This is the old website for The Dirt Cheap Builder. To order books fast and easy online please click on this Webstore link. It will take you to the same books shown here, and more!

Taylor Publishing

Ken

Ken Kern


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Books by Ken Kern

Phasing out Kern books


Due to lack of availabilty of books, both used and reproduced, only a few books remain. Please visit the Ken Kern page at http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com to see remaining inventory

In The Owner Built Home he covers many building methods from stone and wood to slipform rammed earth and ferrocement /concrete. He introduces new concepts, such as describing composite materials (one is the fore-runner of Papercrete! a paper-asphalt-clay combination), and the old cinva ram earth brick method. Personally, I think his manually tamped walls, combining insulative, natural materials are way ahead of the game, and easy for owner builders to attempt.
Curved slipform wall units, for single or double wall construction. (shown in OB Home)


  • The Owner Builder & The CODE.
    The Politics of Building Your Home­ Backcover quote "Ken Kern is an anarcho-decentralist; a confirmed believer in the non-professional, self-actualizing approach to problem solving." ­192 pages, photos and drawings. (original book)--#KKOB-10...$31.00

    This book interviews folks who took on local regulators and won, and it will both inspire you and validate your right to build without undue, unreasonable obstacles.


  • The Healthy House- 130 pages, photos and drawings, covers light, sound, air ventilation, magnetic fields, materials, gardens, siting and much more.-#KKOB-X ... $15.00, xerographic, clip bound

  • Ken Kern's Homestead Workshop-166 pages, glossary, index, photos and drawings. Describes and shows all the hand tools, details welding for gas, arc and solder, covers metalworking. Shows how to build a workshop (with a stabilized lime-clay-asphalt -straw walls and roof, also double wall slipforms are covered) #KKOB-8...$27.00
  • The Owner Built Home -40 Chapters: Building site, climatology, Ventilation,Summer Cooling,Light & Shade, Space heat, Central heat, Fireplace heat, Landscape design, The Plan, Free form house, Court garden house, Group living space, Individual living space, Cooking and dining, Inside your Home, Adobe block, Pressed block (cinva ram) Rammed Earth, Stone Masonry, Masonry Block and brick, Concrete, Precast concrete panels, Wood, Wood frame, Pole frame, Composite materials (early papercrete ideas), Plastics (shell & foam houses), Salvage materials(includes "zome "car tops design), Tools, Foundations, Floors, Walls, Wood floors, Masonry roofs, Stairs, Plumbing, Wiring and lighting, Light and color, DIY painting, Conclusion, 374 pages, index, B&W photos and diagrams. original book $33.00 spiral
    Spiral house design from OB Home



  • Ken Kern Fireplaces-Original book
    Ken Kern and Steve Magers put together a wealth of information on building many types of fireplces. Base designs, air-circulating, compound fireplaces, & water circulating; using fire brick/ceramics, tools and mortar, pipe grates, wood boxes, doors, and much more. 192 pages, B&W photos and illustrations. Excellent condition, softcover, published 1978. (Original book) #KKOB-FP...$35.00

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    © Copyright 2000 Taylor Publishing. This page updated 1-04

    This is the OLD website for The Dirt Cheap Builder. To order books fast and easy online please click on this Webstore link. It will take you to the same books shown here, and more!