How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home

Book Description

The Classic Blueprint for Do-It-Yourself Homebuilders Updated to Reflect the Latest Materials, Techniques, and Options!

Covering everything from hiring the right vendors to choosing fixtures, this information-packed guide is a step-by-step roadmap for building a new home or remodeling an existing one. The heavily-revised Fourth Edition focuses on the latest technologies, materials, money-saving options, and environmentallyfriendly methods, allowing homeowners to save money, get more for their money, maximize their usable space, decrease maintenance costs, and choose from an exciting array of new options.

Customer Reviews:

I built my house using this! My builder was impressed!!.......2006-09-06

This book gives excellent strategic advice. It is not a tactical manual on how to build a house with your own hands, but rather informs a buyer on how to get the job done and which decisions are critical (e.g. site selection, architecture design selection, and builder selection). If you want to learn how to install drywall, then this is not the book for you. If you want to get a general idea of how it is done, but want to learn more about specifications from an owner's perspective, then this is the book for you. Some of the best advice in the book is really in the chapters on builders (how to select them, and how to work with them). This 'soft sceince' is the critical knowledge that I needed to build my own home that I would not have obtained otherwise. The sample specifications list using a HUD form proved to be invaluable to me. I didn't need an architect after that.

Good Introduction to the Building Concepts.......2005-09-01

I have a slight problem with the title of this book. Will it enable you to build your own home? Yes, if by build your own home you mean hiring carpenters, plumbers, electricians and the like. But no if you mean grabbing a hammer, pipe wrench and a roll of wire.

This book is a general introduction to the concept of building a house. Here's what to think of when you are planning a house. Here are some of the basic concepts of plumbing. Think about wiring like this. It's a general introduction to nearly every aspect of building a house from footers to roofing.

Could you use this book to act as your own contractor. Probably if you study it really carefully, have some experience yourself or someone you trust to spend a lot of time talking to you.

The orientation of the book is for you to really get a contractor. But by reading the book, you know a lot more than most people, you'll save a lot of time, and you'll understand the jargon that they use to describe parts of the house.

A quick education . . ........2005-04-16

We bought a house to be built, but had no experience or background in construction. This book was a tremendous help in getting us up to speed and it allowed us to be conversant, and more importantly watchful, of the developer and contractor. I was able to intelligently review plans and specs after reading through this book. It did not make me an expert, but I am light years ahead of where I was before I picked it up. Essential for anyone planning to build or buying new construction that is yet to be built/completed. Highly recommended.

How To Plan, Design & Contract Your Own Home.......2005-01-11

This book is very helpful for you to work with and speak the language of your contractor. It is not designed for you to be your own contractor, but to work with one that you select. In Part II "How to Build It", the book shows how a house is put together. If you never lift a hammer throughout the entire construction process, it still pays to know how a house can and should be put together. The difference between mediocre and excellent construction involves a ridiculously small materials cost. Knowing construction methods and materials will also assist you in your dealings with whichever contractor you choose.

Good book for information but not instruction.......2005-01-06

I bought the book with the intention of using it as a guide as I built my new home. I found it more of a research guide to use in the process of preparing to build or purchase a new home. The "how to" portion is absolutely not there. It is a good book and well worth the money, but not what I was looking for. I was looking for something to "knock the cobwebs off my brain", since it has been over 20 years since I was involved in home construction in my late teens. I just bought another book on line, "How to design, build, remodel and maintain your home", hopefully this will meet my needs.

How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home, 2/e

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How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home, 2/e
Richard M. Scutella , David Heberle , and Dave Heberle
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Of the many important and potentially expensive details that are normally left to the discretion of builders, this guide is an invaluable source of information, advice, and inspiration. This expanded second edition features new material on the planning and purchase of major appliances, garage designs and enhancements, plumbing and electrical wiring, energy-saving lighting options, home safety and security measures, and much more. Plus, the authors take a fresh look at vacation homes, multi-family dwellings, solar-powered, underground, and kit structures.

How to Plan, Contract & Build Your Own Home

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How to Plan, Contract & Build Your Own Home
Richard M. Scutella , and David Heberle
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home

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How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home
Dave Heberle Richard M. Scutella
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFT0AM

Book Description

Fantasy continues to be hot, and it's not just for kids interested in comics. Many fine artists love mythological creatures like mermaids, centaurs, and dragons. And with Creating Creatures of Fantasy and Imagination, they'll learn how to make realistic-looking fantasy artwork. With her characteristic friendly instruction, Claudia Nice shows ways to:

-Transform everyday images into imaginary creatures, such as a horse into a unicorn or a girl into a pixie, by using exaggeration and expression

-Enhance drawings and paintings with accessories, homes, pets, and vibrant backgrounds

-Create these images with a wide variety of mediums, including pen and ink, watercolor, and acrylic

In addition, readers receive the legend behind each creature, designed to help jumpstart their imaginations!

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2006-09-25

I was very disappointed in this book. I was expecting to get a book about how to "create creatures of fantasy and imagination" Instead I received a book with really bad drawings of people with butterfly wings on them, and animals put together with other animals, such as a housecat with bird wings(?) Just my personal opinion, but not at all what I was looking for.

Pretty good, somewhat inspiring.......2006-02-18

I like most of Nice's work (pen & ink with watercolor, mostly), and I love fantasy, so I bought this book. She does a fairly good job, focusing mostly on details and how to turn real-life inspirations into faeries, ogres, dragons, sea monsters, etc. Personally, I thought she focused too much on the little details. At least half of the book is devoted to humanoid creatures (faeries, elves, etc.), which seemed excessive. Some of her other creatures looked a little off - her centaurs had some proportion problems, and a few of her dragons looked iffy to my admittedly-overpicky eye. On the whole, it's a fun book to page through, and it provided some small inspiration, but I've seen others that inspired me more. If you like Claudia Nice (or just good pen & ink with watercolor, acrylic, or colored pencil), and you like creating fantasy art, you might want to give it a try.

Book Description

Practical, affordable collection of 513 Art Deco designs — copyright-free and ready-to-use. Crisp black-and-white motifs combine stylized birds, insects and floral elements with circles, squares, triangles and other abstract forms. Inexhaustible source of design inspiration. 513 black-and-white designs. Publisher’s Note.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2006-08-21

I thought that this would be a book with reproductions of typical art deco motifs but it turns out to be one artist's interpretations of Art Deco, and in my opinion the results are pretty ugly...

these are not authentic.......2003-10-12

i assumed, since this was a dover book, that the designs would have been originally published in the 20s and 30s. not so. they are 'interpretations' by an artist born after deco ended and created in the mid-80s.

the designs are not horrible, but they're not wonderful, either. there may be one of two that, with tweaking, i might use, but most are pretty ordinary.

Book Description

Avalon High seems like a typical high school, attended by typical students: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

But not everybody at Avalon High is who they appear to be ... not even, as new student Ellie is about to discover, herself. What part does she play in the drama that is unfolding? What if the bizarre chain of events and coincidences she has pieced together means -- as with the court of King Arthur -- tragedy is fast approaching Avalon High?

Worst of all, what if there's nothing she can do about it?

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Avalon High seems like a typical high school, attended by typical students: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

Worst of all, what if there's nothing she can do about it?

Customer Reviews:

Avalon High - Really?.......2007-09-25

Sure, I'm almost 20 and that makes me not in the intended age group, but it was recommended by my sister who said it was a pretty good story. Sure, the story was good, but the execution? Terrible. By the end of the first chapter I was ready to get a pen and start crossing out instances of the word "whatever." I was a junior in high school not too long ago, and I never thought like that. It was almost painful to read in some parts.

It was a giant waste of 2 hours. The story had so much potential, but it never even came close. Too bad I can't unread this.

How could she have witten this?.......2007-07-09

This is M. Cabot's worst novel EVER. Every other sentence consisted of "like", "I mean", and "whatever"s. The story line could have been passable is the characters weren't so freaking slow. Come on they're supposed to be juniors and seniors and none of them could bring two and two together.
And the stereotyping oh just because someone has a tattoo or a piercing means their a criminal? This book seems to say so.
I was practically bored to death and I had to force myself to finish it.
Not even worth the paper its printed on.

Interesting twist on King Arthur lore.......2007-05-15

I'll admit, I am not too terribly familiar with Meg Cabot's work. I have read the Mediator series (loved it!) but was never able to get into some of the other books she has written. This book was passed on to me by a friend who claimed it was awesome and I had to read it. She was completely right.

I had no idea what exactly to expect from this book. It takes a chapter or two before the reader can really get into it, but once it starts rolling, I dare any reader to put it down without a fight. The book offers the mystique of the King Arthur legend paired with modern day teen drama. Cabot's characters are strong and the main character, Elle, is witty and charming. The plot plays out in a way that grabs the reader's attention and keeps it all the way to the last page. "Avalon High" also features a great and somewhat unexpected ending. Cabot's modern day Arthurian novel is well written and an alluring Young Adult novel. This book is very different and, let's face it, the concept is just plain cool.

Harvard University Annual Book Rating.......2007-04-23

Avalon High was indubitably the worst piece of literature my eyes have ever graced. As a college professor, I cannot believe that Meg Cabot would make everyone scream "AH, IT BURNS MY EYES" after reading this monstrosity of a novel. It is a story that goes like any other. Boy meets girl, boy stalks girl at her own pool, parents lend boy brothers swimsuit and it all fits into place. Reading this book made me wish that I would never opened a book again. Only after I reread Harry Potter three times, It made me realize that reading is not a complete failure of a hobby. Also, the price of the novel,$16.99, is outrageously high. She should pay the readers $[...] to read this. In Harvard, we teach only excellence and believe that this book should never have been written.

Just Great!.......2007-04-13

Fans of Aruthurian Legend, Young Ault Lit, and Romance/Fantasy will love this book. The characters are multi-dimensional, and have strong personalities and voices-great writing!

The Mists of Avalon. Book 2: The High Queen (The High Queen, Book 2)

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The Mists of Avalon. Book 2: The High Queen (The High Queen, Book 2)

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Product Description

12 Hours 34 Minutes, on 11 CD's. This imaginative return to the Arthurian legend as told from its pagan priestesses continues with Book Two: The High Queen. Morgaine, finally reconciled to the birth of her son, must relinquish him to her aunt Morgause in exchange for the kept secret regarding his parentage. Arthur marries the timid but dutiful Gwenhwyfar, while ongoing wars with the Saxon invaders continue to rage accross the land. Morgaine, tired of worldly concerns, attempts to return to Avalon, but disappears without a trace somewhere near the end of her journey. In a last bid for peace, Arthur compromises his loyalty to Avalon by carrying the Christian banner into battle. Gwenhwyfars inability to conceive has the kingdom despairing of an heir to the throne, while behind the scenes, her love for Lancelet grows more impassioned and desperate.

Avalon High: Coronation #1: The Merlin Prophecy (Avalon High: Coronation)

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A good book but...
Avalon High
you will love it!!
Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review
Not As Good As the Original

Avalon High: Coronation #1: The Merlin Prophecy (Avalon High: Coronation)
Meg Cabot
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061177075
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Book Description

Being a new student at Avalon High has been exciting for Ellie, to say the least—she's an honor student, a star on the track team, and, oh yeah, dating the super-hot class president, Will. Who also happens to be the alleged reincarnation of King Arthur.

Ellie couldn't be happier to have Will in her life, but she's also worried that his estrangement from his parents is tearing him apart. To make matters worse, Will's doubt that he really is King Arthur could prevent the Merlin Prophecy—an age of enlightenment—from occurring. Can Ellie convince Will to believe in something that even she isn't sure about? And more importantly, can she get him to give his parents another chance?

With all the mythology and mysticism of avalon high, Meg Cabot's very first manga is indeed a tale for the ages.

Customer Reviews:

A good book but..........2007-08-26

I am a Big Meg Cabot fan, and when I read the first Avalon High I LOVED it. But I was a little wary when I heard the sequel would be in a magna version, although it was a good book it was a little too short and most of the beginning was just a recap of the first book. Although it was a good book, I wouldn't buy it until the second part had come out that way you can go from one to the other.

Avalon High.......2007-08-23

I've always loved stories about Camelot and the round table and I found this a fun book to read. In Avalon High, by Meg Cabot, we find out what might happen if all the main characters from Camelot were reborn now to replay their rolls again, but they will have the chance to change the out come of this story, for better or worse.
I also really liked the art work done by Jinky Coronado. She does a great job of creating some very beautiful images for the story in #1 and is already working on #2.

you will love it!!.......2007-08-19

I loved this book so much! I love Meg Cabot and her books have always pleased me but this one was AMAZING!!! I mean- talk about cliff hanger! You will love this book! You are going to LOVE it!!!

Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review.......2007-08-12

The manga sequel to Avalon High has finally hit the shelves. Ellie's adventures continue (but not until after explaining everything that happened in Avalon High for a third of the book) as she meets our dear Morgana Le Fay, reincarnated as Morgan, Will's (Arthur's) bad half-brother Marco's (Mordred's) girlfriend. Really, what seems to be about all that happens is she sets up the intro of Morgan and at the very end (not really a spoiler because we all knew it had to happen), Marco breaks out of the institute where he was getting "help" after he tried to kill Will in the last book.

I was really disappointed in the size of the book. It sits at just barely 110 pages, yet still cost me $8 to buy. And it really didn't give a lot of new story or plot. I did feel that we got to know Jen and Lance better, and the visuals can be pretty nice. But I think Will's character design is lacking (he does not look like a king, or even a high school class president), and his haircut is horrid. Now, I like shaggy hair on guys, but Will just looks like nobody's bothered to give him a trim in the last few years.

The art style is also this hybrid of American comics and Japanese manga style that I don't really like. As I read it, I'm very aware that this is not a Japanese manga, yet is trying to look like one. TokyoPop is trying to sell this as a manga, implying that it is Japanese in style, yet it doesn't really follow any of the standards. There are no silly places (like when the characters go chibi or you see humorous background images, elements that even "serious" manga tend to have), the lines are very dark, the panel set up is traditional American comic, and it just doesn't have a manga to feel to it. Granted it's hard to get American manga that turns out well, and many manga fans won't count anything that wasn't Japanese first. I think one American manga that worked was TokyoPop's Van Von Hunter, which follows the same conventions and tropes of a manga. I think maybe it's the faces in the case of Avalon High. The artist is trying to follow traditional American comic style faces, with defined eyes and noses, but then again, maybe it's not that. All I know is that as I read it, I was very aware that it was not a manga and that disappointed me. I had much higher hopes for TokyoPop's new crossovers with HarperCollins.

Overall, I kind of wish Meg Cabot had just written another book. It's nice to visually see the characters, and it does give more room for development for the minor characters, but it was just too short and didn't translate that well. I think an illustrated novel might actually be the best way to go for the Avalon High books. Let us get some visual pictures of the characters, but still let Meg write the text. Meg is good at engaging the reader in the story, though, unfortunately, her characters often fall flat and are stereotypical, and I think the manga version brings out these negative qualities even more.

Still, I am buying the next one. Even at $8 a pop, I'll get it and read it. But, I'll have to see after that if I want to buy it any more or not. I was excited about these books, and I still am, because I'm interested in modern interpretations of the Arthurian Legends, and the mixing in of high school drama is really intriguing to me.

Not As Good As the Original.......2007-08-08

I was a little disappointed when I heard that the "sequel" to Avalon High was going to be in manga format. I loved the original story: girl moves to new town and finds that she and other students are actually reincarnations of characters from Camelot who are destined to play out the story over and over again. That said, this wasn't a bad beginning. The artwork is beautiful and although much of the book is a re-telling of the original, there are some added plot lines and the ending is quite a cliffhanger. Meg Cabot has stated that the rest of the series will be done in manga format. This first entry kept my attention enough that I will keep my eye out for future books.

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Avalon High
Meg Cabot
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Avalon High
Meg Cabot
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Coming Home (Avalon Romance)
Nadia Shworan
Manufacturer: Avalon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The High Queen - The Mists of Avalon Book Two

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The High Queen - The Mists of Avalon Book Two
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Recorded Books Evergreen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Mile-High Love (Avalon Romance)
Jane McBride Choate
Manufacturer: Thomas Bouregy & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Mile-High Love is Jane's seventeenth novel for AVALON. Also available from AVALON are Blessings in Disguise, Blessings of the Heart, and Hidden Blessings, the series featuring minister Carla Stevens.

Vengeance on High: A Wally Morris Mystery (Avalon Mystery)

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Wally rocks
Wally Morris is a great character!

Vengeance on High: A Wally Morris Mystery (Avalon Mystery)
Joani Ascher
Manufacturer: Avalon books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

It was tradition for most of the residents of Grosvenor, NJ, to come into the town center for celebrations, eating, enjoying the festivities, and watching the annual Fourth of July fireworks.

Except this year it was different. Greedy developer Keith Hollis decided to go up to the quarry for unknown reasons. It's at the bottom of that quarry that his lifeless body is discovered, throwing the people of Grosvenor into a state of shock.

Many people have been strongly opposed to Hollis's plan to pave paradise and build McMansions over the old quarry and are immediately on Detective Davis and Brady's suspect list. But Hollis is universally disliked, making the list of suspects impossibly long.

However, nursery school teacher and amateur detective, Wally Morris, has questions and ideas of her own. She's solved other mysteries in the town, mysteries that stumped the police. She's always had success but this time she might find herself in a real cliffhanger.

Customer Reviews:

Wally rocks.......2007-05-13

Once again Joani Ascher has outdone herself with a Wally Morris novel. The continued character development is terrific and I've really gotten to know the heroine. I've read all of the Vengeance books and this is one of my favs. Can't wait for the next. Read this one and then go back and read any you've missed.

Wally Morris is a great character!.......2006-07-24

Although I met Joani Ascher after having read her first mystery, VENGEANCE BEYOND REASON, I don't know her all that well. Her heroine, Wally Morris, however, feels like an old friend to me. She is the reliable sort of woman that you know will always offer to help, and sincerely mean it, especially during an extreme situation. Whether or not that help will be truly useful, or just muck things up further, is a different question, of course. Although I often fear good-hearted Wally is going to inadvertantly screw things up beyond repair, she hasn't let anyone down yet. Wally has enticed me to read a few of the books in this series. Joani's latest book, VENGEANCE ON HIGH, show this delightful kindergarten teacher/busybody/amateur detective solving a mystery within the sullied world of New Jersey real estate development. Anyone who lives in New Jersey will find this series quite authentic. The mysteries all take place in a fictionalized version of practically any Northern New Jersey town and they include all the local problems and characters that suburbanites face on a daily basis. The setting isn't exotic, but it's fun to read what a talented storyteller does with what we all know so well.

A late Neoproterozoic age for the Caledonia Mountain Pluton, a high Ti-V layered gabbro in the Caledonia (Avalon) terrane, southern New Brunswick.(titanium)(vanadium): ... An article from: Atlantic Geology

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A late Neoproterozoic age for the Caledonia Mountain Pluton, a high Ti-V layered gabbro in the Caledonia (Avalon) terrane, southern New Brunswick.(titanium)(vanadium): ... An article from: Atlantic Geology
Sandra M. Barr , Michael A. Hamilton , Chris E. White , and Scott D. Samson
Manufacturer: Atlantic Geoscience Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Atlantic Geology, published by Atlantic Geoscience Society on July 1, 2000. The length of the article is 6289 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A late Neoproterozoic age for the Caledonia Mountain Pluton, a high Ti-V layered gabbro in the Caledonia (Avalon) terrane, southern New Brunswick.(titanium)(vanadium)
Author: Sandra M. Barr
Publication: Atlantic Geology (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 2000
Publisher: Atlantic Geoscience Society
Page: 157(10)

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