The Trades · Course 5 · 13 lessons
Construction: How a House Is Built
A free, self-paced course on how a house goes together, from the soil and foundation up through the frame, roof and walls to the finishes: what each part does, the physics that holds it up and keeps it dry, how to spot trouble, what you can safely do yourself, and when to call a licensed pro or an engineer.
What this course is
Written for teens and adults with no building experience. It picks up where the home guides in Being an Adult 101 leave off. Each lesson explains the “why” as well as the “what”: how loads flow to the ground, why a deeper joist is so much stiffer, why concrete hardens without drying, how heat and water vapor move through a wall. Facts and numbers come from U.S. government agencies (OSHA, EPA, the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR, the Forest Products Laboratory, the Bureau of Labor Statistics), university extension and engineering programs, and OpenStax textbooks, and every lesson lists its sources.
How to use it
- Start with Lesson 1 for the big picture, then go in order or jump to the part of the house you’re curious about.
- Each lesson has labeled diagrams, a “parts and what they do” table, a short quiz and links to go deeper. Badges show the level.
- Play with the interactive pieces: the load path, the sagging joist, the wall you frame yourself, the wall that handles rain and vapor, and more.
- Use the troubleshooting finder when something seems wrong, and climb the skill ladder one rung at a time.
The local code is the final word. This course explains how houses are built in general. The building code your city or county has adopted, and the building department that enforces it, decide what’s required where you live, including which work needs a permit and inspections. Structural changes need a permit and often an engineer, and some work legally needs a licensed contractor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for every product.
Map of the house
One house, cut open from front to back. Point at a part or its name to see what it does; click to open its lesson. Switch between Structure and Finished to peel the layers away.
The skeleton: foundation, framing, roof trusses, and the pipes, wires and ducts inside the open walls. Point at a part.
The lessons
- 🗺️ The Big PictureHow a house goes up, in order; who does each part; and why codes, permits and inspections exist.
- ⚖️ Loads and StructureDead, live, snow and wind loads; the load path from roof to soil; why triangles are stiff and deep beams sag less.
- 🧱 Site and FoundationsSoil and drainage, footings below the frost line, slabs, crawlspaces and basements, concrete and rebar, and keeping water out.
- 🪵 FramingPlatform framing; studs, plates, headers, king and jack studs, cripples; joists and sheathing; engineered lumber; real lumber sizes.
- 🏠 RoofsRafters and trusses, pitch, the layers from deck to shingles, flashing, attic ventilation, ice dams and gutters.
- 🧥 The Building EnvelopeControlling water, air, vapor and heat: drainage planes and flashing, air sealing, vapor retarders, insulation and R-values, windows.
- 🎨 Interior Finishes and StairsDrywall and why it slows fire, taping and mud, trim and doors, flooring, paint, and how stairs are laid out.
- 📐 Reading Plans and MeasuringPlans, elevations and sections, scale and symbols, squaring a corner with 3-4-5, level and plumb, and estimating materials.
- 🦺 Jobsite SafetyOSHA’s Focus Four, fall protection and the 6-foot rule, ladders, trenches, power tools and nail guns, protective gear, silica, lead and asbestos.
- 💧 Moisture, Mold and Building ScienceWhere the water comes from, how it moves, why cold surfaces sweat, how mold grows, and the details that keep a house dry.
- 🔎 Troubleshooting a House by SymptomAn interactive finder: pick a symptom, answer a question, and see the likely causes, safe checks, and when to call a pro or engineer.
- 🧰 Doing Your Own WorkA starter tool kit, working safely, permits, and the skill ladder from first jobs to the work that belongs to licensed contractors and engineers.
- 👷 Careers in ConstructionWhat carpenters do, what they earn, the job outlook, apprenticeships, OSHA 10- and 30-hour training, and related careers.
Troubleshooting finder
Something seems wrong? Pick a symptom, answer a question, and see the likely causes, what you can safely check, and when to call a pro or an engineer. Lesson 11 explains how to think it through.
The skill ladder
Build skill one rung at a time, with good tools, safety gear and an experienced helper the first time you try anything new. Lesson 12 covers tools, permits and working safely.
First jobs
Basic tools, no permits, and nothing structural.
- Find a stud and hang a picture
- Patch a small hole in drywall
- Find and test your main water shutoff
- Test smoke and CO alarms
- Clean gutters you can reach safely; extend downspouts
- Keep soil and mulch sloped away from the foundation
- Test your home for radon
- Find drafts with an incense stick and caulk small gaps
Next steps
More tools, more care, and an experienced helper the first time.
- Weatherstrip doors and windows
- Paint a room (lead-safe in pre-1978 homes)
- Replace baseboard or door casing
- Adjust a sticking door: hinges and strike plate
- Patch a larger drywall hole with a patch
- Run a dehumidifier and track humidity
- Set up and use an extension ladder by OSHA’s rules
Intermediate jobs
Check with the building department first; some of these need a permit.
- Frame a non-load-bearing partition wall
- Hang, tape and finish drywall in a room
- Install a pre-hung interior door
- Lay a floating floor or tile
- Air seal the attic, then add insulation (watch for vermiculite)
- Build a small shed (permit rules vary)
Leave these to licensed pros and engineers
They need a permit, training, special equipment, a license or certification, or an engineer’s design.
- Removing or changing load-bearing walls, beams, headers, posts or trusses
- Foundation repairs, underpinning, and cracks that keep growing
- Roof work at height (OSHA requires fall protection at 6 feet for workers)
- Digging trenches 5 feet or deeper (OSHA requires protective systems)
- Paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes (EPA certification)
- Anything that may disturb asbestos (trained, accredited professionals)
- Mold over about 10 square feet, or after heavy water damage
- Gas piping, electrical panels and service, and refrigerant (see those courses)
Careers
Carpenters build and repair the frameworks of houses and other buildings. Here are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures from its Occupational Outlook Handbook (page updated August 27, 2026):
A high school diploma is typically the starting point, and most carpenters learn on the job or through apprenticeships that pay a wage while you train. Lesson 13 has the details, related careers from laborer to inspector to construction manager, and how OSHA’s 10- and 30-hour courses work.
Sources
Each lesson lists the sources for its own facts. Here they all are in one place.
Show all 86 sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Carpenters
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Laborers and Helpers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Roofers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Drywall Installers, Ceiling Tile Installers, and Tapers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Managers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction and Building Inspectors
- ENERGY STAR (EPA and DOE): Recommended Home Insulation R-Values
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 5.3 Elasticity: Stress and Strain
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 9.1 The First Condition for Equilibrium
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 9.2 The Second Condition for Equilibrium
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 11.5 Pascal’s Principle (pressure is force per unit area)
- University of California, Davis, ENG 104 course handout: Slopes and Deflections of Beams
- MIT, David Roylance: Beam Displacements (2000)
- MIT 1.105: Deflections due to Bending (course reading)
- Oregon State University, Oregon Wood Innovation Center: Table of Physical Properties (from the USDA Wood Handbook)
- Missouri University of Science and Technology, timber design course notes: Sizes of Structural Lumber
- University of Memphis, CIVL 1101: Properties of Concrete
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Roof Edges in High-Wind Zones
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Wall Framing: Insulated Headers in Advanced Framing
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Raised-Heel Trusses Save Energy in Attics
- University of Minnesota Extension: Moisture in Basements: Causes and Solutions
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Final Grade Slopes Away from Foundation
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Building Science Intro: Moisture Flow
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Capillary Break Beneath Slab
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Capillary Break at Crawlspace Floors
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Concrete in Foundation Walls Is Damp-Proofed and Waterproofed
- University of Illinois, Materials Science and Engineering: Concrete: Scientific Principles
- Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering: Curing Concrete
- OpenStax, University Physics Volume 2, 1.3 Thermal Expansion
- U.S. EPA: Radon
- U.S. EPA: Radon Risks and Solutions
- OSHA QuickCard: Top Four Construction Hazards (OSHA 3216)
- OSHA Fact Sheet: Trenching and Excavation Safety
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Framing: Building a Wall: Advanced Framing
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Wall Framing: Advanced Framing and Top Plates
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Framing: Door Framing with Advanced Framing
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Insulating and Sealing Rim Joists
- Oregon State University Extension: Wood and Moisture Relationships (EM 8600)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282, 2021), Chapter 12: Mechanical Properties of Wood-Based Composite Materials
- OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin: Hazards of Manually Lifting Balloon Framed Walls (2005)
- OSHA: Nail Gun Safety
- OSHA: Protecting Roofing Workers (OSHA 3755)
- OSHA: Fall Prevention Campaign (Plan, Provide, Train)
- OSHA Fact Sheet: Fall Protection in Residential Construction
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Installing Self-Sealing Membrane at Eaves
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Water-Managed Roof Assembly
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Step Flashing at Roof-Wall Intersections
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Kick-out Flashing at Roof-Wall Intersections
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Baffles
- U.S. Department of Energy: Guide to Durable Attics (DOE/EE-0339, 2010)
- University of Minnesota Extension: Dealing with and Preventing Ice Dams
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Drainage Plane Behind Exterior Wall Cladding
- University of Minnesota Extension: Sealing Roofs, Walls, Windows and Doors to Keep Water Out
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Window Flashing
- U.S. Department of Energy: Consumer Guide to Air Sealing the Home
- U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Saver Guide: Tips on Saving Money and Energy in Your Home (2022)
- U.S. Department of Energy: Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit: Insulation and Air-Sealing Essentials
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Vapor Barriers
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Air Barriers vs. Vapor Barriers
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 14.4 Heat Transfer Methods
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 14.5 Conduction (R factors)
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Building Science Intro: Heat Flow
- U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center: Types of Insulation
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver: Energy Performance Ratings for Windows, Doors, and Skylights
- ENERGY STAR: Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights
- ENERGY STAR: Residential Windows, Doors, and Skylights Version 7.0 Specification (effective October 23, 2023)
- U.S. EPA: Learn About Asbestos
- U.S. EPA: Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos
- U.S. EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors
- U.S. EPA: Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers
- OSHA: Construction Industry
- OSHA Training Institute: Construction Focus Four, Outreach Training Packet (April 2011)
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.501: Duty to Have Fall Protection
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.1053: Ladders
- OSHA Fact Sheet: Reducing Falls in Construction: Safe Use of Extension Ladders (OSHA 3660)
- OSHA: Hand and Power Tools (OSHA 3080)
- OSHA: Personal Protective Equipment
- OSHA Fact Sheet: Control of Silica Dust in Construction: Handheld Power Saws
- OSHA: Crystalline Silica, Health Effects
- OSHA: Crystalline Silica Exposure in the Construction Industry
- University of Minnesota Extension: Dealing with and Preventing Mold in Your Home
- OpenStax, College Physics 2e, 13.6 Humidity, Evaporation, and Boiling
- U.S. EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
- Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor): Become an Apprentice
- OSHA Outreach Training Program: Program Overview
- OSHA: Outreach Training Program, 10- and 30-Hour Card Facts
A free course from Teddy Rook Book, with nothing to buy or send in. It explains how houses are built in general and follows U.S. sources; your local building code, the building department, and the manufacturer’s instructions come first. It isn’t a substitute for hands-on training, and some work needs a permit, a licensed contractor or an engineer.