Building a House on Limited Means

[Daddymem]

http://www.hollowtop.com/cls_html/limited.htm

Stumbled across this article while looking for more on cast in place concrete counter tops (found stuff on that on the same site too).  The site looks very familiar, either Deja-vu or someone on CP posted it before. The concrete countertop link: http://www.hollowtop.com/cls_html/do-it-yourself/Concrete_Countertops.htm
Fu-Tung Cheng and Buddy Rhode go too far imho.  Anyone got the Living Homes book? Any good? Concrete countertop info worth it by itself?

[Amanda_931]

Yep, links to Elpel have been posted before.

I think I have Living Homes somewhere,  Not something I keep where I can usually find it, but I don't think it's in the giveaway pile either.  My recollection is that if I were going to build a good-sized (horizontal) log cabin I'd do it his way.

For a countertop in Nashville, I stuck a piece of Corian on a toolbox--it was a scrap piece from the kitchen store, and it fit beautifully.  May do the same here.

[jonseyhay]

I have that and the concrete counter top one, the "Living Homes" book is OK but there better building books around. The counter top book though is worth getting hold of, cheaper from Amazon. Go through John's link  

[Dustin]

I have the 4th Ed. of the Living Homes book and it doesn't have the concrete counters info , so I don't know if it's any good or not. I have loooked at the Cheng book, and it looks like it's worth reading. I think they might be a DVD too. You can always get such stuff used.
I did see an interesting DIYnet show on diy concrete countertops with quickcrete and it didn't look too difficult, just real time consuming, since you need to polish, polish, polish. There's a concrete countertop fabricator in town that is offering a class for about $750.
Don't know if it would be worth it.
My problem is I don't think I would have the time to do something like that. I figure I'm going to do my island counter in butcherblock and sink/prep areas in some kind of stone.

[jwv]

WE had a poured in place concrete counter in the previous house.   Loved it! Not perfectly finished but rustic,  
Are planning all concrete counters for the house we are building now.


concrete counter visible to right of stove

Judy

[Jochen]

Thanks for the links. I just ordered Living Homes and the Countertop book. Food for thoughts.    We are currently working again on my cottage, this time interior work. So I hope I can post some pics soon. Currently working on the freestanding fireplace and the log spiral stair.

Jochen