Working Alone
Teaches You How to Be A More Efficient One-Man Crew Handling Nearly Every Task Without the Necessity of A Helper

By John Carroll

Shows how you can become a dynamic one-man crew, handling nearly every aspect of house construction without having to hire or wait for anyone else. Explains how you can, on your own, lay out a foundation, build and erect walls, square up and straighten walls, install sheathing, lay out rafters, raise the ridge, get the roof square, install rafters, subfascia and sheathing, finish eaves, install windows and siding, hang drywall, measure and cut trim, install cabinets, and build decks. If you ever thought you couldn’t do it solo, this book will show you unique tricks you can use to get the job done alone.

Working alone with this unique book, you wont have to wait for a helper to pass up a job that seems too difficult to do alone. Written by a builder with 30 years experience, working alone is packed with more than 50 innovative tips and techniques. You’ll learn how to handle nearly every aspect of home construction alone, from foundation layout to raising walls to building decks.

About the Author: John Carroll is a frequent contributor to Homebuilding magazine and the author of Measuring, Making and Layout: A Builders Guide

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• 1 Replacing a Helper's Hands
  The principal challenges of working alone
  Three ways to overcome the challenges
• 2 Masonry Work
  Working with mortar
  Laying out a foundation
  Squaring up small projects
  Setting up scaffolding
• 3 Floors and Walls
  Framing floors
  Building walls
  Erecting walls
• 4 Stick-Built Roofs
  Laying out the roof
  Building the roof
• 5 The Shell
  Framing nonbearing walls
  Finishing the eaves and rakes
  Installing windows and doors
  Shingling the roof
  Installing wood siding
• 6 The Interior
  Hanging drywall
  Working on doors
  Running trim
  Hanging wall cabinets
  Squaring up a large tile layout
• 7 Decks
  Outside structure
  Inside joists
  Final steps
• 8 Limitations of Working Alone
  Jobs for more than one
  Using subcontractors to finish the job
  Facing the workday alone
• Resources
• Index

160 pages, Hard-Cover, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"

ISBN: 978-1-56158-286-0