Roofing Books

Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide

Edmund C. Snodgrass, Lucie L. Snodgrass

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Timber Press, Incorporated Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $18.68

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Gardening & Horticulture -> Garden Design
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Gardening & Horticulture -> Ornamental Plants
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Gardening & Horticulture -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Definitive Guide by the Definitve Experts 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I first must confess that have a green roof on my 2 car rear garage here in Washington, DC and worked directly with the author on choosing the proper plants to thrive in our little micro-climate. So I already know the Snodgrass' are the pre-eminent experts in the United States on the types of plants suitable for a given situation.

That being said, this book provides an invaluable resource for those interested in, or who may become interested in, having a green roof for their home. When we installed our roof 4 years ago, had we not met the authors we would have had great difficulty in even knowing where to begin. Now all of us have that starting point: by reading Green Roof Plants.

And don't think you must be an environmentalist to consider installing a green roof - many do so simply for the aesthetics. In fact, as city dwellers with limited space, we chose a green roof to have something beautiful to view from our kitchen. I suspect there are many of you who really never have thought of having a green roof and would be consigned to a lifetime of looking down or up at a plain shingled, painted or tarred roof. Don't be that homeowner! Installation of a green roof adds perhaps 10-20% to the cost of a painted roof, extend the roof's life and provides significant environmental benefits. Go for it, and buy this book first!

Editorial Review:

Green roofs have gone from horticultural curiosity to booming growth industry in urban and suburban settings alike—primarily because their environmental benefits are now beyond dispute. Concise, accurate, and easy to use, this is the first reference devoted to the drought-tolerant plants most likely to succeed in this environment. The text covers moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height of 350 species and cultivars. Green Roof Plants is destined to become an indispensable practical reference guide for architects, landscape designers, engineers, and environmentally conscious home gardeners.

Roof Framing

Marshall Gross

Amazon Price: $17.49 List Price: $26.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Craftsman Book Company Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $7.44

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Tough to get through 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I'm 125+ pages into the this book ... I agree Mr. Gross certainly knows his stuff, however this is one of the most difficult books I've ever read on ANY subject. On the plus side there are nice illustrations. Generally speaking the material roughly builds progressively.

On the negative side? I've spent hours on a single page. The problem? The book was not properly edited. Period. There are many places where terms are used but not defined. Other places terms are defined but not ILLUSTRATED. Many of the illustrations don't point out important concepts. Some references in chapter 3 says skim over chapter 4, hardly the thing I like doing (reading out of sequence). There is hardly ANY repetition in the book and to me, repetition is a reader's best friend. Readers need to be re-assured and reminded. It's not a bad thing.

I'm extremely type A, so when things aren't defined when used or are out of sequence, it causes me a problem. Yes, eventualy when you read, and re-read, and re-read and press onward, eventually yes, you get to 'see' what the author intended. I just think it shouldn't have been that tortuous.

I too found that the text on backing angle is apparently not correct. I think this book could be great if only it was formatted better and edited. I'm hoping to eventually plow through the entire book but honestly it's a ton of work. I've read through other construction books in a fraction of the time.

Part Deux...

I'm finally through the book, all 400+ pages. My initial assessment of this book still stands. The author is clearly a master roof cutter. He knows roof cutting inside and out. Some information presented is almost an epiphany. However the book suffers greatly because it did receive a comprehensive edit (and that's not the author's fault). I had great difficulty reading this book and not because the material was that complex, but because the book wasn't edited FOR THE READER. I can look beyond (no pun intended) the 4 POINT fonts used in some illustrations, the out of sequence (with text) drawings, the numerous, numerous times that the keystroke sequences were shown for calculating the tangent and secant of angles. The thing that slowed me down was the assertions made in the text that didn't have a well developed drawings, clear `proof', or much (if any) in the way of explanation. If you don't really care about knowing WHY something is the way it is, then you'll probably get through the book fairly quickly. If you really want to know why something is the way it is, then you'll probably spend lots and lots of time figuring things out. And what makes that so frustrating is that a brief explanation could have saved me (the reader) a ton of time. Reading this book was a ton of work and for a good part, needlessly so.

Framing Roofs (Best of Fine Homebuilding)

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $3.62

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Woodworking -> General AAS
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Design & Construction
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Do-It-Yourself

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

no basics 1 out of 5 stars.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful.

Many of the chapters in this book are written by individual carpenters who "do things their own way". For instance, in the first chapter, the writer says to disregard previous techniques and use his method. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters, the writer talks about using power tools that are either outrageously expensive or not even avilable any more. Further, there is no discussion or summary of basic roof geometry and calculations. The tag phrase "for pros by pros" is quite misleading. It is merely 15 chapters of guys telling how THEY frame a roof. Anyone, even pro carpenters using this as a refresher, should start off with a tutorial on basic roof geometry, design, and construction methods. If you are looking for info on how to properly design and construct roof framing, don't waste your money on this one!

Editorial Review:

The For Pros By Pros titles are compilations of articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine, selected by the editors of the magazine and organized by subject. New articles from recent issues of the magazine have been added to this edition of Framing Roofs. Updated and redesigned throughout, this book gives builders the very best and current information.

The Slate Roof Bible: Understanding, Installing and Restoring the World's Finest Roof (The Slate Roof Bible, 2nd Edition)

Joseph Jenkins

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jenkins Publishing (PA) Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $22.29

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

$30 Is A Cheap Price For This Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Whether you are and experienced slate roofer or a homeowner who might be considering investing in a slate roof, you'll enjoy this book.

I'll let the other reviewers talk about pictures and text and history and other aspects of the book. But the overwhelming sensation I got from this book is the passion Joseph Jenkins has for slate roofs. This is a man who absolutly loves what he is doing. When reading this book I really received the impression that slate roofs are a part of Joe Jenkins soul and he really, really wants to tell you all he knows about them. It's rare in life to find someone so impassioned about their occupation. I became absorbed not just for my own self interest but because Joe Jenkins knows what he is talking about. I was interested in finding out about slate roofs before I purchased; after reading this book-- I REALLY wanted one.

$30 is cheap tuition to have Joeseph Jenkins experience.

Editorial Review:

Completely revised, greatly expanded and updated version of the award-winning Slate Roof Bible, with 7 new chapters, over 350 color photographs of slate and slate roofs from around the world, and a total of over 600 photos, illustrations, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, etc. Jenkins' down-home style converts potentially tedious subjects like slate geology, roof safety, tools, installation, and repairs into readable delights. The book covers slate roofing history, culture and geology, along with complete descriptions and sources of tools, equipment and types and colors of slate, and comprehensive, step-by-step instructions on every aspect of slate roof installation, repair, restoration and recycling. It also includes sections on rebuilding chimneys, on soldered seam copper roofs, and on repair and restoration of ceramic tile and asbestos tile roofs. It is the culmination of 10 years of research and travel by the author.

Roofing Construction & Estimating

Daniel Atcheson

Amazon Price: $25.08 List Price: $38.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Craftsman Book Company Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $19.94

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The roofing book for those who have never been on a roof 2 out of 5 stars.
30 of 33 people found this review helpful.

This is an informative book that would be acceptable material for the person who has never been on a roof. He covers most roofing products in a adaquate manner explaining many of the basic princibles. However, as a roofer, it would have been nice to see what he considers acceptable manhours per square on each product, using his experiance, instead of using information drawn from other books.

Roofing Construction & Estimating 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book is what I've been looking for, college type material for the person who likes to self teach. Thank-you

A highly recommended specialized reference 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

In "Roofing Construction & Estimating", Dan Atcheson draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a draftsman, as an apprentice in plumbing, electrical and carpenter, as a professional in all areas of construction from earthwork, to framing, to roofing. The result is an impressively 'user friendly' instructional compendium on roof sheathing, underlayment, asphalt shinglers, wood shingles and shakes, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, tile and slate roofing, metal roofing and siding, as well as built-up and elastomeric roofing. Profusely illustrated, enhanced with tables, charts, calculations, examples, step-by-step instruction and repair procedures, "Roofing Construction & Estimating" is ideal for novice or do-it-yourself roofer, and would make an invaluable reference for even the more experienced roofing contractor with respect to making a roofing estimate, installing or repairing roofing in residential or commercial buildings. A highly recommended specialized reference, "Roofing Construction & Estimating" should be a part of every professional, trade school, and community library Building Contractor or Architecture reference collection.

Manual of Low-Slope Roof Systems

C.W. Griffin, Richard Fricklas

Amazon Price: $71.96 List Price: $89.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Professional Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $68.36

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Help for building owners, consultants and architects... 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

In the opening chapters the authors identify many roofing industry problems... insufficient owner budgets, over-reliance on warranties, insufficient work inspection, poor design and construction, and lack of maintenance.

Building owners, roofing designers, architects - the types of readers most likely to have an interest in this book - will know the problems first hand. And will appreciate the wealth of information presented. This text:

Identifies and discusses in depth the myriad causes of roof failure; Presents roof design principles in light of current research; Reviews factors that influence roof design; Review the various (generic) roof systems in depth; And offers guidance for specifying and inspecting roofing work.

The writing style is clear and consise, supported with graphs, current survey information, and other technical data.

Readers will be armed with enough information to sort through the information and misinformation published by roof system manufacturers, select the best roof systems for their roof conditions and budgets, develop sound designs, and plow through most procurement and construction obstacles.

Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

For decades, this manual has been the most widely respected guide to designing, constructing, and maintaining low-slope roofing systems.

Illustrated Dome Building: Step-by-step Complete Plans

Gene Hopster

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Hexadome America Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $19.77

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Design & Construction
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Construction -> Roofing

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Classic! Should be titled "How to Build a Practical Dome" 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is the classic book on how to build a hexadome. Geodesic domes are great, the math behind the design is impressive, but they are complicated to build and the complication leads to leaks. Gene Hopster presents a simplified dome design he calls a hexadome. A Hexadome is not quite so efficient as a geodesic but its geometry makes it easier for real people to build! So you get the advantages (and beauty) of a dome and an approach that a carpenter without a PhD in math can actually understand and implement.

The book is short but it explains the basics. It has some great house plans to give you ideas. Unfortunately we lost Gene Hopster a few years ago so he will not be updating this.

Roof Construction Manual, English Edition

Eberhard Schunck, Hans Jochen Oster, Rainer Barthel, Kurt Kießl, Hans Jochen Oster, Kurt Kiebl

Amazon Price: $97.05 List Price: $145.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Birkhäuser Basel Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $90.79

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The "Roof Construction Manual" with over 1800 plans and 220 photographs is a vital reference work on the construction of pitched roofs. It offers extensive and fundamental information on all common types of roofing, and provides practical details for their construction. The volume is divided according to the type of roof elements and the jointing techniques. thirteen kinds of roofs and the relevant materials including thatch, wood, slate, tile, concrete, fibrous cement, bitumen, glass, metal, membranes, and synthetic materials are documented. Also described in detail are essential topics such as ventilation, the vapour and wind seals, insulation and water drainage, and the topics of renovation and energy conservation are examined. As with all the Construction Manuals, built examples illustrate the theoretical details. Some 38 examples which include 11 classic buildings and 27 buildings from the last 5 years show the construction of roofs paying particular attention to important features such as the ridge, hip, eaves, roof valley, verge, and penetration. A compact presentation of the load-bearing structures and the physics necessary for roof construction in addition to the current norms and standards make this volume as indispensable standard work for all architects and engineers.

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

Craig G. Huntington

Amazon Price: $98.00 List Price: $98.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: American Society of Civil Engineers Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $98.00

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Construction -> Roofing
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Structural
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Surveying & Photogrammetry

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Tensioned Fabric Roof describes the state-of-the-art design of fabric tension structures. The fundamentals of a fabric structure's design and construction as required by engineers, contractors, and architects are presented. The book discusses the unusual character of the fabric structure industry and its implications for how structures are marketed, designed, and constructed. Included are chapters on the fundamentals of membrane behavior, the possibilities and limitations in roof form, fabric materials, analytical techniques, structural details, fabrication and erection, and non-structural design parameters that include daylighting, energy use, acoustics, and fire safety. Written by an experienced practitioner of fabric structure design, this book methodically addresses all aspects of the design and construction process. Structural engineers will gain an understanding of shaping, analysis, and design of members and connections; architects will learn the possibilities and limitations in fabric roof form, as well as the means of achieving successful energy, lighting, acoustical, and fire safety performance; and contractors will receive invaluable information related to their fabrication and erection. Book includes special 24-page color insert.

Quick Guide: Roofing: Step-by-Step Installation Techniques (Quick Guide)

Editors of Creative Homeowner

List Price: $7.95 By: Creative Homeowner Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Roofing (Quick Guide) was a Big Help 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

The book was easy to understand and had very helpful illustrations. It did not cover some recent roofing materials, such as 'dimensional' shingles and 'ice guard' eave protection, but using this guide alone, you have all the information you need to roof your first house (it worked for me). P.S. Don't roof it by yourself; you will save a lot of time with a good helper.

DVD & VIDEO, BOOKS, HOME IMPOVEMENT 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 26 people found this review helpful.

sutructure, construction, illustrations, pictures, figures, examples

Editorial Review:

Explains the processes of installation and repair for every type of roofing. You will learn the proper tools, ladders, and materials to make complete repairs to roofs, flashing, fascia, and eaves. You can decide between slate, tile, and metal roofing, and this guide will teach you how to do everything from removing the old roof to repairing the gutter systems. Each book in the Quick Guide Series has more than 190 two-color illustrations with easy-to-follow instructions.