One of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, Beard provides a hand-on guide for building a variety of habitable structures in the wilderness and other difficult environments. Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties provides easy-to-follow instructions on building everything from tents to teepees to log cabins.

The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction, now with the most current informationFor nearly three decades, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. This new edition of the revered classic remains as relevant as ever-providing the latest information in Francis D.K. Ching's signature style. Its rich and comprehensive approach clearly presents all of the basic concepts underlying building construction and equips readers with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter.Laying out the material and structural choices available, it provides a full under-standing of how these choices affect a building's form and dimensions. Complete with more than 1,000 illustrations, the book moves through each of the key stages of the design process, from site selection to building components, mechanical systems, and finishes.Illustrated throughout with clear and accurate drawings that present the state of the art in construction processes and materialsUpdated and revised to include the latest knowledge on sustainability, incorporation of building systems, and use of new materialsArchetypal drawings offer clear inspiration for designers and draftersReflects the most current building codes and CSI Master Format numbering schemeWith its comprehensive and lucid presentation of everything from foundations and floor systems to finish work, Building Construction Illustrated, Fourth Edition equips students and professionals in all areas of architecture and construction with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter in building planning, design, and construction.

Get the know-how to weld like a pro Being a skilled welder is a hot commodity in today's job market, as well as a handy talent for industrious do-it-yourself repairpersons and hobbyists. Welding For Dummies gives you all the information you need to perform this commonly used, yet complex, task.This friendly, practical guide takes you from evaluating the material to be welded all the way through the step-by-step welding process, and everything in between. Plus, you'll get easy-to-follow guidance on how to apply finishing techniques and advice on how to adhere to safety procedures.Explains each type of welding, including stick, tig, mig, and fluxcore welding, as well as oxyfuel cutting, which receives sparse coverage in other books on weldingTips on the best welding technique to choose for a specific project Required training and certification informationWhether you have no prior experience in welding or are looking for a thorough reference to supplement traditional welding instruction, the easy-to-understand information in Welding For Dummies is the ultimate resource for mastering this intricate skill.

-- Discusses all aspects of laying foundations, raising walls, and more for small or one-person crews

This Old House meets Wayne’s World in this zany guide to designing and building tiny homes Derek Diedricksen has always had a love for small, modest houses ever since his father gave him the book Tiny Tiny Houses by Lester Walker for his tenth birthday. Combining his artistic abilities, wild imagination, and his passion for small houses, he self-published Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts, and Whatever the Heck Else we could Squeeze in Here in 2009. This book is a collection of Diedricksen’s creative/imaginative sketches for building small houses, shacks, cottages, and forts. The sketches are accompanied with hand-written commentary, both instructive and comical. Derek’s main purpose is to get your creative juices flowing and encourage you to get off the couch and use your hands. Believing that specific building plans squash creativity, he avoids too many detailed instructions, giving you the chance to put your own creative spin on your very own small abode (even if it is just in your imagination).  

Know what contractors know and more! With over 1000 detailed illustrations, this reference guide provides all the tools a builder needs. This valuable time- and money-saver is a must-have for everyone in the construction business.

Featuring time-tested safety concepts and the very latest industry standards in material design, the 2012 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE LOOSE-LEAF version offers up-to-date, comprehensive insight into the regulations surrounding the design and installation of building systems. It provides valuable structural, fire-, and life- safety provisions that cover means of egress, interior finish requirements, roofs, seismic engineering, innovative construction technology, and occupancy classifications for all types of buildings except those which are detached one and two family homes and townhouses not more than 3 stories high. This loose-leaf version gives users the ability to easily remove pages of the code from the three-ring binder for ease of reading. The content in this code book is developed in the context of the broad-based principles that facilitate the use of new materials and building designs, making this an essential reference guide for anyone seeking a strong working knowledge of building systems.

The Complete Guide to Decks is the most comprehensive, useful manual for building and maintaining decks available to homeowners, containing detailed chapters on ideas, planning, repair and maintenance, and accessories.Expanded to 320 pages, this edition now includes complete plans and directions for 10 complete decks, and also includes directions for additional deck accessories, including the installation of low-voltage lighting systems, built-in bench seats, an integrated overhead arbor, wood-sided privacy walls and decorative railings.

Now in its Fifth Edition, this essential textbook has been used by thousands of students annually in schools of architecture, engineering, and construction technology. The bestselling reference focuses on the basic materials and methods used in building construction, emphasizing common construction systems such as light wood frames, masonry bearing walls, steel frames, and reinforced concrete. New introductory material on the processes, organization, constraints, and choices in construction offers a better look at the management of construction. New sections covering the building envelope uncover the secrets to designing enclosures for thermal insulation, vapor retarders, air barriers, and moisture control. The Fifth Edition also features more axonometric detail drawings and revised photographs for a thoroughly illustrated approach and the latest IBC 2006, CSI MasterFormat, ASTM references, and LEED information.