I want to build the next Grover Haus. I’m only sort of joking.
First realize that land + materials will set you back as much as an existing house.
These are basically the questions I’m asking myself, and I don’t know where to start gaining this information - hence the thread
I think it’s unlikely that I’ll ever build a house from beginning to end, but I absolutely would like to have the knowledge to do so, even if I only apply that to smaller things, at the least. If I had the knowledge, maybe I could like, add another level to my existing house, or something? Either way, the beginning is to have the knowledge.
The way most houses are built in the US is pretty idiot proof after the foundation is done. You follow the (rather basic and simple) rules of how you do the framing, and as long as you don’t exceed the limits laid out by typical zoning laws for suburban houses, nothing is going to collapse.
There is expertise and education required to set the foundation in a safe and durable way, and there is the same required to do heating, cooling, wiring, etc, but the majority of how they are built is intentionally done so you can hire people who you can barely speak English and treat them like shit and they will still give you good enough results.
Building Construction Illustrated is a legit textbook-style resource thats actually useful to keep on hand. No doubt spans a wider context than what it sounds like you need, but it has tons of 3D diagarams and drawings to help you understand how shit comes together, and the material itself is basically a crash course in architectural construction. I saw used ones online for 30 bucks.
I really appreciate suggestions like this, even if the knowledge seems superfluous, I’d be interested in learning it.
I highly recommend it as someone who studied architecture and personally loves to build shit. Im not on this site a ton these days, but if you ever want feedback or need reliable resources feel free to shoot me a DM. Good luck with your project!
Alternative House Building by Mike McClintock
Has chapters on Log Houses, Timeber -Frame Houses, Pole Houses, Cordwood, Stone, Earth Masonry Houses, and Earth -Sheltered Houses.
Its a bit under 400 pages long with the index. The copy I’ve got is from 1984. Black and white photos with drawings/diagrams.
