Living Spaces: Ecological Building and Design

Cover, Living Spaces: Ecological Building and Design Author(s): L. Abraham and T. Fisher

ISBN: 3895089257
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Living Spaces: Ecological Building and Design adapted from Germany by L. Abraham. T., Fisher .

This dense, spectacular, full color edition covers everything including stone, clay, cob, timberframe, brick and other natural techniques. Discusses sustainability, the basics of design, materials, solar, thermal, acoustical, moisture, cost effectiveness, repair, energy efficiency, and so much more.

(Natural pigments from plants, water systems, recycling old doors, windows, modern electrical products, materials in bedding, insulation composting, fuel, and facade design. Over 480 pages with unique photos of European and other houses throughout, bibliography, resources, index.

(I especially liked the reed matting and clay daub photos indicating how very old styles can be used today (pgs 93-95). Hardbound, oversize,

Alternative Housebuilding

Author(s): Mike McClintock

Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company.,Inc. Ney York

ISBN: 0806969954

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Alternative Housebuilding Paperback 367 pages May 1989 Log buildings,Timber Frame, Pole, Cordwood, Stone, Earth Masonary, Earth Shelter

Build a home using logs, adobe, stone, cordwood, rammed earth, or earth-sheltered methods for less money and lower energy costs. “Includes information and diagrams detailed enough to construct seven different homes…an unbiased, unglamorized, nitty-gritty understanding of what goes into constructing the different styles.”—Green Living.

Build Your Own Stone House: Using the Easy Slipform Method

Author(s): Karl Schwenke, Sue Schwenke

Publisher: Storey Books

Paperback: 176 pages

ISBN: 0882666398

ISBN-13: 978-0882666396

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The simple and functional beauty of a well-built stone house never seems to go out of style. Nearly twenty years after Karl and Sue Schwenke first constructed their Vermont home, their classic book has been revised, updated, and reissued for a new generation of readers.

Using the same easy “slipform” method of construction, the Schwenkes have over the years added to their original stone house and built barns and other structures. And their book is still the best hands-on source available for people interested in building a stone house “from the ground up.”

Build Your Own Stone House features straightforward and complete instructions on a variety of topics, including:

— The materials – stone, sand, cement, and others

— How and where to site your stone house

— Excavating the site, estimating the materials needed, and figuring the ground load

— Setting up, using, and removing the forms

— Pouring piers, footings, and basement walls

— Building the stone walls, corners, and door and window openings

— Constructing the floors, ceilings, and roof

— Building your own fireplace

Clear illustrations and useful tables round out the book, which also includes all-new information on the best options and materials for insulating your home.

About the Author

Karl Schwenke is a professional writer who lives with wife Sue on a farm in Newbury, Vermont, where they have raised strawberries, pigs and hay among other crops. Together, this couple has written the book Build Your Own Stone House, and Karl wrote the Storey title Successful Small-Scale Farming. His other work includes Sierra North and Sierra South from Wilderness Press, an organization in Berkeley, California, that he co-founded after graduating from college. Karl has also written In a Pig’s Eye (Chelsea Green Publishing).

Sue Schwenke is a teacher who lives with husband Karl on a farm in Newbury, Vermont, where they have raised strawberries, pigs and hay among other crops. Together, this couple has written the book Build Your Own Stone House.

Building with Stone

Author(s): Charles McRaven, Chandis Ingenthron (Illustrator)

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 8, 1989)

Paperback: 192 pages

ISBN: 0882665502

ISBN-13: 978-0882665504

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April 17, 1998

An introduction to the art and craft of creating stone structures: acquiring stone, tools, and step-by-step instructions.

Concrete and steel may weigh as much, but nothing can rival stone for its beauty and durability. Building With Stone is an introduction to the art and craft of creating stone structures and projects by a man who has made stonework his vocation.

Throughout the book is Charles McRaven’s stonebuilding philosophy — that careful craftsmanship and time well spent during construction will repay itself many times over. The physical challenges will be offset by tremendous satisfaction and the knowledge that long after the builder is gone, the structure will stand as a personal and historical monument.

Based on years of experience, this book will educate the novice and inspire the seasonal artisan. A stonebuilder at any level will learn how to evaluate each stone and undertake each step in the procedure with an eye toward aesthetics and useful permanence.

In addition to introductory material on acquiring stone and what tools will be necessary, there are chapters with step-by-step instructions on how to build:

— walls

— buttresses

— stone fireplaces

— a barbecue pit

— a stone dam

— a stone bridge

— a spring house

— even a home or barn

The final chapter is on proper restoration techniques for stone structures.

Not just a how-to book, but also a good read, Building With Stone is sure to be a reference book and constant companion for all manner of stone journeymen, and will prove to be as enduring a volume as the structures it recommends.

About the Author

Charles McRaven is a stonemason and blacksmith, nationally known for building and repairing dozens of stone structures and log homes. He has written extensively on stone, including the books Building with Stone and Stonework, and articles for Country Journal, Fine Homebuilding, and many regional magazines. He lectures and conducts workshops and private courses in stone construction. Charles lives in Virginia.

Customer Comments

from Toronto, Canada , March 12, 1998
Introduction to Traditional Stone Masonry
This is an excellent first book for those who want to learn about building with stone as an old-world craftsman, rather than a money-hungry contractor or assembly-line modern mason. Charles McRaven does not fill his book with theory, but with practical methods and ideas which are true to proper masonry techniques but allow even the most novice to begin to lay stone right away. The anecdotal style of this book makes it an easy read, and inspires confidence to pick up that trowel for the first time!

Stone House: A Guide to Self-Building With Slipforms

Author: Tomm Stanley

Publisher: Stonefield (March 1, 2004)

Paperback: 208 pages

ISBN-10: 0473099705

ISBN-13: 978-0473099701

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You won’t need to be an expert stonemason or even have much construction experience to build your own house with one of the world’s most traditional building materials–stone. Stone House: A Guide to Self-Building with Slipforms contains all the information you’ll need to successfully build a stone home for yourself, from clearing the building site to topping the stone walls in preparation for roof framing.

While providing a wealth of information on a range of relevant subjects, Tomm Stanley uses an instructional narrative to lead readers through the process of building with stone and slipforms. This is the first book dedicated to slipform stone masonry in many years. Topics include:* Traditional stonemasonry and slipforming,* Basic geology and where to source suitable stone,* Passive solar principles,* Concrete making and techniques for molding and casting concrete, and * Methods for restoring recycled wooden windows and doors. There’s even a section on the usage of metric measurement written especially for Americans from the view of an American now living in a metric country.

Stonework: Techniques and Projects

Author(s): Charles McRaven, Elizabeth McHale

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 10, 1997)

Paperback: 192 pages

ISBN: 0882669761

ISBN-13: 978-0882669762

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No building material rivals stone for beauty, permanence and enduring popularity. If you’re lucky, stone can be found right on your building site. Builder Charles McRaven uses the benefit of his 50 years of stonework experience to inform, entertain and inspire. He helps even first time builders comprehend the intricacies of working with different stone types, choosing the most suitable stone and working with recycled stone. You’ll learn about handling, cutting and shaping. The book offers detailed descriptions for several projects including basic walls, retaining walls, entryways, arches, steps and bridges. In addition to the outdoor projects, there is a small section on using stone indoors for a veneer wall and a hearth. Clearly written and well illustrated, Stonework will help you discover the lasting satisfaction of working with stone.

The publisher, Storey Books , April 17, 1998

Complete, fully illustrated step-by-step instructions for 22 attractive projects including garden paths, and walls, porches, seats, waterfalls, and even a bridge. You’ll also learn how to use different types of stone, and cutting and shaping techniques. Two-color. Line drawings.

Customer Comments

J. Owens from Wilmington, Delaware, USA, January 19, 1998 Excellent primer for confident home-improvers
Compared to other how-to books in the category, McRaven makes the reader feel very capable of completing the projects without dumbing down the material. Let’s face it- stonework is somewhat intimidating. By adding some easy jobs like the stone birdbath-fountain, you can build confidence for bigger things. I’m ready for spring!!

The Stonebuilder’s Primer: A Step-By-Step Guide for Owner-Builders

Author(s): Charles Long

Publisher: Firefly Books; Revised and Expanded edition (October 1, 1998)

Paperback: 128 pages

ISBN: 1552092984

ISBN-13: 978-1552092989

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This step by step guide for owner-builders is a detailed account of building a simple stone home. Instead of using slipforms, Charles and Elizabeth Long developed a compromise method of stone construction that is both simpler and truer to the stonemason’s art. The result is an aesthetically satisfying stone home built on a limited budget with no previous construction experience. Long’s concept allows ample insulation, space for utilities and a way to support interior finishes. Hundred of photos and diagrams. In addition to a complete treatment of the basics (foundation, finding and laying stone, insulation, details, tools, etc.), Long presents sections on fireplaces, arches and special touches. This classic how-to book was recently republished. 126 pages, 1998