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This build-it-yourself outdoor furnace keeps the dirt, soot, smoke and firewood outside. Includes a materials list and 29 pages of building instructions and diagrams.

DISCLAIMER
It is your responsibility to make sure that any project you undertake is safe, effective and legal for your situation. All Ogden Publications plans are offered AS IS for information and entertainment purposes only. No warranties are expressed or implied. By using this information or this plan you agree to hold Ogden Publications harmless from any damages or injuries of any kind that might result from errors, omissions or other causes.

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For more than five years Stone House – A Guide to Self-Building with Slipforms has been the prime source for information on a unique method of stone masonry that affords everyone, regardless of their level of building experience, the opportunity to create walls and even homes of stone.

Stone House focuses on the story of author Tomm Stanley’s own experience of building his house with the slipform method. This book is certainly not your average “how-to” offering; it is more like a tapestry of information and entertainment interwoven with technical advice, diagrams and pictures, tales of the owner builder experience and as the title implies, plenty of guidance on how to build your own stone house using the slipform method of construction. It makes great reading for those that are on their way to becoming self-builders as well as the rest of us that dream of such adventures.

The book has now been revised with two new chapters, digital enhancement to the original images and new photographs.

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We've assembled the 101 most-read DIY projects based on website traffic, and now we're making them available to you in an easy-to-use CD-ROM format, just like our popular Mother Earth News Archive on CD-ROM.

Selected from nearly 40 years of material, this collection provides enough fun, rewarding projects to keep you busy every single weekend for a full year!

Learn to build a:

• tomato cage
• solar food dehydrator
• solar heat grabber
• cider press
• hot tub
• pipe xylophone
• home office desk
• super-efficient fireplace
• And more!!!

• With an IBM-compatible computer: Microsoft® Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) or newer; with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 or newer. You also will need Java Virtual Machine (VM) version 1.3 (free download from www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp) or newer browser plug-in with Java enabled on your browser and computer.
• With an Apple Computer: Mac OS X with Safari 3.2.525.27.1 or newer and Java. Use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.
• For Mac OS 9.2.2, this CD must be run in Netscape 7.0.2 with Apple MRJ 2.2.5. (Both available free from www.versiontracker.com.)
• A CD-ROM drive (auto-start should be enabled).

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Mother Earth News: Guide To Home Energy Savings

You’ll save money on home energy bills for years to come with this convenient collection of recent articles from Mother Earth News! The Guide to Home Energy Savings filled with information on solar heating options, plus natural ways to cool your house. If you want to heat your home for free, you can find instructions for building a DIY solar heating system. And if you’re planning to remodel or build a new home, the Guide includes articles to help you make your home super-energy efficient by tapping the free energy of the sun.

Considering new, energy-efficient appliances or windows? Maybe even heating with a woodstove? Learn what you need to know to spend your money wisely. Including a 3-page directory of more resources related to solar energy and energy efficiency.

This is the downloadable e-book version of the Mother Earth News: Guide to Home Energy Savings Bookazine. To order a print copy by mail, click here.

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The Earth-Sheltered House is a classic in the annals of sustainable building books, written by a legend in the field of sustainable architecture. Malcolm Wells had a fundamentally different way of looking at the design and building process, and his iconoclastic perspective has never been more apparent.

Wells’ work is revolutionary, but readers will find his message to be pure common sense. Earth sheltering offers superior comfort with minimal energy input, and it is adaptable to diverse terrains as well as a variety of architectural aesthetics.

This architect's sketchbook will show you how you can build underground homes of different styles. Complete with floor plans, elevation drawings and detailed diagrams, this book is a necessary resource for anyone who is considering building green.

An architect by trade, Wells lived in The Underground Art Gallery, in Brewster, Massachusetts, and wrote several books about this subject, which he began promoting in 1964. He was a pioneer of underground building and natural design. His best-selling books include Gentle Architecture and How to Build an Underground House. The Earth-Sheltered House is scanned from his own handwritten and illustrated pages.

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CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $29.95. AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Learn to make smart energy improvement decisions when you perform an energy audit with this Basic Energy Audit Kit.

Geared toward the home, condo, town home or apartment dweller, this energy-use diagnostic tool will guide you through a detailed inspection of your structure and its potential energy problems. All the forms, instructional materials and tools you need are included along with a clipboard to give you a writing surface as you complete the forms and a carpenter's apron to keep the tools handy. Educational presentations are available on the accompanying CD to shorten your learning curve. Sample images help you determine your specific building's construction and components.

As a bonus, the Basic Energy Audit Kit includes REScheck as well as easy-to-follow instructions on how to determine if your structure is compliant with energy codes and how much better or worse it is than code.

Once you have completed your audit, you will have a good amount of knowledge of where energy problems occur, not only in your home specifically, but in residences generally. And, with the included program, you will be able to compare scenarios for cost-effective changes you can make to reduce your energy consumption.

The Basic Energy Audit Kit is worth more than its price tag because you learn how you can save that amount many times over. Use it and learn to:

• see your house from an energy rater's point of view.
• proceed through an energy audit safely and efficiently.
• find the common places where your energy dollars could be escaping.
• diagnose your energy use (or misuse).
• detect where your energy dollars are being least effective.
• pinpoint overlooked energy problems.
• transfer your findings into scenarios for problem-solving.
• manipulate those scenarios to discover cost-effective solutions.
• make home improvement decisions based on cost-to-results ratio.
• decide where best to spend your money to save your money.

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CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $49.95. AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

The Green Building Decision Kit — containing prioritizing software and more than 300 pages of information — educates and aids you with the decision-making process of "green" construction: residential or small commercial, new or remodeling. Plus it helps you conduct your own Design Charrette.

The Green Building Decision Kit is the only product you need to get started building green. It takes you step-by-step through each part of the construction process and is organized in the general order of the process. It educates and informs you about green considerations, materials, alternatives and even programs to help you make critical decisions and ensure your priorities are incorporated throughout your project.

The Green Building Decision Kit is designed for ease of use. The presentation of information is broken down into common-sense sections and easy to understand language. Rather than make you search through a massive book or database to find information, the kit incorporates a unique, patent-pending matching tab system that allows for easy retrieval of pertinent details. The Display and Companion Pages are provided digitally in a fully searchable Acrobat Reader format so the user has the option to minimize (or eliminate) what is printed on paper.

The Green Building Decision Kit facilitates the use of a design charrette. The modern definition of a charrette refers to any collaborative session in which the group drafts a solution to a designated problem. It provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique opportunity for upfront planning, feedback and decision-making while integrating the aptitude and interests of a diverse group of people.

The Green Building Decision Kit includes information about traditional construction in addition to various green alternatives. In this way, you have what you need to make comparisons and, therefore, informed decisions.

Additionally, the Green Decision Matrix software included with the kit provides a comparison of options in each area of discussion based upon the user's input. The Matrix software begins with input regarding your priorities (such as costs, living style, embodied energy, environmental impacts) and uses these priorities during the "weighting" process to provide a most favorable-to-least favorable list for each component.

The Green Building Decision Kit Workbook is a helpful tool for keeping track of your priorities. Instruction pages, Display pages, Matrix software and extras are provided on the accompanying CD.

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Architect David Wright helped pioneer the concept of passive solar architecture, and his thoughts and experiments have helped shape the evolution of solar design throughout the world. His years of exploration are distilled in this comprehensive book, which provides simple graphics and language to illuminate concepts including greenhouse effect, heat storage, surface-to-volume ratio, ventilation and cooling.

Tips, rules-of-thumb, regional characteristics and many other considerations are presented to help readers, from initial site selection to visionary design. Written for architects, designers and others who seek to tap the free resources offered by earth and sun, this invaluable tool will help reduce dependence on outside energy sources. You will be inspired.

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Compact Cabins presents 62 design interpretations of the getaway dream. Whether it be a small cabin on a sparkling lakefront, a breath-taking mountaintop, an expansive beach, or some other peaceful location, there is something here to please every taste. Best of all, these small-footprint designs are affordable and energy-efficient without skimping on comfort and style. The cabins range in size form a cozy 150 square feet to a more spacious but still economical 1,000 square feet, and all include sleeping accommodations, kitchen and bath facilities, and a heat source. Complete chapters on low-maintenance building materials, utilities and appliances, and alternative energy sources supply you with the options for living efficiently in small space.

For every design, you will find floor plans with detailed suggestions for designing the space for optimal use. These plans are flexible: many feature modular elements that can be mixed and matched to accommodate your particular needs or hobbies. Features such as an outdoor fireplace, covered porch, or external storage locker might work nicely in several cabin designs. It's all about enhancing and maximizing small spaces to your individual needs and preferences.

• Need plenty of sleeping space for visiting friends and family? Jean's Run Cabin sleeps six in 501 square feet.
• Do you own a shallow plot on a beautiful lake? Glass House Cabin offers terrific views, a large deck, and a wide-frontage floor plan.
• Is your priority a romantic getaway? A Cabin for Two features a fireplace, a spa tub, and a cozy sleeping nook.
• Love hosting parties? Clerestory Cabin with Dining Room has a dedicated dining space right next to the porch, which is perfect for cocktails or coffee.