Computerizing the estimating process can help remodelers double their estimating productivity while increasing accuracy. The right software package can also make it easier to revise cost estimates and keep track of running costs. Modeled after the CAD Reference Guide For Residential Construction, this book is written to help you choose the right computer estimating software package for your company. It guides you through the steps of selecting and implementing an estimating system, introduces you to takeoff and analytical tools available from most programs and gives you practical tips that will help you increase productivity. Includes profiles of estimating software packages, a glossary of terms and an estimating software buyer's checklist. From Home Builder Press, 1998, 98 pp.
Showing posts with label Homes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homes. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Dream Homes Georgia: An Exclusive Showcase of Georgia's Finest Architects, Designers and Builders
Loaded with hundreds of photographs of high-end custom homes, these gorgeous books are a treat for lovers of residential architecture and a resource for people planning to build their own one-of-a-kind houses. Profiles of top architects and information on local builders and suppliers provide an overview of regional styles and preferences in each city.
Atlanta, Savannah, Sea Island, and St. Simons Island are featured in this collection of stunning custom homes in Georgia. Architects profiled include Bill Harrison, Norm Askins, and William T. Baker, and builders profiles include James Cotton of Builders II; Dean Johnson of Johnson, Williams and Harris; and Harry Beecham of Beecham Builders.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
BUILDERS' HOMES FOR BETTER LIVING
Builders' Homes for Better Living deals with the business of building; materials and methods of structure; design concepts of the house; relationship of the house to the individual lot and landscaping; and community planning. Since the builder house will continue to be constructed and sold, the welfare of the community, and the nation as a whole, will be strongly affected by the manner in which this is done. This book therefore, is an invaluable source of information to all interested in an improving pattern of living - builders, architects, engineers, site planners, civic leaders, investment agencies and especially the individual buyer, who, for the first time, will have a basis for judging the over-all merits of his prospective purchase.Joseph Eichler, a truly progressive builder, whose untiring efforts have advanced greatly the concepts of todays development houses, this book is respectfully dedicated.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Dream Homes New England: Showcasing New England's Finest Architects, Designers and Builders
Loaded with hundreds of photographs of high-end custom homes, these gorgeous books are a treat for lovers of residential architecture and a resource for people planning to build their own one-of-a-kind houses. Profiles of top architects and information on local builders and suppliers provide an overview of regional styles and preferences in each locality.
Representing all facets of northeastern architecture and home design, highly regarded architects present their captivating ocean-side residences of Nantucket, rustic woodland homes in upstate New York, and Boston’s aesthetic modern dwellings. Talented local architects Patrick Ahearn and Kevin Schopfer explain their ?hybrid” approach, while Jim Kellerher of Axiom Architects shares his philosophies on the significance of conservatively sized spaces and the effects of hurricane rebuilds.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Easy-Living Homes: 200 Exciting Plans for Active Adults, Professional Couples & Empty-Nesters (Blue Ribbon Designer Series)
Keep construction on track with helpful checklistsTurn your dream of a custom home into reality!
Thinking about building your own home? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to plan and build a beautiful home on any budget. From acquiring land to finding the best architect to overseeing the construction, you get lots of savvy tips on managing your new investment wisely -- and staying sane during the process!
Discover how to:
* Find the best homesite
* Navigate the plan approval process
* Obtain financing
* Hire the right contractor
* Cut design and construction costs
* Avoid common mistakes
Green Restorations: Sustainable Building and Historic Homes
Some 40 percent of North Americans live in homes built prior to 1940, and when it comes time to remodel or restore our older homes, homeowners and contractors can find themselves lost in a morass of wildly divergent information and opinion. With Green Restorations, author Aaron Lubeck brings his expertise as a restoration contractor and preservation consultant to this first-of-its-kind guide, leading the reader through the steps for restoring historic buildings using sustainable practices and green building techniques.
In a readily accessible room-by-room and system-by-system format, Green Restorations covers rehabilitation and remodeling questions applicable to old homes, focusing on the core techniques and debates often seen in practice. Here you’ll find the answers to restoration questions, such as:
- Is sealing my old crawl space a good idea?
- Should I replace or rehabilitate my windows?
- Are there historic aspects of my home I need to preserve, and what can I change?
- What are the cultural, environmental, and financial implications of my proposed changes?
- Do residential historic tax credits apply to my home, and how can I access them?
Written in such a way as to be accessible for homeowners but technical enough for contractors, this book will appeal to anyone trying to green an older home while preserving its historic and cultural significance.
Aaron Lubeck is a partner with the award-winning Trinity Design/Build, a restoration and preservation consultancy in North Carolina. He is a member of the United States Green Building Council, and has completed the first historic building to be LEED-certified in North Carolina.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of New England (Bob Vila's Guides to Historic Homes of America)
The 2008 global recession and the nearly universal awareness of significant climate change have begun to alter architectural thinking. Even though architects will continue to dream up seemingly function-free building forms for the most conspicuous consumers, mainstream architects are being asked to provide energy efficient, cost-driven forms that also delight the eye. The movement to preserve and reuse existing structures has gained momentum, and the incidence of new and old architectural juxtapositions has increased. Forward-thinking planners are advocating m ore concentrated urban density, in part to decrease inefficient use of energy for transportation. As this thinking becomes public policy, architects will be challenged to adapt historically significant buildings for new uses, often by creating additions to existing forms. Although not entirely new, architectural dilemmas concerning how new meets old will occur revealing issues that most architects w ho design new buildings have not often thought about. Historic preservationists and sustainability advocates seem to concentrate solely on single issues leading to aesthetically clumsy architecture while agency review panels and the public approval process continue to erode the integrity of building designs making the creation of truly excellent designs difficult. Reclaimed Buildings: New Meets Old explores these topics in depth, with a focus on architectural design. The book addresses the question of aesthetic sustainability given the new influences and design tools that have emerged during the first decade of the 21st century. It is written for practitioners as well as students of architecture, and includes examples and case studies of built works that have successfully wrestled with the question of how new meets old in architecture.
Converting Old Buildings into New Homes
Residential property prices have risen dramatically over the years, yet there are thousands of dilapidated and unused buildings which can present a much cheaper way of acquiring a home. In this new paperback edition for 2010, every aspect of converting types of redundant property is examined, including surveys, legislation and regulations, planning applications, professional help and advice, finance, budgeting, and insurance. The study also discusses evaluation and preparation of plans, briefing of professional consultants, design and location of various living spaces, external features, lighting, heating, ventilation, mains services, energy conservation, and acoustics. Guiding the reader through details such as tenders, contracts, specifications, and quotations, this guide also assists in choosing builders, timetables, and on-site operations. A number of case studies which demonstrate what can be achieved with different types of property are also included.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Recycled Spaces: Converted Old Buildings into New Homes
The best-selling and highly regarded reference to sustainable construction gets an update! It’s refreshed with a completely revised introduction, a bright new cover, and extensive online resource tie-ins. Plus, it’s now printed on recycled paper with agri-based inks, so it’s greener than ever!
This groundbreaking book doesn’t just tell you about ?green” house-building techniques: it actually shows you, with more than 1,200 step-by-step photographs that follow the actual erection of an alternative building from site selection to final-touch interior details. Readers will get a clear sense of the real world challenges as Snell and Callahan create a lovely country cottage using four methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick-frame.
Along with sidebars throughout, there’s a thorough discussion of the fundamentals of building construction, alternative approaches, and designing a beautiful yet environmentally responsible home. Building Green was the first book of its kind?and it remains heads and shoulders above other titles in this field.
Old Barns - New Homes: A Showcase Of Architectural Conversions
Barns strike a sentimental chord among the populace, perhaps as reminder of our nation's agricultural heritage, most definitely as symbols of solid and imposing timber frame forms. While many of these architecturally significant buildings are succumbing to neglect and development, others are getting a new lease on life. This coffee-table book presents over thirty barn conversion projects by creative architects, developers, and homeowners who have capitalized on the flexible space offered by barns. Over 300 striking photographs provide fresh design ideas for the conversion of barns into residences and business spaces. You will see a Pennsylvania stone bank barn converted into a stunning residence, an abandoned dairy barn made livable complete with office space in the old silo, and a Victorian era barn which now links the old farmhouse to the new living space. In addition to stunning homes, you will see barns utilized for office space, retail, and even a non-denominational chapel. A wealth of wonderful ideas is offered for maintaining the historic integrity of these structures while providing for today's vastly different needs. This is a design treasure for architects, builders, contractors, and homeowners, to help them visualize the transformation of historic agricultural buildings into new and treasured landmarks.Thursday, August 18, 2011
Old Homes of New England: Historic Houses In Clapboard, Shingle, and Stone
Old Homes of New England paints a stunning portrait of the charming and important old homes of the region, featuring storybook cottages in white clapboard as well ancient mansions in brick and stone. Cherished for its intimate, community-centered spirit, New England lays claim to some of the most wonderful architecture of the country—and, significantly, its buildings are among the nation’s very oldest. Featured here are twenty-five of the most beautiful examples, ranging from the storied House of the Seven Gables of 1668, in its magnificent colonial splendor, to the Corwin House of 1675, nicknamed the "Witch House" for its direct association to the infamous Salem witch trials, to the bucolic Cogswell farmhouse of 1728. Each house exemplifies its style, which range from early colonial Pilgrim, Puritan, and Shaker, to later Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival. With richly crafted interiors formed from old woods, fine plasterwork, thoughtfully set beams, brick, and stonework, the houses return us to a more gracious time when the simple pleasures of staying at home were paramount, a time to which many of us, even now, long to return.Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Plantations & Historic Homes of New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina ravaged much of New Orleans in 2005, but thankfully the city's most treasured historic homes survived. Plantations & Historic Homes of New Orleans is a poignant tribute of these storied mansions, whose architectural beauty brings a unique flair to the Big Easy's most famous neighborhoods. From the French Quarter and Garden District to Uptown, Marigny, and Bayou St. John, many of New Orleans' grandest old homes and nearby plantations are featured in this book, showcasing the massive brick columns, intricate cast-iron balconies, wide verandas, sumptuous parlors, and humble servants quarters that give this area its charm. Open these pages and you'll travel to Destrehan, the oldest plantation house in the Mississippi Valley, originally built of hand-hewn bald cypress timber using briquette entre'pateaux, mud (clay, river sand, and Spanish moss) between post; the homes artist Edgar Degas and author William Faulkner lived in during their New Orleans' stays; and the 1850 House located in the Lower Pontalba building on Jackson Square. Learn about the building's namesake, a baroness with a tumultuous family life who managed to escape murder and was also responsible for building the American embassy in Paris.
With lavish photographs of exteriors and rooms of special interest, gardens and curiosities, and detailed information about New Orleans' diverse architecture and history, this book is both a perfect guide for visitors and natives alike and an enchanting visual tour of one of the greatest cities in the United States.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime, and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes (Natural Building Series)
For builders of natural homes (straw bale, cob, adobe, rammed earth, and other natural materials), this unique step-by-step guide takes the confusion out of choosing, mixing, and applying natural plasters.
From principles to practicalities, and with every stage of the process illustrated, The Natural Plasters Book details the entire process of plastering with earth, lime, and gypsum for a long-lasting and durable finish. Starting with an overview and history of the natural building movement, the book handles a wide variety of topics including earthen plaster versus cement stucco, tools and techniques of the trade, plaster recipes, and pigmenting plaster or painting walls with natural paints. First-time builders will appreciate tips on common mistakes (and how to avoid them) discussed at each stage of the plastering process. Special focus is paid to the importance of planning and designing for earthen plasters—before building begins.
The only comprehensive guide available on natural plasters, this book is written for the growing number of people who have decided to build their own natural homes as well as for professionals. Heavily illustrated with practical drawings and photographs, it also includes an extensive resource guide listing books, magazines, videos, builders, and suppliers.
Marketing Plans:
• Ads in Natural Home and Environmental Building & Design
• National print review campaign to natural building, self-sufficiency, and environmental magazines, newsletters, websites.
Cedar Rose Guelberth has been working with natural home construction and plaster techniques for 25 years and is a nationally recognized natural building educator and consultant. Dan Chiras is the author of fifteen books including The Natural House: A Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes (ISBN: 1-890132578, Chelsea Green, 2000). Both authors live in Colorado.
Also Available
The Art of Natural Building: Design, Construction, Resources
TP $26.95, 0-86571-433-9 • USA
Straw Bale Building: How to Plan, Design, and Build with Straw
TP $24.95, 0-86571-403-7 • USA
Friday, June 17, 2011
Additions Planner (Better Homes & Gardens Do It Yourself)
- Specifically geared toward the beginning stages of planning an addition.
- Breaks complex information on structural, system, and site concerns into doable strategies.
- Discusses options for materials as well as heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning needs.
- Dozens of real-life inspirational photographs and detailed illustrations.
- Easy-to-use charts streamline and organize planning and make it a pleasant task.
- Prepares homeowners to work comfortably with a contractor to meet design and budget parameters.
Price: $14.95
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Additions: Your Guide to Planning and Remodeling (Better Homes and Gardens)
Leads readers from the dream stage through execution of their own additions project.Includes information on where to shop for materials and how to work with design and building professionals.
120 gorgeous color photos of additions—from small dormers to entire second stories—will inspire readers with beautiful designs and help them visualize their own successful remodeling projects.
“Don’t Do That!" tips throughout the book help readers avoid planning and design pitfalls.
Sidebars offer quick-to-read basics, such as: "The Top Ten" elements of a good floor plan and the "Money-Saver Top Ten" tips for keeping costs in line.
Questionnaires guide readers through their own planning stages.
Question-and-answer segments offer solutions to common problems.
Price: $12.95
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market
Home staging strategies needed to succeed in a down marketWhether a buyer, seller, or real estate agent, the home selling and purchasing process is fraught with potholes that can usually be overcome. But in this weakened housing market, everyone involved in the selling process must increase their efforts. In order to sell homes at top dollar, houses must be "prepared for sales." That’s where Staging comes in. The real estate mantra is no longer location, location, location. It is now Staging, Staging, Staging! It’s all about presentation. In Staging to Sell, Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®, offers her winning tactics, secrets, and strategies for selling a home at top dollar during these challenging times. In addition to offering specific tips on how to Stage a home, Schwarz, a sought-after speaker and Real Estate broker who has Staged and sold over 5,000 homes, provides readers, sellers, Realtors® and Stagers, with useful advice on correctly pricing properties, marketing properties so that they sell, addressing objections early on, having the seller handle the Staging before the house is viewed, and much more. Written with today’s turbulent real estate market in mind, Staging to Sell contains the information readers need to get their homes Sold in the market quickly for top dollar.
Price: $19.95
Step-by-Step Cabinets & Shelves (Better Homes & Gardens Step-By-Step)
The everyday homeowner can create perfect cabinets and shelves for any room with this essential resource. No special skills needed. Easy-to-follow instructions offer guidance every step of the way, from selecting the right materials to building to installation.Practical, doable projects.
Includes color illustrations with step-by-step instructions.
Expert tips on all the tricks of the trade for building and installing cabinets.
Price: $12.95
Homes & Courtyards: 28 Beautifully Designed Homes for Outdoor Living
Filled with stunning color photos, floor plans and site layouts, this book takes readers on an amazing tour of 23 new homes and 5 to-be-built projects featuring marvelous courtyards, patios, decks and other outdoor spaces. Published by the creators of the national bestseller, Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections, this new book is a "must-have" for consumers, home planners, builders, architects, interior designers or anyone who enjoys superb indoor and outdoor living.Price: $34.95
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Step-by-Step Deck Projects (Better Homes & Gardens Step-By-Step)
50 doable project ideas with deck planning, building, and maintaining explained in easy-to-understand steps.Tools and Materials chapter teaches such essentials as using a circular saw, measuring and leveling, and choosing the right lumber.
Explains how to upgrade existing deck with railings, planters, built-in seating and sun screens.
Shows how to craft custom designs—such as wraparound, multi-level, and entry decks.
Full-color photos of finished deck projects and full-color illustrations lead readers step-by-step.
Price: $12.95
Better Homes and Gardens Fireplace: Design and Decorating Ideas (Better Homes & Gardens Decorating)
- This must-read planning tool covers fireplace building, layout, materials, accessories, and decorating. The revised edition provides updates on fireplace options that have come onto the market since the first edition was published.
- Easy-to-read, problem-solving text offers hundreds of helpful tips.
- Inspirational photos plus design ideas for indoor and outdoor hearth spaces.
- Secrets on how to update an aging fireplace and rearrange furnishings around the hearth.
- Technical information on fireplace maintenance and safety.
Price: $19.95
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