Since its original publication in 1946, this book has become a classic, used by home builders and others—such as owners and purchasers—involved in construction or altering dwelling houses. Except for the “mechanical” parts—heating, plumbing, and electrical services—which are specialties bot included here, the book covers the subject of dwelling house construction from bottom to top; from inspecting and preparing a site to the design of fireplaces and chimneys and the construction of roofs. There are chapters on foundations, framing, windows, roofing and flashing, insulation, and hardware. New chapters were added when the fourth edition was first published in 1974 dealing with plastics, mobile homes, and manufactured housing; and manufactured housing; and the chapter on coatings was substantially rewritten.
The fourth edition is thus “an amalgam of new material and those parts of the old material that remain pertinent,” in the author's words. “Its basic premise is unchanged: to present those principles of dwelling house construction that underlie good construction and do not change with whim and fashion.”
