Although the details in this book have been selected partly on the basis of their widespread use, the primary focus is on durability. I believe that wood-frame buildings can and should be built to last for 200 years or more. To accomplish this, a building must be built on a solid foundation; it must be designed and built to resist moisture; it must be protected from termites, ants, and other insect pests; it must be structurally stable; and it must be reasonably protected from the ravages of fire. All these criteria may be met with standard construction details if care is taken in both the design and the building process.
There are some accepted construction practices, however, that I do not think meet the test of durability. For example, the practice in some regions of building foundations without rebar is not prudent. The small investment of placing rebar in the foundation to minimize the possibility of differential settlement is one that should be made whether or not it is required by code. The stability of a foundation affects not only the level of the floors but also the integrity of the structure above and the ability of the building to resist moisture. Another common practice that I discourage is the recent overreliance on caulks and sealants for waterproofing. This practice seems counterproductive in the long run because the most sophisticated and scientifically tested sealants are warranted for only 20 to 25 years. Should we be investing time, money, and materials in buildings that could be seriously damaged if someone forgets to recaulk? It is far better, I believe, to design buildings with adequate overhangs or with flashing and drip edges that direct water away from the structural core by means of the natural forces of gravity and surface tension.
Durability, however, does not depend entirely upon material quality and construction detailing. Durability also depends heavily upon the overall design of the building and whether its usefulness
over time is sufficient to resist the wrecking ball. The more intangible design factors such as the quality of the space and the flexibility of the plan are extremely important but are not a part of this book.
on codes
Every effort has been made to ensure that the details included in this book conform to building codes. Codes vary, however, so local codes and building departments should always be consulted to verify compliance.
how the book works
The book’s five chapters follow the approximate order of construction, starting with the foundation and working up to the roof (however, the last chapter on stairs is intentionally out of sequence). Each chapter begins with an introduction that describes general principles. The chapters are divided into subsections, also roughly ordered according to the sequence of construction. Subsections, usually with another more specific introduction and an isometric reference drawing, lead to individual drawings or notes.
Subsections are called out at the top of each page for easy reference. Each drawing has a reference letter, a title, and often a subtitle. Sometimes a reference and title is assigned to an entire topic. With this system, all the drawings (and topics) may be cross-referenced. The callout “see 42A”, for example, refers to drawing A on page 42.
As many details as possible are drawn in the simple section format found on architectural working drawings. Most are drawn at the scale of 1 in. equals 1 ft. or 1У2 in. equals 1 ft., although the scale is not noted on the drawings. This format should allow the details to be transferred to architectural drawings with minor adjustments. (Details will usually have to be adjusted to allow for different size or thickness of material, for roof pitch, or for positional relationships.) Those details that are not easily depicted in a simple section drawing are usually drawn isometrically in order to convey the third dimension.
Any notes included in a detail are intended to describe its most important features. By describing the relationship of one element to another, the notes sometimes go a little further than merely naming an element. Materials symbols are described on page 226. Abbreviations are spelled out on page 227.
