Acknowledgments -- About the Authors -- Preface -- Chapter 1: Location of Structure on Site -- Basic Conditions -- Covenants -- Zoning Ordinances -- Wells and Septic Systems -- Corner Lots -- Nonconforming Lots -- Natural Grades and Contours -- Staking Out House Location -- Staking Out from a Known Reference Line -- Laying Out with a Transit Level -- Batter Boards and Offset Stakes -- Pythagorean Theorem Method -- Other Important Documents -- Certified Plot Plan -- Certificate of Occupancy -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 2: Concrete -- Portland Cement -- Cements -- Types of Portland Cement -- Normal Concrete -- Essential Ingredients -- Natural Cement -- Admixtures -- Air-Entraining -- Accelerators -- Retarders -- Water Reducers -- High-Range Water Reducers -- Pozzolans -- Handling and Placing Concrete -- Methods of Placing -- Consolidation -- Reinforcing -- Bar Supports -- Welded-Wire Fabric -- Chairs -- Concrete Slump -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 3: Foundations -- Types of Foundations -- Footings -- Foundation Design Details -- Sizing the Footings -- Rule-of-Thumb -- Calculation -- Example -- Problem -- Reinforcing -- Stepped Footings -- Frost Protection -- Adfreezing -- Crawl Spaces -- Slabs-on-Grade -- Types -- Site Preparation -- Capillarity and Capillary Breaks -- Rub-R-Wall -- Damp Proofing -- Waterproofing -- Drain Screens -- Subsurface Drainage System -- Backfilling -- Protecting the Wall During Backfilling -- Correct Backfilling Practice -- Permanent Wood Foundations -- Site Preparation -- Lumber Treatment -- Fasteners -- Wall Framing -- Backfilling -- Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations -- Shallow Foundation Design Details -- Site Preparation -- Freezing Degree Days -- Subslab Insulation -- Foundation Wall Insulation Thickness -- Ground Insulation -- Summary -- Review Questions.

Chapter 4: Finishing and Curing Concrete -- Screeding -- Tamping or Jitterbugging -- Finishing -- Floating -- Troweling -- Brooming -- Grooving and Edging -- Finishing Air-Entrained Concrete -- Curing -- Curing Time -- Curing Methods -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 5: Concrete Block -- Block Sizes -- Decorative Block -- Split Block -- Slump Block -- Grille Blocks -- Screen Block -- Patterned Block -- Special Finishes -- Standard Concrete Block -- Wall Thickness -- Foundations -- Mortar -- Building with Concrete Blocks -- Laying Block at Corners -- Building the Wall Between Corners -- Applying Mortar to Blocks -- Placing and Setting Blocks -- Building Around Door and Window Frames -- Placing Sills and Lintels -- Basement Walls -- Building Interior Walls -- Building Techniques -- Installation of Heating and Ventilating Ducts -- Electrical Outlets -- Fill Insulation -- Flashing -- Types of Joints -- Tooling the Joints -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 6: Chimneys and Fireplaces -- Flues -- Chimney Construction -- Fireplaces -- Fireplace Construction -- Importance of a Hearth -- Ready-Built Fireplace Forms -- Other Fireplace Styles -- Smoky Fireplaces -- Prefabricated Fireplaces -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 7: Woods Used in Construction -- Cutting at the Mill -- Defects -- Selection of Lumber -- Decay of Lumber -- Plywood -- Grade Designations -- Sanded, Unsanded, and Touch-Sanded Panels -- Exposure Durability -- Particleboard -- Hardboard -- Specialty Hardboards -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 8: Framing Lumber -- Standard Sizes of Bulk Lumber -- Grades of Lumber -- Select Lumber -- Common Lumber -- Framing Lumber -- Computing Board Feet -- Methods of Framing -- Balloon-Frame Construction -- Plank-and-Beam Construction -- Western-Frame Construction -- Foundation Sills -- Size of Sills -- Length of Sill.

Anchorage of Sill -- Splicing of Sill -- Placing of Sill -- Girders -- Floor Joists -- Interior Partitions -- Partitions Parallel to Joists -- Partitions at Right Angles to Joists -- Framing Around Openings -- Headers -- Corner Studs -- Roofs -- Spacing of Rafters -- Size of Rafters -- Span of Rafters -- Length of Rafters -- Collar Beams -- Size of Collar Beams -- Hip Rafters -- Dormers -- Stairways -- Fire and Draft Stops -- Chimney and Fireplace Construction -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 9: Girders and Engineered Lumber -- Girders -- Construction of Girders -- Why Beam Ends Rot -- Calculating the Size of a Girder -- Tributary Area -- Load Distribution -- Example -- Columns and Column Footings -- Selecting the Girder -- Selecting Girder Lumber and Fb -- Solid Beams versus Built-up Beams -- Column Spacing -- Flitch Beams -- Steel Beams -- Steel Beams and Fire -- Engineered Lumber -- Laminated Layered Products -- Glulam -- Choosing an LVL or Glulam Beam -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 10: Floor Framing -- Alternative Methods and Materials -- Cantilevered In-Line Joist System -- Glued Floors -- Nails to Use -- Construction Adhesives -- I-Joists -- Advantages of Engineered Joists -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 11: Outer Wall Framing -- Value Engineering -- The Arkansas House -- The Engineered Framing System -- Modular Framing -- Reducing Wall Framing Costs -- Mold and Mildew -- Floating Interior Angle Application -- Window and Door Framing -- Interior/Exterior Wall Junction -- Headers -- Preframing Conferences -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 12: Roof Framing -- Types of Roofs -- Roof Construction -- Rafters -- Length of Rafters -- Example -- Problem 1 -- Problem 2 -- Problem 3 -- Rafter Cuts -- Common Rafter Cuts -- Hip-and-Valley Rafter Cuts -- Problem -- Side Cuts of Hip and Valley Rafters.

Backing of Hip Rafters -- Jack Rafters -- Shortest Jack Method -- Longest Jack Method -- Framing Table Method -- Example -- Jack-Rafter Cuts -- Example -- Method of Tangents -- Octagon Rafters -- Prefabricated Roof Trusses -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 13: Roofing -- Slope of Roofs -- Roll Roofing -- Built-Up Roof (BUR) -- Wood Shingles -- Hips -- Valleys -- Asphalt Shingles -- Underlayment -- Ice Dam Shields -- Ice Dams -- Drip-Edge Flashing -- Installing Asphalt Shingles -- Slate -- Gutters and Downspouts -- Selecting Roofing Materials -- Detection of Roof Leaks -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 14: Cornice Construction -- Box Cornices -- Closed Cornices -- Wide Box Cornices -- Open Cornices -- Cornice Returns -- Rake or Gable-End Finish -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 15: Sheathing and Siding -- Fiberboard Sheathing -- Solid Wood Sheathing -- Plywood Sheathing -- Rigid Exterior Foam Sheathing -- Sheathing Paper -- Function of House Wraps -- The Need for House Wraps -- Wood Siding -- Bevel Siding -- Drop Siding -- Square-Edge Siding -- Vertical Siding -- Plywood Siding -- Treated Siding -- Hardboard Siding -- Moisture -- Recommendations -- Wood Shingles and Shakes -- Installation of Siding -- Types of Nails -- Corner Treatment -- Corner Boards -- Mitered Corners -- Metal Corners -- Aluminum Siding -- Vinyl Siding -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 16: Windows -- Basic Considerations and Recent Developments -- Multiple Glazings -- Heat Transfer -- Emissivity -- Low-E Glazing -- Gas-Filled Windows -- Gas Leakage -- Heat Mirror -- Visionwall -- Calculating R-Values -- Aerogels -- Switchable Glazings -- Installing Windows -- Purchasing Windows -- Air Leakage -- Window Types -- Window Framing -- Double-Hung Windows -- Hinged or Casement Windows -- Gliding, Bow, Bay, and Awning Windows -- Summary -- Review Questions.

Chapter 17: Insulation -- Types of Insulation -- Mineral Fiber -- Batts -- High-Density Batts -- Spray-In Mineral Fiber -- Spray-Applied Rockwool -- Loose-Fill Insulations -- Problems with Cellulose -- Solutions -- Cellulose -- Settling -- Two Holes versus One Hole -- Problem 1 -- Problem 2 -- Cellulose in Attics -- Spray-In Cellulose -- Story Jig -- Cellular Plastics -- Foil-Faced Insulations and Gypsum Board -- Radiant Barriers -- Insulating Concrete -- Cotton Insulation -- Vapor Diffusion Retarders -- Barrier Versus Retarder -- Necessity of VDRs -- Heat Flow Basics -- Attic Radiant Barriers -- Introduction -- Effect of Radiant Barriers on Heating and Cooling Bills -- Examples of Use of Present Value Tables -- Example 1 -- Example 2 -- Important Nonenergy Considerations -- Potential for Moisture Condensation -- Attic Ventilation -- Effect of Radiant Barriers on Roof Temperatures -- Fire Ratings -- Installation Procedures -- Safety Considerations -- Summary -- Review Questions -- Chapter 18: Interior Walls and Ceilings -- Plasterboard -- InsulatingWallboards -- Backer Board -- Moisture-Resistant Board -- Vinyl-Covered Plasterboard -- Plasterboard Ratings -- Construction with Plasterboard -- Single Layer onWood Studs -- Two-Layer Construction -- Other Methods of Installation -- Wall Tile Backing -- Plasterboard over Masonry -- Fireproof Walls and Ceilings -- Wall Partitions -- Steel Frame Ceilings -- Semisolid Partitions -- Joint Finishing -- Inside Corners -- Outside Corners -- Prefinished Wallboard -- Installing Prefinished Wallboard -- Gypsonite and FiberBond -- Mudding -- Paneling -- Hardwood and Softwood Plywood -- Groove Treatment -- Figuring the Amount of Material Needed -- Installation -- Measuring and Cutting -- Securing Panels -- Adhesive Installation -- Uneven Surfaces -- Damp Walls -- Problem Construction -- Summary -- Review Questions.

Chapter 19: Stairs.