Renovation
"A classic in the first edition, a masterpiece in the second, this outstanding guide is the last word in renovation. In nearly 600 pages of text, accompanied by 1,000 illustrations, all systems used in the home are covered in detail. Essential."--"Library Journal." "The opening chapter--a frank look at what makes an older home 'worth it'--is alone worth the cost of the book."--"Atlanta Journal Constitution.”
Stats for nerds
2recommend
3mentions
3people
2013–2018years
67% recommend33% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- No, I have not built a house. However, I highly recommend you take a look at two books before you move earth.
The first is "House" by Tracy Kidder.
https://www.amazon.com/House-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0618001913
The second is "Renovation" by Michael Litchfield.
https://www.amazon.com/Renovation-4th-Completely-Revised-Upd...
The first book is a detailed, engrossing narrative about building an actual house (it exists). The second book is a renowned compendium of all things in home renovation.
As a quick commentary on your idea, go check out RSMean's cost estimations. It gives you a ballpark estimate of cost per square foot for, say, poured concrete with rebar. You are going to need rebar because concrete is brittle and it cannot carry tension. You are going to need steel framing because concrete floors are damn heavy. With wood, you can use much, much cheaper standard wood framing. Rebar is expensive because you need to be a metalworker to do it properly. It is likely you will not be able to do it DIY because of building codes. The rabbit hole goes on and on. Good luck with your research!
- Errr, you don't have to frame a closet three times to get it right. Like software devs, you can do a lot of learning without waste.
Framing lumber is cheap, but that's no excuse to waste so much. Contractors do it because they are charging other people for materials :)
In your case, if you are going to be remodeling your house and doing structural carpentry, i'd recommend "Renovation 4th edition" by Michael Litchfield as a starter book.
Also if you start doing something with more expensive lumber, like say, very high end woodworking, you will see nobody treats stuff as disposable.
- I can't find the link right now, but someone recommended this book in another thread:
http://www.amazon.com/Renovation-4th-Edition-Completely-Revi...
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