starting point. Besides, how can you argue with anything that costs as little as the publisher charges for this book. You will be hard pressed to find a better value for your $8.



2. When you start a major project, whether a do-it-yourselfer or a builder or contractor, you want the best and most up-to-date building instructions and guidance you can find. This book is the one that instructs you as to the hows and whys, giving good shortcuts in money-saving and time-saving techniques on building that garage or carport.

   As a general contractor who is on the job working with my crew, I found this one to be one of the best.




3. This book covered all the basics. It is a good resource, although you will probably need more detailed information if you are going to build the garage completely by yourself.



4. The garage I currently own is not only leaning to the South but is also put together from what looks like 3 other garages. I bought this book to help me with designing and possibly doing part of the new garage myself. After looking through it for an afternoon, I now know that we will be doing the entire thing ourselves.
   
   The book covers:
   Design considerations
   Requirements (permits, drawings and such)
   Tools, materials and fasteners (basic, but discusses nails, screws and framing connectors in some depth)
   Lumber and its defects
   Site and layout
   Foundation (with a good section on footings)
   Pouring concrete
   Framing (of course)
   Building a carport and a shed roof
   Roofing, doors, windows, siding, sectional garage door ("roll ups")
   4 garage projects - with cutting and materials list! (one-car detached garage, one-car attached carport with shed, one-car detached carport with gable roof, and a two-car detached garage with truss roof)
   Truss types (W-type and Howe) plus installation tips
   Conversion chart
   and a glossary.
   
   For a "Quick Guide" and only 80 pages, this book is well laid out, nicely written and has tons of drawings so that you can instantly see what they are talking about (see the "Search Inside" feature on Amazon.) When it comes to construction, I do better with pictures / drawings / blueprints.
   
   If you are looking to do part of your garage or all of it I highly recommend this book. Or, if you just want to have a better understanding of what your contractor is talking about, this book can help you with the language and the `why' of construction.
   
   Also, my book came with a different cover (see the picture I submitted.) The inside is the same as the "Search Inside", page for page, so I don't think anything major changed.

5 comments about Fences for Pasture & Garden.

1. I was very impressed that this book went into so much detail about fencing. We are at the beginning stages of fencing in over 8,000 feet of fenceline and this book offered many wonderful suggestions that we had not thought of and will definately put to use now that we know better! Thank you so much for putting together such a great book for those who aren't very fence educated!



2. I found this very helpful in putting up fence which I had not done before- just what I needed



3. We looked at the Fence Bible and a Guide to Stock Fencing. This book was better than both of them. It offers good basic fence building skills, expecially for building fences for livestock. Not a book for "pretty" urban fences.



4. ..this book would work for you as it spends three or four ENTIRE chapters on electic fences. other than that if you can dig a hole, put a post in the group and nail a board you will not learn anything.



5. This is one of the best books and resources I have ever read on fencing. It is truly a must buy for those new and old at fencing. If you are looking for a well written, well researched book on fencing, this is it.

1 comments about Taunton's Deck & Patio Idea Book.

1. This book has some good designs, but not what I was expecting. I am looking to build a new deck (my first), and want ideas... This book had some fancy ideas, but not too many practical ideas... So if you are looking at a book like this, you are most likely going to pay someone else to do the job... There is nothing wrong with that though.... ;)

2 comments about Patios and Walkways (Do It Yourself).

1. The organization is excellent; the presentation of a series of sample projects makes the information very accessible to the novice, while providing some flexibility in how you can use the book. If one of the projects is exactly what you want to do, just read that section and plunge right in. If you don't know what you want to do, or want to do something a little different from what is described, read the entire book and get a good understanding of both basic principles and the variations that are possible. I had nothing bad to say about this book immediately after reading it (several times), but imagine my surprise when, while researching concrete pavers online, I ran across a familiar photograph - from this book - at a paver manufacturer's website. Reading the acknowledgements and copyright info for the book confirmed it - a number of the supplemental photographs are marketing materials provided by manufacturers. No wonder that this book seems to imply that pre-cast concrete pavers are the greatest thing since sliced bread! It seems obvious in retrospect that the book is biased by this manufacturer input. For this reason, if you are hoping to save a lot of money with DIY, this may not be the book for you. It doesn't cover the cheapest patio/walkway options (gravel and concrete), and the emphasis is more on saving money on labor so that you can spend extravagantly on materials. If you already know that gravel and concrete aren't quite right for you, then this might be just the book you need.



2. Step by step pictures are easy to follow and informative. This book is set out in a user friendly manner and one of the best of it's type I have read.

4 comments about Outdoor Kitchens: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Design and Construction (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. The girls can look at the pretty pictures but this actually shows you how to do the job... (Or some of you girls can come over and help me with my project:)



2. This is a good book. I gave it three starts because it only gave s few designs for the construction I needed, but it was a good reference. I think its important to research projects with these books then launch your own project with the ideas you've learned.
   3 stars out of 5.



3. Okay, this is not a book of plans and layouts--there are several--but, that's not the primary purpose of a book like this. IDEAS that's what you got here.
   
   Transposing one of these designs wholesale into your backyard would be fine IF you have the space, the matching terrain and the $s and, if the design matches and fits the style, scale and complements the features of your house. The writers admonish the reader to sit down and seriuosly think about how they use their kitchen and how they plan to use their outdoor one--that bit of advice alone is well worth the price of the book.
   
   As to the do-it-yourself aspects of the book they are well thought out, well laid out and clearly illustrated--and they are repleat with warnings and "bail-outs"
   
   All around outstanding



4. I bought this for my husband who want to install an outdoor kitchen and this book gave good design ideas as well as installation tips.

1 comments about Outdoor Kitchens: Designs for Outdoor Kitchens, Bars, and Dinning Areas (Quarry Book).

1. This must be the first full book-length study of the increasingly popular subject of outdoor kitchens and cooking. The author's style is precise and easy, allowing the reader to understand the history of cooking outdoors, which, after all, is how cooking got started. The book is beautifully produced, with a profusion of color illustrations and drawings which illustrate the text's in-depth approach to all aspects of the subject. From simple outdoor grilling to the design and construction of a custom, high-end outdoor kitchen and dining area, the reader can develop a better feel for the glorious benefits of cooking by fire. A useful index of resources for products is included at the end.
   
   Not to be ignored are the many sidebars in the book, many of which provide essential information, such as those relating to choosing grills, the estimation of food servings for groups, cleaning a grill and food safety when outdoors. Major chefs and designers who specialize in outdoor cooking and grilling are interviewed, including 'Barbeque Bible' maestro Steven Raichlen, Dwayne Ridgaway, Food Network star Paula Deen, Richard Sandoval (author of Modern Mexican Flavors) and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que owner John Stage.
   
   We can't all afford to spend a fortune on a full-blown outdoor kitchen, but Amanda Lecky's book is a great resource for outdoor large and small, and is worth more than its weight in (gold or otherwise) briquettes. Outdoor cooking has never been so fully analyzed and featured and this book makes you want to run out on the patio, fight the fall chill and grill a great meal.

5 comments about Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard.

1. Excellent practical resource for maintaining your home lawn. I found many good practical applications in this book. I would recommend it for anyone that just wants to use for making sure their home lawn is well maintained.



2. This is a fantastic book. Better than many that cost much more. My dad reads it, looks at the photos and drawings, and is making plans for the spring.



3. We bought a brand new house last year with an acre of land and had no idea how to take care of the freshly laid lawn. A year of trial and error and the lawn is covered in weeds and missing patches. I just started reading this book and am already very impressed. It has simple steps and is written so clearly that I, someone who killed a lawn, feel comfortable starting over. If you want an easy to follow book with wonderful hints this is your book. I cannot wait to start fixing our lawn!



4. I was looking for the perfect all in one book but that's really impossible right? Well, this is a really good book but the one thing I think it misses are the "organic" options to things like fertilizers and pest defense. All in all it's a great help but I would have liked to see organic fertilizing options and organic pest control. In any case it will get your lawn green again.



5. The book is quite solid, well written & illustrated. No qualms there.
   
   However, Amazon sells both the 1st & 2nd edition for the same price -- but makes no mention of there being a 2nd edition here. This is the FIRST edition, get the second instead. Do a search for "Scotts Lawn".
   
   Also, as someone else mentions, this book (1st ed) is an updated version of the Ortho book on Lawns.
   
   Again, the book is solid, but look for the 2007 2nd edition.

5 comments about Walks, Walls & Patios: Plan, Design & Build.

1. This book is pretty good at showing you how to accomplish building well... the title of the book. I find it's best attribute are illustrations and examples.
   
   This stuff is pretty fun to do after you read this book.



2. I love the tons of pictures of samples but most important is that it have a step by step for each projects. Walls, retaining walls, patios, concrete floor, and more. I'm looking for to purchase the other books in this series.



3. I cannot review this book, because it was not received. It may not be the vendor's fault. The item was ordered after we moved to a new address, but it should have been forwarded by the post office. I have never been stiffred by an Amazon vendor. I prefer to think it is the post office that is at fault.



4. I am a 46 yr old female with no prior experience and I laid a beautiful stone walkway over my ugly concrete walkway and it looks GREAT! Suggestion: buy odd shaped flat stones (I used slate)and you may not need to cut them, I didn't! and don't add too much water to the mortar mix. Good Luck!



5. This book is jammed packed full of photos. Whether you're requiring basic information to do it yourself or looking for ideas to share with your landscaper, this book will inspire you. Well organized and easy to follow diagrams make this book a pleasure.

4 comments about Renovating Barns, Sheds, and Outbuildings.

1. It's easy to say that this is the best book on renovating barns - it's the only one that I know of. But, this book is very, very good. I'm lucky enough to be able to spend much of my time designing new barns and helping clients restore old ones. I'm amazed and embarrassed by how much I learned from this book. Nick Engler presents a good primer on barn design, and then goes to work, explaining in detail how to repair each and every common problem with old barns. If your barn is leaning, if the stone foundation is buckled, if your pole-barn posts are rotting, if your timbers have splintered, if your roof sways, you'll learn what to do to fix the problem and to keep it from happening again.



2. We just purchased a property with an old barn and this book was recommended to us as an initial resource. It has provided a good overview of barn history and guidance for restoration.



3. if you are looking for good, solid, usable information on restoring old barns and the mechanics of their structure, this book is the bible on it. quite detailed and good instructions. the author doesn't just tell you it can be done, but how to do it as well. this book won't help trendy city folk, with no building skills, pick out carpet samples for turning a barn into a home, but it is the number one resource on the structure of barns and making them solid and usable again before changing their purpose. I highly recommend this book.



4. Excellent book on how to tackle serious structural deficiencies of your barn from foundation up to the roof.I think you could use this usefull information on other types of buildings such as older homes and garages.In fact this book will show you how to replace rotted out logs in a log cabin.Many simple pictures and diagrams on how to get it done.Also good basics on how to run water and electric utilities once you square up your building.

5 comments about Building Screened Rooms.

1. This book helped me to understand that there is much more involved with building a screened porch than I could handle myself. The directions were clear enough that I think any do-it-yourself-er with some experience under her belt could do a fine job. Not as many examples as I would have liked to have seen.



2. A great book, Many picture, giving great ideas and also many helpful notations for builind one.



3. This book has good information, nice pictures and usable designs for building screened rooms. Excellent "how to" methodology along with lumber specifications, loads and design detail. Best book I've found for screened room subject matter.



4. I bought this book specifically because it said it would show you how to build a screened room. From the book's front cover, "A complete how-to guide." I had been turned off by other books which simply said if you want a Gazebo, buy a kit and here's how to put it together. I don't have the budget to build from a kit. I need to put in the sweat equity. I bought Building Screened Rooms because I saw that it did have directions and a material list. I took it to the lumber yard to buy the materials. They explained that there was not enough detailed instructions or material specs to be able to build this. He said, "If you have a really knowledgeable builder, he may be able to figure this out for you." Not everyone is rich enough to just drop a wad of money on some architect, landscaper, builder, gardner and step back and watch them do the work. There are real live people out here who need directions because we are willing to work to attain what we want and can't just buy everything. I am so completely and hopelessly disappointed!!!



5. I purchased this book to see if I could learn how to put my own screened room. Tons of ideas.