In the past, I
have
reviewed
books on
generic structural
details,
most notably
Dost and Botsai's
Detailing
for Performance
(see
Builder's Library, 5/91), and
Ching's Building Construction Illustrated
(see Builder's Library,
12/91). Now there's an outstanding
new contender for a slot on
your bookshelf among the detailing
reference manuals: Graphic
Guide to Frame Construction, by
Oregon architect and builder Rob
Thallon.
Despite the existence of the
earlier books, the author says he
couldn't find a comprehensive
detail reference book, so he
decided to write one. And within
his self-set limits he did a fine
job. As a reference on wood framing
and enclosure details, Graphic
Guide is hard to beat. It's very
well organized and clearly written,
and the illustrations (mostly
sections and isometric drawings)
are sharp, well annotated, and
drawn at a 1-