The Glossary of Construction Terms on BuilderSpace.com will help you learn the mysterious language that construction people use. It explains words such as in situ, independent footings, ingot, insolation, insulation, invert elevation, jamb stud, and joint compound. Whether you are requesting a bid, helping the carpenter, or purchasing materials knowing the right words will make the task less frustrating. Knowing the names of things is important when asking questions at the hardware store and the lumber yard. Not to mention the city planning office and city inspectors.

Creating a low-cost cohousing community will most probably include new construction, rehabilitation of an old building, or modifications of a large house. And once you move in, the buildings will need continuing maintenance and repair. Low-cost housingShelterforce began in 1975 as a “how-to” publication for tenant activists. Over the years our focus expanded and we began to examine a wider range of place-based community-building issues. But we’ve always kept the goal of empowering people to make real change in their communities. We have a quarterly print magazine and a weekly newsletter. Shelterforce is the only independent, non-academic publication covering the worlds of community development, affordable housing, and neighborhood stabilization. Dedicated from the beginning to everyone working to empower and support low-income communities, Shelterforce provides a venue for conversations that need to be had—on topics from community planning... More will be easiest to accomplish and maintain if you develop your own construction skills.

Understanding Costs and Materials

When you start planning or building, you will need to ask for help and convince others you know what you are talking about. Knowing the vocabulary will also help you evaluate which costs are included when asking for or comparing bids. And to at least recognize the words in labels on cans of goop in the hardware store.

Sustainability, as green as it sounds, often requires wading through a sea of chemical names.

What is BuilderSpace?

BuilderSpace is a useful resource for learning the construction world in general — not the hands-on but who does what and what the what is. Its primary mission is to publish paid listings by architects, contractors, engineers, manufacturers, real estate professionals, and software for design, business, and construction management. In addition to the other resources available, reading the listings can be enlightening. Knowledge is often gained in bits and pieces, like stacking stones for walls.