Customer Reviews

Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Not a complete how-to, as doesn't cover excavation, concrete, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, to say nothing of real estate agents, bankers, builders, or subcontractors, but otherwise very detailed procedures on how to build a simple home yourself (with a few Habitat for Humanity helpers of course). The author describes things he has personally done hundreds of times, so the writing is very clear. But many project photos, and the vast archive of Fine Homebuilding magazine pictures, are used to augment the written procedures, which removes any possible confusion.

On the downside, the houses look like mobile homes, and the building science is a little questionable in places, like using a drywall panel resting on the ceiling joists as an attic access, or suggesting insulation as protection against drafts coming through the framing. Nothing drastic though.

Overall, step-by-step instruction for framing, including windows and doors, asphalt roofing, vinyl siding, drywall, simple decks, interior trim, basic cabinets and painting. Perfect for the complete novice.

I have a basic knowlege of framing and what goes into building a house, but I was very concerned about getting the steps right and I wanted to make sure I knew how things went together. After reading this book I feel I am ready to get started. It takes you step by step through the building process. Everything was very easy to follow and the pictures and drawings were great. After reading it you will know if you have the ability to do this on your own. If you are confused or scared about framing a house after reading this, you really shouldn't try it on your own.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK if you want to learn about plumbing or electrical, or if you are building a really complex custom home. This doesn't even really cover two story homes, and barely covers basements. What I found it very useful for is foundations and framing. It is the best one I have seen so far on these subjects. The book goes beyond framing and covers subjects like roofing and sheetrock also. A ton of great info for a small price.

This is easily the best book I've read on this subject. Written by a carpenter with many decades of practical home building experience to share, and profusely illustrated with hundreds of high resolution color photographs, the book is an absolute goldmine of practical information. What I particularly enjoyed was the clarification of carpenters terms - I had always thought that a keel was part of a boat; I now know that the term is also used to refer to a carpenters crayon. The same clarification takes place in hundreds of areas throughout the book, and never in a condescending manner. Cripples, studs, shims, faceplates, heels... all are explained, clearly and intelligently. Also included are innumerable time saving tips, examples of small jigs and tools you can build for yourself that will save you time and effort, and instructions on how to do simple things like check a foundation for squareness, or use a water level properly.

The book is also a wonderful ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. What better way to develop your homebuilding skills, than to volunteer your time helping someone to realize their dreams? They get a home; you get an education; everyone wins.

About the only things I would add to this book would be a couple of pages of sample blueprints to better illustrate the Habitat for Humanity concept of small, sensible homes. (Habitat for Humanity apparently has a wide variety of plans available, but they are not in this book.) I would also have liked a chapter on landscaping; but to be fair, landscaping really does fall beyond the scope of the book.

The general philosophy of the book is to build a sensible home, rather than an ostentateous one; to make it warm, comfortable and functional, rather than glitzy and faddy. This frequently means small, well built, well thought out, and well insulated. The book promotes standard carpentry techniques - there are no rammed earth walls, or straw bale construction - but the philosophy of sensible and practical construction is always in the background.

I'm not a professional homebuilder, so I cannot tell you what this book lacks. I can tell you that it gave me exactly what I was looking for - an in depth, step by step, blow by blow account of how to build a home, right from dirt to shingles. There's an awful lot to like in this book, and I recommend it highly. I cannot think of any other single book out there that covers so much ground, and does so in such a clear and well illustrated manner. When you have finished reading it, you'll be much wiser - and much more confident.

If you're thinking of building your own home, put this book on your 'must have' list. It's a fantastic resource.

I liked this book and feel I could build a small house after reading it. The information is perfect for someone interested in Habitat for Humanity: you'll instantly be an asset to any building project. The side vignettes give nice background on Habitat's mission and the experiences of volunteer workers. I was also drawn to the common sense building approach throughout: we simplify our lives and save lots of money by building "decent, affordable" homes.

Each page is packed with photos and sidebars. This makes for visual interest, but more diagrams or sketches would have been useful as well. The essential book, which covers the building techniques of this book plus others (such as plumbing, heating, and electrical) remains Nash's Do-It-Yourself Housebuilding.

I have bought and reviewed many books on building your own home. This is so far my favorite! It doesn't go into plumbing, wiring or even evacuation of the land, but what it does cover is clear and concise and I gained a ton of understanding reading this book. I basically knew nothing when I began and have never done any building...this book is a must have addition to your library if you are considering building your own home, not only that it is well illustrated, fun and easy to read.

This book is one of the best yet simple books I found on the subject. The book contains numerous pictures and step-by-step explanations of every single aspect of building simple homes. For someone new trying to get into the subject this would be a superb choice to start out with.

I am a complete novice and therefore I have looked at many books. Three things stood out about this book that I did not see anywhere else:
1. It has a cookbook approach. After looking at other books I was not completely clear when in time to do what task. This book arranges all the tasks in the chronological order. That facilitated for grasping the whole process mentally before beginning to build.
2. This book is exceptionally lucid, it is written in an unhurried language. The author has a gift for explanation.
3. Finally, this book is inspirational. It is more than a house building it aims to teach - it teaches building a home as a small step toward betterment of the world.

This soft-covered manual provides a remarkably concise overview of the elements of home building from A to Z. I have been a weekly construction volunteer with Habitat for 5 1/2 years, so this book is particularly appropriate and useful. Don't expect any coverage of plumbing or electrical work, but the remaining trades are very well done. Foundations, floor systems, walls and roofs are all covered, explained well, and accompanied by good pictures. For non-Habitat purposes, there are ample applications that can benefit from this book. These would include shed construction, decks, door and sindow installations, etc. There are many other books that deal directly with projects such as decks, but this text is definitely helpful as an overview of home construction.

Even if you're not building homes for Habitat for Humanity, the processes, hints and reference material from this book will help you build your own, add on or simply unravel the confusion of house building. I DO work for Habitat for Humanity and this book has been by my side for 8 of my 15 builds. It's one of the three references that I recommend to any of my new project leads. It's geared for the inexperienced volunteer not the professional. Don't build a home without it.

As a shop teacher I looked forward to receiving this book both from a practical sense, but also from a academic sense.

You could practically build or do a remodel of an existing home with this book. Nice step-by-step processes and with good supporting pictures.

There is information for the season contractor, builder as well as superb information for a 1st timer.

With some basic building and tool knowledge a person could build a simple building or at the least be informed as to how to guide others in the process.

Highly recommend