I mentioned in another thread that I would make a list of books that have helped us the most. The local library has an interlibrary loan system that I can request anything in SW Wisconsin and it comes to the local library. If you have this it is great, you can read the book and decide whether it is worth the money.

Most of these are from Tauton Press, they seem to get the best writers. They also publish Fine Homebuilding Magizine, which we get and have refered to almost as much as Countryside. They emphisize the right way to do things, something that is lost in the slap them together subdivisions that are springing up in field everywhere (oops now I am editorializing)

The Very Efficient Carpenter- Larry Haun

Building Your Own House-Robert Roskind (Not Tauton, Ten Speed Press)

Wiring a House-Rex Cauldwell I also have a couple of the small paper back wiring diagram booklets that give lots of examples, I read a number of wiring books and between the booklets and above mentioned book I wired our house. I had an electrician help tell me how many circuits then he came out and inspected when I was done. We dont have inspectors in our area. (I passed inspection with a couple of small changes)

Drywall Professional Techniques for Walls and Ceilings-Myron Ferguson

Graphic Guide to Frame Construction-Rob Thallon Graphic Guide to Interior Details-Rob Thallon These are just drawing of the way some things go together. Just how to attach the flashing on a porch roof or a banister to a stair, etc.

There is also the finehomebuilding.com builders forum, Breaktime. It is great for asking questions.

Anyway here is my list. I hope it is helpful. A few other things that I did/do are any time I see a book that I want to read I have a notebook that I keep lists (also websites) and I mark them when I read them and note if it was good enough to buy.

I also have a file box with folders that I clip anything from magizines or where ever to save for reference. My folders are things like - Kitchen, which has cupboard pics, setup ideas, etc Electrical-I also kept a copy of each room plans and drew in where the wiring was located and what is on each circuit. This way if the light doesnt work I know where the last outlet was and where to start looking for a problem. One day my washer didnt work, I traced it to the GFI outlet on the outside of the house on that wall that had been tripped when my husband unplugged his saw he had hit the button to trip it.

While I am at it, here are a few other extras we put in.... I have a 3 way light switch in our bedroom, one inside the door the other by the head of our bed. That way I can turn off the light from bed(and turn off the ceiling fan.)

I put outlet in soffit for xmas lites and a switch on the first floor so we didnt have to go upstairs to turn them off.

Outlet everywhere!

Phone jacks everywhere. I also used 6 wire telephone cable the phone company guy suggested it incase a wire breaks somewhere you have extras or for 2nd phone line. Also run wire from jack to main service not from jack to jack. If there is a problem it doesnt disable jacks down the line from problem one.

Outside faucet on at least 2 sides of house.

Well, that is probably more info than you want,but there it is. Happy Building, Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), May 17, 2000

Answers

Thanks for the ideas, Tami. We just built this house 5 years ago, so I won't be building again for a while, but I've had some ideas in mind of what I want to do different next time, plus some things that I wanted to do on this house (cistern, grey water...), but got talked out of. I keep mine in an old binder my daughter discarded, with tab dividers, and using manila envelopes for small loose stuff. I also keep one for this house, divided by room. For instance, under the tab "my bedroom" is a 8 X 10 piece of the wallpaper with a notation on how many rolls it took, ditto a chunk of carpet. Also, on a sheet of paper is a drawing of the room with how long each wall is, where the windows are located and how big and how far from the floor, ceiling and wall egdes they are, etc... Makes it a heck of a lot easier to know it that thrift shop or auction bargin will match, or fit where you want to put it!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 17, 2000.

Great tips. We put a switch to our outside lights that are NOT dusk to dawn or motion sensitive--they would drive us crazy-- right by our bed. If there's a funny noise at night we can flick it on quickly. And there's a switch by the door downstairs too. Its been handy.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch@hotmail.com), May 17, 2000.