Working Alone: Tips & Techniques for Solo Building

this book was extremely helpful to me in building a detached room for my son. The book was recommended from a website about building small houses, so I reserved it through our library. Having read the book, I found the tips and explanations for framing rafters provided clarification for the sketchy instructions from the 5 other books we have about building outbuildings. Perhaps using clamps and homemade jigs to support work is a given for a professional, but it was an eye-opener for me! I did extensive renovation on my historical house, but had help from friends to do it. Building this room from the ground up mostly alone is a different matter. I wish we had this book when we were trying to square the foundation. I am now ordering the book for myself, as the library wants their own book back!!

It has been some 30 years since I first helped build a 4 car garage and there have been many "working alone" projects, ranging from additions, to decks, to complete home remodels since. I'm completely remodeling a house now... Over those years I figured out many of the tips in the book myself. However, it would have been far more efficient to have had the book 30 years ago. The book somewhat makes up for not having a mentor... i.e., someone to "cause [you] to be taught Informed and Instructed in the Trade, Art and Mystery of a [builder]." (Paraphrased from an 18th century apprenticeship agreement). I'm about to order another copy for my brother...

I've been in the remodeling business since 1975, and have worked most of this time by myself. I'm just finishing a 10 x 20 room addition for a customer. I purchased this book at the beginning of this project and have found Mr. Carroll's book refreshing and informative. There were many ideas and suggestions that were benificial. I found the rafter layout-jig very useful. His suggestions about the "math" of the rafter was very useful, and increased my capacity to complete the job in a timely maner which helped my bottom line. I appreciated his easy reading style and found his book enjoyable.I wish his information on the cornice system had been a little more detailed, but found his explanations sufficent.I found his information about clamps and holding jigs to be of special interest and enjoyed all of his book. I even bought his other book, "Measuring, Marking, and Layout", which I also found enlighting, enjoyable, fun, and benificial, to my professional standing as a remodeler. Thanks for two great books, that help take the mystery out of some of the more complex parts of our profession.RespectfullyReeder Lyons IMH Remodeling & Repair

I have been working on old houses almost all of my life(60 years). Had a new house once but found it was pretty boring stuff. One thing I have learned from Mr Carroll's book is: most projects can be done alone if you are willing to plan them through... I look forward to putting some of the techniques described in this book into practice soon. Thanks

As a guy who spends every weekend and nearly every vacation working on my home, this great little book is a godsend. With three kids at home under the age 10, my only possible helper--my wife--spends all her time taking care of them. That leaves just me to get the work done and,frankly, it's not easy doing all this by myself. Then along comes John Carroll to show the way. Carroll has figured out ways to do things without a helper that would've taken me a century of weekends to figure out. Thanks.