Living Homes: Integrated Design & Construction

The house of your Dreams does not have to be expensive. The key is all in the planning. How much a house costs, how it looks, how comfortable it is, how energy-efficient it is—all these things occur on paper before you pick up even one tool. A little extra time spent in the planning process can save tens of thousands of dollars in construction and maintenance. That is time well spent!

Living Homes takes you through the planning process to design an energy- and resource-efficient home that won’t break the bank. Then, from the footings on up to the roof, author Thomas J. Elpel guides you through the nuts and bolts of footings and foundations, slipform stone masonry, tilt-up stone walls, log home construction, building with strawbales, windows and doors, concrete and fly ash countertops, masonry heaters, terra tile floors, wood framing, solar hot water, plus plumbing, painting, and more!