The Owner-Builder Experience: How to Design and Build Your Own Home

Gives advice on designing a home, selecting materials, picking a site, and acting as a contractor, and discusses solar designs and important building techniques

Over one-fifth of new single-family homes in the United States are built, at least in part, by their owners. The authors, an architect and the director of an owner-builder school, stress the importance of planning and design in undertaking such a project. They offer sound advice and information about current materials and installation practices. They also touch on other concerns of the owner-builder (e.g., financing, hazards such as high formaldehyde concentrations in some building materials) as well as the opportunities for personal satisfaction. Other guides tend to approach the subject from one perspectivelow costs, energy efficiency, or a specific building type. This book's broad scope makes it a good choice for readers at an early stage in the planning process. (Pictures not seen). Douglas Birdsall, North Dakota State Univ. Lib., Fargo
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.