ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Hi-early cement. Aiguille. Darby. Youre in the middle of a home improvement project and suddenly youre confronted with words youve never seen before. You dont know what these things are, how to use them or how youre supposed to even recognize them at the hardware store. Help is here for every homeowner or do-it-yourselfer whos ever stumbled over strange terminology, misleading instructions or inadequate explanations. Now, with this unique, fully illustrated dictionary, youll have the one tool every successful do-it-yourselfer needsa complete understanding of your next home improvement project. This comprehensive dictionary features: Straightforward, plain-English explanations covering 4,000 building tools, terms, materials, and techniques850 of which are shown in practical, helpful, cross-referenced illustrationsComplete coverage of building, plumbing, electrical wiring, solar heating, hardware, architecture, heating, air conditioning, and moreincluding everything from archaic and slang expressions to the latest technical informationDozens of useful charts, tables, and illustrated guides to common abbreviations, lumber, and ply wood grades, hardware specifications, construction measurements and formulasa wealth of reference informationFull cross-referencing and grouping of related terms under a single heading to keep all the information you need accessible and ready to put to work Tackle your next project with this do-it-yourselfers reference power tool and feel the self-assurance that comes from knowing every professional term, technique, and toolno matter how obscure.