Build Your Own Stone House: Using the Easy Slipform Method by Karl and Sue Schwenke, Ben Watson (Editor)

The simple and functional beauty of a well-built stone house never seems to go out of style. Nearly twenty years after Karl and Sue Schwenke first constructed their Vermont home, their classic book has been revised, updated, and reissued for a new generation of readers.

Using the same easy "slipform" method of construction, the Schwenkes have over the years added to their original stone house and built barns and other structures. And their book is still the best hands-on source available for people interested in building a stone house "from the ground up."

Build Your Own Stone House features straightforward and complete instructions on a variety of topics, including:

-- The materials - stone, sand, cement, and others

-- How and where to site your stone house

-- Excavating the site, estimating the materials needed, and figuring the ground load

-- Setting up, using, and removing the forms

-- Pouring piers, footings, and basement walls

-- Building the stone walls, corners, and door and window openings

-- Constructing the floors, ceilings, and roof

-- Building your own fireplace

Clear illustrations and useful tables round out the book, which also includes all-new information on the best options and materials for insulating your home.