Building and Remodeling — A Detailed Illustrated Guide for Homeowners and DIY Builders
Building and Remodeling — A Detailed Illustrated Guide for Homeowners and DIY Builders
Every part of a house, drawn and explained — from the footings to the finishes — so you can plan, build and fix with confidence.
What's inside
- Structure — site, masonry, foundations, wood and framing
- The shell — sheathing, siding, roofing, windows and doors
- Services — plumbing, wiring, insulation, heating, cooling and ventilation
- Finishes & planning — floors, walls, lighting, sound, fasteners, budgets and bids
How it works: one topic per page, each with an original technical drawing, key sizes in imperial and metric, and plain-English notes. Every chapter runs Understanding → Building It Right → Standards & Design → When It Fails.
Who it's for: homeowners, DIY builders and renovators, home buyers, and anyone planning a remodel or hiring a contractor.
Specifications
- Author: Charles Wallace
- Format: Paperback, 508 pages
- Contents: 21 chapters, 453 illustrated topics, glossary and index
- Interior: Original technical drawings, sizing tables, step-by-step pages with skill level, time and tools
- Edition: First edition, 2026
- Publisher: Ashley Crowne Publishing
RETURNS
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★★★★★
Unless you're an architect or GC, you're gonna learn something
“A fantastic resource for anyone interested in how buildings come together, from curious beginners to experienced DIY renovators and builders. It’s packed with detailed drawings and useful reference tables.”
LFLouis F.
Verified Customer
What's inside
21 chapters. Every part of a house.
- Structure — design, site, masonry, foundations, wood and framing
- The shell — sheathing, siding, roofing, windows and doors
- Services — plumbing, wiring, insulation, heating, cooling and passive solar
- Finishes — floors, walls and ceilings, lighting, sound and fasteners
- Planning — bids, contracts, permits, budgets and estimating
What's inside · Sample pages
One topic per page, drawn to explain
Every page stands on its own: a title, a short lead on why it matters, an original technical drawing, notes keyed to the drawing and a box of practical take-aways.
- Compare foundation types before you choose one
- See how platform and balloon framing carry their loads
- Follow a circuit from the panel to the outlet
21 chapters
Built the way a house is built
The chapters run in the order a house goes together: the site and footings first, then the frame, the roof and walls, the pipes and wires, and the finishes last. Each one opens with a cutaway drawing and a list of every topic inside it.
Chapter 1 · Design
Plan rooms that work before you build them
25 topics on room sizes, kitchens and baths, stairs and reading plans.
The kitchen pages show why the fridge, sink and stove belong a few steps apart, and the small layout mistakes behind most kitchen complaints. Plenty of them can be fixed without tearing the whole room out.
Chapter 4 · Foundations
Is that crack a problem?
27 topics on footings, basements, crawl spaces, slabs, waterproofing and radon.
Nearly every concrete foundation cracks a little. These pages show how to read a crack's shape, width and direction, and what to check first when a basement gets wet. Usually it's the gutters and the slope of the ground, not the wall.
Chapter 6 · Framing
Know what's behind the wall before you open it
31 topics on floors, walls, roofs, trusses, stairs and load-bearing walls.
Most houses built since about 1950 are platform-framed and older ones may be balloon-framed. It matters the moment you cut into a wall. Sistering a cracked or undersized joist is laid out step by step, with the tools, the skill level and roughly how long each one takes.
Chapter 9 · Roofing
Find the leak where it starts
27 topics on roof shapes, underlayment, shingles, metal, flat roofs, flashing and gutters.
A stain on the ceiling is rarely under the hole. Water gets in at a nail or a flashing, runs along the deck and drips somewhere else. The book shows each layer of a roof and how to trace a leak back to where it really starts.
Chapter 11 · Plumbing
Every pipe has a job
25 topics on supply and drain lines, pipe materials, vents, water heaters, wells and septic.
The drain side of a house is one tree of pipes sloping down to a single drain, and the drawing names every part. Next to it, soldering a copper joint is shown one step at a time.
Chapter 12 · Wiring
Understand the circuit, then change the switch
25 topics on panels, wire sizes, GFCI and AFCI, switches, EV charging and solar.
Current only flows around a complete loop, and every switch, outlet and breaker is a way of opening, closing or protecting it. Once that clicks, the switch-wiring page makes sense, including whether there's a neutral for a smart switch. Boxes on the page tell you when to stop and call an electrician.
Chapter 13 · Insulation & Air Sealing
Where the heat actually goes
27 topics on R-values, materials, air sealing, moisture, attics, walls and basements.
The draughts you feel at windows are rarely the big leaks. Those are in the attic floor, the basement and the hidden chases where pipes and flues run. Ice dams get the same treatment: the fix is in the attic, not on the shingles.
Chapters 15–16 · Heating & Cooling
How heat pumps and air conditioners work
42 topics across furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, stoves, air conditioning, mini-splits and ventilation.
Air at 20 °F (−7 °C) still holds plenty of heat, and a heat pump moves it indoors. An air conditioner does the same job in reverse. Both are drawn as a simple loop, with a table of what the refrigerant is doing at each stage.
Chapter 21 · Planning & Budget
Do it yourself, or hire someone?
15 topics on bids, contracts, permits, budgets and estimating.
Doing the work yourself can save half the labour cost or more, if it's safe, legal and done well. The bid pages show how to get three quotes on the same written scope and line them up side by side.
Glossary & Index
Look anything up fast
A 13-page glossary covers the words builders and inspectors use, each pointing to where it's drawn in the book. Then a 10-page index and a list of sources.
Reader reviews
What readers say
★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5 by 1,130+ readers
★★★★★
Unless you’re an architect or GC, you’re gonna learn something
“A fantastic resource for anyone interested in how buildings come together, from curious beginners to experienced DIY renovators and builders. It’s packed with detailed drawings and useful reference tables.”
Verified Customer
★★★★★
One “Aha!” Moment After Another
“I could spend hours reading how-to guides and watching YouTube tutorials, yet still feel unsure about which advice to trust. This book helped me understand how houses are built, how their systems work, and how everything fits together.”
Verified Customer
★★★★★
A must-have reference for contractors, builders, and DIY homeowners
“Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced DIYer, this book is packed with useful information for all kinds of work around the house. My husband has used his first edition so much that it’s worn out, and he’s now bought our son the fourth edition.”
Verified Customer
★★★★★
My Favourite
“I already have a solid understanding of building, but this book covers areas I knew very little about. It’s become one of my favourites, and the clear illustrations make the information easier to understand.”
Verified Customer
★★★★★
Lots of pictures and diagrams
“This book explains things clearly, with plenty of illustrations to help you follow along. It covers a wide range of topics and situations you might encounter during a build, making it a great resource for a beginner like me.”
Verified Customer
★★★★★
Great reference book
“An excellent reference for everyone from apprentices learning the trade to experienced tradespeople.”
Verified Customer
How it's organised
Understand it, build it, check it, fix it
Every chapter runs in the same four layers: Understanding (how it works), Building It Right (step-by-step pages with skill level, time and tools), Standards & Design (sizes, span tables and typical code minimums) and When It Fails (symptom-to-cause tables and repairs).
Before you hire anyone
Talk to a contractor as an equal
Read plans and quotes without guessing, and know where the work needs a licence, a permit or an engineer — red Call a pro when boxes mark the point.
Every book tier includes three free PDF companion guides: The Renovation Planner, The Home Inspection Field Guide and The Energy Upgrade Playbook.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is this the latest edition?
Yes. This is the first edition, published in 2026 by Ashley Crowne Publishing.
Is it paperback?
Yes. A 508-page paperback with 21 chapters, a glossary and an index.
Are the sizes in imperial or metric?
Both. Sizes are given in inches and feet first, with metric in brackets.
Do I need building experience?
No. Each topic is explained in plain English, and step-by-step pages carry a skill rating from beginner to confident DIYer.
Does it replace a professional?
No. It helps you understand and plan the work. Codes vary by location, and the book marks where a licensed professional, a permit or an engineer is needed.
What are the free companion guides?
Three PDF guides from The Remodeler's Library: The Renovation Planner, The Home Inspection Field Guide and The Energy Upgrade Playbook. They're included free with every book tier and delivered instantly by email.