Book1903
Roof Framing Made Easy
Owen B. Maginnis
Reduces common roof-framing problems to simple diagrams and steel-square settings, aimed at carpenters who want working answers without studying the geometry behind them.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Building Trades
The skills that construct and maintain buildings.
10 topics · 20 curated works
Topics
Reading in Building Trades
20A way in
Start here
No prior grounding assumed.
Roof Framing Made Easy
Owen B. Maginnis · 1903
Reduces common roof-framing problems to simple diagrams and steel-square settings, aimed at carpenters who want working answers without studying the…
+5 more at this level
Then
Assumes you know the vocabulary.
Practical House, Wagon and Automobile Painter
W. F. White · 1908
Treats house, vehicle and sign painting as variations on the same surface-preparation and pigment knowledge, aimed at a working painter who takes…
+8 more at this level
Go deeper
Primary sources and full treatments.
A Treatise on Masonry Construction
Ira O. Baker · 1889
Grounds masonry design in tested material strengths and worked examples from real bridges and buildings, arguing that rule-of-thumb proportions…
+4 more at this level
12 of 20 works
Book1913
Carpentry for Boys
James Slough Zerbe
Introduces carpentry through small, complete projects rather than isolated joints, on the premise that a beginner learns tool use fastest by finishing something usable.
about 2.5 hours to readlink checked 17 Sept 2026Book1923
Audels Carpenters and Builders Guide #1
Frank D. Graham & Thomas J. Emery
Compiles carpentry, drafting and material knowledge into a single reference on the premise that a working carpenter needs quick answers on the job, not a course of instruction.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Report2008
Insulation Fact Sheet
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Gives R-value recommendations by climate zone and building assembly, treating insulation as a system to be sized by location and construction type rather than a single number to maximise.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Report2011
Energy Renovations: Insulation
United States Department of Energy
Argues that air sealing has to accompany added insulation, because a well-insulated but leaky building loses most of the benefit to uncontrolled airflow.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Report2011
Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Sets out lead-safe work practices for anyone disturbing painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing, treating dust containment rather than paint removal method as the real hazard control.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Book1908
Practical House, Wagon and Automobile Painter
W. F. White
Treats house, vehicle and sign painting as variations on the same surface-preparation and pigment knowledge, aimed at a working painter who takes whatever job comes in.
about 2.5 hours to readlink checked 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
Book1918
Carpentry
Ira Samuel Griffith
Organises house carpentry as a sequence from foundation to finish, arguing that a trade-school apprentice should learn framing in the order a house is actually built.
about 3 hours to readlink checked 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
Book1923
A Practical Course in Roof Framing
Richard M. Van Gaasbeek
Teaches roof framing from the underlying geometry of rafters and pitches, arguing that a carpenter who understands the principle can frame any roof shape without a separate rule for each.
link checked 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
Report1924
Basic Specification for Tilework and Related Documents
Associated Tile Manufacturers
Sets tile-setting materials and methods as an industry-wide specification rather than shop tradition, so an architect and a setter from different firms can agree on what a job requires before work starts.
link checked 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
Report1939
Preparation and Revision of Building Codes
George N. Thompson
Treats a building code as a document that must be actively maintained against new materials and methods, and sets out a process for revising one without the confusion of overlapping amendments.
link checked 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
Report1954
Builder 3 and 2
Bureau of Naval Personnel
A Seabee rate training manual that walks a construction battalion recruit through carpentry, concrete, masonry and roofing as parts of one deployable building skill set.
link failing as of 17 Sept 2026FreeIntermediate
In order written
1889 – 2024- 1889A Treatise on Masonry ConstructionIra O. Baker
- 1896Building Construction and SuperintendenceFrank E. Kidder
- 1897Plastering, Plain and DecorativeWilliam Millar
- 1903Roof Framing Made EasyOwen B. Maginnis
- 1905A Treatise on Concrete, Plain and ReinforcedFrederick W. Taylor & Sanford E. Thompson
- 1908Practical House, Wagon and Automobile PainterW. F. White
- 1908Concrete Construction Methods and CostsHalbert P. Gillette & Charles S. Hill
- 1913Carpentry for BoysJames Slough Zerbe
- 1918CarpentryIra Samuel Griffith
- 1923Audels Carpenters and Builders Guide #1Frank D. Graham & Thomas J. Emery
- 1923A Practical Course in Roof FramingRichard M. Van Gaasbeek
- 1924Basic Specification for Tilework and Related DocumentsAssociated Tile Manufacturers
- 1939Preparation and Revision of Building CodesGeorge N. Thompson
- 1954Builder 3 and 2Bureau of Naval Personnel
- 1996Preservation Brief 40: Preserving Historic Ceramic Tile FloorsAnne E. Grimmer & Kimberly A. Konrad
- 2000Preservation Brief 1: Assessing Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments for Historic Masonry BuildingsRobert C. Mack & Anne E. Grimmer
- 2008Insulation Fact SheetOak Ridge National Laboratory
- 2011Energy Renovations: InsulationUnited States Department of Energy
- 2011Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate RightUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
- 2024Building Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Frequently Asked QuestionsCongressional Research Service