Blog Archives

Habitat for Humanity International

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

high on the short-grass prairies of western Nebraska, that huge inland sea of grass where the only constant is the wind whistling across the snow-covered, sagebrush hills. Aged, warped, unpainted clapboard siding hardly slowed the wind and cold. It was an uninsul­ated farmhouse with no central heating, no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and windows that let in more wind than light. Just 3 ft. from the iron stove in the kitchen, it was Iree/ing. In our bedrooms, even when Mother warmed the sheets with her flat iron, the tem­perature never got much above what it was outside. Wallpaper, as the saying goes, was used not for decoration, but for insulation.

Подпись: ladders and nail on the top plate. It took a month or so to frame a house. Six months later, 1 was one of a small crew, all wearing jeans and nail aprons and wielding long-handled, 2()-oz. framing hammers. GIs were returning from the war bv the millions and the post-war housing boom was under way. YVe were framing tract houses, one every couple of days. Those were affordable housing units, decent homes in decent communities, two and three bedroom houses with about 1,()()() sq. ft. of living space. They were definitely not mansions. In 1951, my brother Jim moved into one of those houses with his family. It cost him $400 down, with monthly payments of $63, which included taxes and insurance. Fifty years later, those houses are still standing, and they have seen more than one generation of children grow up, move on, and start families of their own. YVe do know how to build affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is one group that not only knows this to be true but also is doing something with that knowledge. All across this country, in hundreds of towns and cities, people like you and me are working with our neighbors to build decent, affordable housing. In the past 25 years, more than 100,000 affordable houses have been built in America and in other countries by HFH After high school, I headed south. The first framing job I worked on was in Los Angeles in 1950...

read more

A HOUSE

Posted by on 10/ 11/ 15

Since this book was first published in 2002, the need for decent, affordable housing in this country (and throughout the world) has only in­creased. It is astonishing, but millions of families spend over one-third of their income on housing alone. Even families with steady middle-class incomes struggle to purchase homes and make mortgage payments on time. Money that used to go toward medical care, food, and a child’s education is now spent so families can keep a roof over their heads.

I was born and raised in a wood-frame house sited high on the short-grass prairies of western Nebraska, that huge inland sea of grass where the only constant is the wind whistling across the snow-covered, sagebrush hills. Aged, warped, unpainted clapboard siding hardly slowed the wind and cold...

read more

Theory and Practice

Posted by on 10/ 11/ 15

Many years have passed since the beginning of stone matrix asphalt’s (SMA’s) world­wide success. Therefore now the right moment has come to review all accessible information.

Through this new book I have tried to assemble, in an organized manner, a cer­tain body of knowledge obtained from a vast number of publications the world over, thus providing a review of the achievements of numerous engineers from various countries working on bringing recognition to SMA and developing its design meth­ods. I did my best to explain that knowledge and to present it in an accessible way...

read more

Preface

Posted by on 10/ 11/ 15

Background

This book is the most obvious outcome of the “COST 351, WATMOVE” project (see www. watmove. org). For most readers these terms probably mean little so some explanation is called for. In 2001/2002 a small group led by Kent Gustafson of the Swedish Road and Traffic Institute (VTI) made a proposal to the European programme on “Co-operation in Science and Technology” (COST). They proposed that a pan-European team be set up to study the issue of “Water Movements in Road Pavements and Embankments” (acronym = WATMOVE). The COST organisation agreed the proposal and the study formally began in December 2003 with the sup­port of COST. Due to ill-health, Kent was not able to lead the project and I was asked by the Management Committee to chair the project team.

Scope of the Bo...

read more

Timer Framing for the Rest of Us

Posted by on 10/ 11/ 15

r

imber Framing for the Rest of Us. Us implies Them, or They or Not Us. And who are these others? They are no less than the skilled timber-framers, using time-tested methods of creating beautiful, strong, and enduring buildings throughout the world. At its best, timber framing done by traditional methods of joinery yields a quality of construction that spans the range from craft to art.

The use of timber-framing joinery, such as scarf, mortise-and-tenon, and rabbet joints, evolved during a time before metal fasteners were available, and its traditional use continued when metal spikes would have been expensive. Quality wood-on-wood timber framing continues to this day, and is a joy to see...

read more

Venture for Affordable Housing

Posted by on 10/ 11/ 15

Подпись:

The Joint Venture for Affordable Housing (JVAH) program has been a significant

step toward lowering housing costs. This manual contains a compilation of proven cost-saving construction techniques. All the techniques may not be applicable in every situation, but most builders will likely find many ways to lower housing costs. Volume I, the companion manual, contains proven cost-reduction methods of land planning and development as well as actions local governments can take to encourage more affordable housing.

Acknowledgements

This manual is the result of material obtained from the Joint Venture for Affordable Housing Demonstration builders and from other sources. It was prepared for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by the NAHB National. Research Center...

read more

Our repair in the newest bathroom

Posted by on 09/ 11/ 15
The newcomer the bathroom can be compared with a clay slice, at first the material of myagenkiya and simply gives in to deformation change but after clay you will burn, it remains rigid forever. My bathroom, prior to the beginning of repair, represented read more

French Italy

Posted by on 09/ 11/ 15
Ability to see and create was famous in all centuries and in all people. Presently people everything started to pay the attention not only only on quality and mission of a product and its external shape more often. The Chelini company could prove that the read more

Bidet installation by the hands.

Posted by on 03/ 11/ 15
Before installation of a bidet it is necessary to know that they happen 2 types: with ascending water flow and ordinary. Also as well as toilet bowls, they can be with horizontal, vertical and slanting release. Here therefore at a choice of a hotimy form it read more

Hydromassage – for a body, illumination – as a hobby

Posted by on 03/ 11/ 15
Who will refuse after difficult day to luxuriate in a hot bath? It also is useful, and it is pleasant. And if скооперировать with a hydromassage, the best rest as a hobby and bodies it is simple not to find bathing. The Estonian producer of Balteco read more