Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction: Building Your High-Efficiency Dream Home on a Shoestring Budget (6th ed.)by Thomas J Elpel

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!

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 straw bales, making your own terra tile floors, windows and doors, solar water systems, masonry heaters, framing, plumbing, greywater, septic systems, swamp filters, concrete-fly ash countertops, painting and more.

Living Homes was completely re-organized and revised for the new sixth edition, based on five additional years of building experience with low-cost, high efficiency construction methods. Get the latest ideas on how to build a high-performance house that will stand the test of time! The sixth edition includes fifteen pages of new material covering the latest stone masonry tips, plus revised and expanded tips and techniques throughout the book.

Review Quotes:

"This highly creative guide helps the non-builder become conversant with terms, materials, and techniques necessary to build one's dream home."--The Islands' Weekly Newspaper, Lopez Island, Washington. (Review of the 4th Edition)

"This isn't mere theory but is firmly grounded in Elpel's hands-on experience creating durable, energy-efficient buildings on a shoestring."--Fine Homebuilding (Review of the 4th Edition)