Basic Construction Techniques for Houses and Small Buildings Simply Explained.

by U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel

Many homeowners have at one time or other considered building their own home or adding as extension to their present house. One of the best backgrounds for such home construction is offered by the manual which the U.S. Navy has prepared for use in its own classes. This, the latest edition, contains instructions for techniques that the builder should need.

Detailed chapters cover such basics of construction as: concrete - selecting the mixture, using forms and joints, reinforcing placing, finishing, and curing concrete, and using concrete for foundations, floors, beams, columns, and walls; masonry - selecting bricks, mortar and patterns, laying concrete blocks, structural clay tile, stone, and brick, insuring watertightness and proper bonding, and using brick for door and window sills and lintels; woodworking - using and selecting tools and materials; rough carpentry - building framings for foundations, floors, walls, and roof; exterior finishing - finishing cornices and roof, installing asbestos-cement siding, insulation and outside wall covering; interior finishing - completing ceiling, walls, stairs, window sashes, casings, and doors, adding baseboards and trim, and plastering, stuccoing, and setting tile; and painting - selecting the paint, preparing surfaces and using techniques for the most efficient and most permanent job.

Other chapters cover related subjects and techniques. Introductory chapters cover such topics as preparing drawings and specifications, handling materials, and building scaffolding. Final chapters cover such topics as field structures, heavy construction, and work with prefabricated units. Methods for small jobs, done by hand, and large ones, done by machine, are both covered. Throughout there are illustrations for necessary mathematics, safety techniques and work done with special requirements.

These are the techniques that will be necessary for any type of construction around the house from constructing a patio or adding rooms or wings to the house, to completely redesigning your present house or building your own home from scratch.

Genres: Reference

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1972