Living Homes: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Integrated Design and Construction. Slipform Stone Masonry, Tilt-Up Construction, Log Houses & Strawbale Construction.

Living Homes
Integrated Design and Construction
by Thomas J. Elpel
5th Edition, January 2005

     The house of your Dreams does not have to be expensive. The key is all in the planning. How much a house costs, how it looks, how comfortable it is, how energy-efficient it is--all these things occur on paper before you pick up even one tool. A little extra time in the planning process can save you tens of thousands of dollars in construction and maintenance. That is time well spent!

See also
Slipform Stone Masonry on DVD
     Living Homes takes you through the planning process to design an energy and resource efficient home that won't break the bank. Then, from the footings on up to the roof, author Thomas J. Elpel guides you through the nuts and bolts of construction for slipform stone masonry, tilt-up stone walls, log home construction, building with strawbales, making your own "terra tile" floors, windows & doors, solar water systems, masonry heaters, framing, plumbing, greywater, septic systems, swamp filters, painting and more!

     The fifth edition includes fifteen pages of new material covering concrete-fly ash countertops, the latest stone masonry tips, plus revised and expanded tips and techniques throughout the book. Living Homes is 233 pages, including an incredible 300+ drawings and grayscale photos.

     Environmental Note: Everything but the cover is printed with soy ink on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, bleached without chlorine. $1.00 from every book sold is donated to 3Rivers Park to help purchase habitat for people and wildlife in the Missouri Headwaters watershed in southwest Montana.

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Greetings,

I'd like to thank you, Thomas, for your excellent books. They have been informative, thought provoking and inspiring, and more so every time I read them! I have found Living Homes to be especially useful just lately as I am starting to wonder if maybe I should start thinking about settling down and planting some roots.

You and I seem to have in common a deep love for the land we hail from. I myself live in the southern foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, as has my kin for four generations before me. A beautiful, rugged place. I've seen much of the rest of our country, and some of the rest of the world, but I don't think I could thrive anywhere else! Your book will be a crucial resource in building the simple, well-ordered Adirondack home I have in mind. Thank you, for that and everything you do and stand for!

Sincerely,

Joseph D. Reynolds
(used with permission)

Be sure to read my on-line article
Building a House on Limited Means

Check out this
Castle built by a person who read Living Homes

Here is a brief overview of the
Log Construction featured in Living Homes

Also be sure to see
Slipform Stone Masonry
our video companion to Living Homes.

Table of Contents

Introduction:

Building a House on Limited Means: The Elimination of all that is Unnecessary to Achieve a Dream

Part I: Dreams, Goals & Ecology

Integrated Design & Construction: Homesteading in the 21st Century
Choosing a Location: Planning a Thousand Years into the Future
Disaster-Proofing Your Home: Preventing the Obvious. Preparing for the Inevitable
Building Codes, Permits & Inspections: Exceed the Minimum Standards!
Defining Your Goals: A Blueprint is the Sum of the Criteria

Part II: Principles of Energy Efficiency

Principles of Energy Efficiency: Designing Warm Houses for Cold Climates
Insulation & Insulation Systems Many Choices, Most of Them Bad
Thermal Mass: How to Capture, Store, and Release Heat
Solar Input: Passive & Active Solar Heating
Heating Systems: For Backup Heat & Hot Water
Rethinking Appliances: Energy Efficiency is the Path to Independence
Air Quality: Finding Fresh Air in an Airtight Home

Part III: Water Supply & Management

Water Supply & Management Squeezing More Use out of Less Water
Wastewater Management and Reuse Closing the Loop on Water Waste

Part IV: The Nuts & Bolts of Home-Building

Footings, Foundations and Floors: Starting from the Bottom Up
Cement Mixing & Measuring: Additives, Aggregates, Substitutes and Reinforcement
Slipform Stone Masonry: A Stone Masonry Primer
Tilt-up Construction: A New Lift to the Ancient Art of Stonework
Log Building Basics: For Builders with Little Time or Experience
Building with Bales: It's Fast, Inexpensive, and Energy Efficient
Putting the Roof On: The Search for Better Solutions
Windows & Doors: Putting a Plug in the Thermos

Part V: Finishing the Interior

Revival of the Masonry Stove: An Old, but Efficient Heating System
Terra Tiles: Hand-Made Tile Floors from Sand, Cement, Dirt, and Dye
Wood Frame Construction: Building Interior Floors and Walls
Concrete and Fly Ash Countertops: A Nice Kitchen Doesn't have to Be Expensive
Practical Plumbing: Important Tips I Could Have Used
Electricity: Wiring the Alternative Home
A Primer on Paint: Reusing and Recycling

Conclusion--The Road to Sustainability: Breaking Free from Fossil Fuel Dependence
Bibliography
Index

See what the press is saying about Living Homes!

Living Homes: Integrated Design and Construction, 5th Edition   $30.00    Quantity:

Living Homes + Slipform Stone Masonry DVD (Save $10.00)    $45.00    Quantity:

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Hi,

I just want to thank you for creating such wonderful and useful books. I was given your book Living Homes while I was building my house, and I subsequently read Participating in Nature. I'm certain that you must receive constant compliments on your work. As a filmmaker, I know that it never stops feeling good to have people appreciate your work. So I just wanted to let you know, you're work is very much appreciated!!

Adam Starr
www.adamstarr.org
(used with permission)

Unique Books & Videos by Thomas J. Elpel
Roadmap to Reality: Consciousness, Worldviews, and the Blossoming of Human Spirit
Shanleya's Quest: A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9 to 99
Shanleya's Quest: Patterns in Plants Card Game
Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills
Direct Pointing to Real Wealth: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Money
Living Homes: Integrated Design & Construction
Slipform Stone Masonry DVD Companion to Living Homes

The Art of Nothing Wilderness Survival Video Series on DVD
3 Days at the River with nothing but our bare hands.
Mountain Meadows camping with almost nothing but the dog.
Mountain Lakes a survival fishing trip.
Canoe Camping on a song and a paddle.

Go to Books & Videos by Thomas J. Elpel.
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