Editorial Reviews From Library Journal
For over 100 years, the majority of
North American homes have been built using wooden framing. This
technique is strong, conserves materials, and allows great design
flexibility. Framing Basics (part of Sterling's excellent " Basics"
series, which covers numerous tools and woodworking techniques) offers
a helpful introduction to framing for do-it-yourselfers. Readers for
whom this book is intended aren't going to build an entire house they
are homeowners who want to move, remove, or install a wall or create
built-in storage. Peters covers tool-use, materials, methods of work,
and demolition in easily understood text supplemented with numerous
color photographs. Thallon, a professor of architecture, takes frame
construction to the next level, showing how to build a house's entire
shell from the foundation to the roof. He believes that when properly
constructed, a wood-framed house should be able to last for 200 years
or more. This title's intended audience is professional builders and
designers
a great deal of reader knowledge is assumed by the author.
Broad sections include foundations, floors, walls, roofs, and stairs.
The text is brief and to the point, with a huge number of excellent
illustrations providing the details. A comprehensive glossary and list of resources round out
this title. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) consist of slabs of foam
insulation sandwiched between oriented strand board or plywood. They
represent one of the newest technologies and may render wood-framing
methods obsolete. Morley, a builder who specializes in SIPs
construction, gives a compelling argument for this new system - it's
structurally superior, better insulated, faster to erect, and more
environmentally friendly than traditional methods. The use of SIPs
requires many specialized tools and techniques, all of which are
covered in detail. A large resource list provides the names of
architects, builders, and companies that deal with this system. Framing
Basics is well written and is geared toward the beginner.
- Jonathan Hershey,
Akron-Summit Cty. P.L.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
