The Australian House Building Manual

This popular title is a book worth its weight in gold to everyone involved in house building. The entirely Australian manual was researched in co-operation with the Australian timber, brick, concrete and other relevant associations, and is written in Allan Staines’ usual easy-to-follow style.

It provides current trade practices and hints that help bridge the gap between theory and practice, which is why it’s an essential classroom text.

1. Typical Construction MethodsThe four main building systems, timber and steel frame houses, brick veneer, cavity brick and concrete block construction, footing and slab edge details, roof tie-down.
2. Concrete Footings/Slab FloorsSiting the house, cut and fill sites, setting out profile hurdles, footing preparation, column or stump sub-floors, pier and beam footings, concrete slab floors.
3. Timber Floors & Sub FloorsBrick bases, bearers, floor joists and I-joists, stairwell trimmers and cantilevered joists, antcapping, strutting, sheet and tongue and groove flooring, wet area sheet flooring.
4. Wall FramingWall plates, studs and lintels, wall frame assembly, bracing and squaring, erecting, plumbing and straightening frames, tie-down, notching and drilling studs.
5. Roof ConstructionPrefabricated roof trusses, gable and Dutch gable construction, hip roofs, roofs with valleys, cathedral ceilings, near flat roofs, bracing, battens, preparing roofs for tiles, flashings.
6. FinishingWeatherboard and sheet claddings, Hebel PowerPanel, windows and doors, ceiling framing, plasterboard lining, stairs and handrailing, architraves and skirting, wet areas, bath and shower recesses.
7. MiscellaneousTermite control, arches in brickwork, concrete patios, retaining walls, thin section render, adhesives and sealants, safety on the job, bushfire prone areas, energy efficiency, estimating quantities, plan details.