The house of your Dreams does not have to be expensive. The key is all in the planning. How much a house costs, how it looks, how comfortable it is, how energy-efficient it is - all these things occur on paper before you pick up even one tool. A little extra time in the planning process can save you tens of thousands of dollars in construction and maintenance. That is time well spent!Living Homes takes you through the planning process to design an energy and resource efficient home that won"t break the bank. Then, from the footings on up to the roof, author Thomas J. Elpel guides you through the nuts and bolts of construction for slipform stone masonry, tilt-up stone walls, log home construction, building with strawbales, making your own terra tile floors, concrete countertops, windows and doors, solar water heaters, masonry heaters, framing, plumbing, greywater, septic systems, swamp filters, painting and more! Table of Contents Introduction: Building a House on Limited Means: The Elimination of all that is Unnecessary to Achieve a Dream Part I: Dreams, Goals and Ecology Integrated Design and Construction: Homesteading in the Twenty-first Century Choosing a Location: Planning a Thousand Years into the Future Disaster-Proofing Your Home: Preventing the Obvious. Preparing for the Inevitable Building Codes, Permits and Inspections: Exceed the Minimum Standards! Defining Your Goals: A Blueprint is the Sum of the Criteria Part II: Principles of Energy Efficiency Warm Houses for Cold Climates: Insulation, Thermal Mass, Solar Gain, and Air Locks Insulation and Insulation Systems Many Choices, Most of Them Bad Air Quality: Finding Fresh Air in a High-Efficiency House Part III: Building the Walls Footings, Foundations and Floors: Starting from the Bottom Up Cement Mixing & Measuring: Aggregates, Admixtures, Substitutes, and Reinforcement Slipform Stone Masonry: A Stone Masonry Primer Tilt-up Construction: A New Lift to the Ancient Art of Stonework Log Building Basics: For Builders with Little Time or Experience Building with Bales: It"s Fast, Inexpensive, and Energy Efficient Part IV: Closing It In Putting the Roof On: The Search for Better Solutions Terra Tiles: Hand-Made Tile Floors from Sand, Cement, Dirt, and Dye Wood Frame Construction: Building Interior Floors and Walls Windows and Doors: Putting a Plug in the Thermos Part V: Plumbing, Heating, and Wiring Water Supply, Management, and Recycling Squeezing More Use out of Less Water Practical Plumbing: Important Tips I Could Have Used Heating Systems: For Backup Heat & Hot Water Revival of the Masonry Stove: An Old, but Efficient Heating System Electricity: Wiring the Alternative Home Rethinking Appliances: Energy Efficiency is the Path to Independence Part VI: Finishing Details Concrete and Fly Ash Countertops: A Nice Kitchen Doesn"t have to Be Expensive A Primer on Paint: Reusing and Recycling Conclusion - Reinventing Housing: The Road to Sustainability Bibliography Index