Books published by W & H Publishers

Increase your roof framing knowledge and understanding as you follow veteran roof cutter Will Holladay through the real life process of calculating, cutting and stacking two tricky custom home roofs. This is a "WORKBOOK" (as the title clearly states) written to ACCOMPANY and apply Will''s classic work "A Roof Cutter''s Secrets" (the textbook). In this workbook you will see the principles from "A Roof Cutter''s Secrets" come alive. It is by no means easy and will require hard work and concentration to finish. But, when you do finish this workbook you can rest assured that your roof framing skills are among some of the best around. The methodology along with the correct answer for every illustrated roof situation is fully detailed. You MUST have a copy of "A Roof Cutter''s Secrets" (2002 or later) and a Construction Master Pro calculator to follow along. 108 pgs. w/250 questions and 61 illustrations.

In From the Top Plates Up, production roof cutter Will Holladay, author of the classic roof framing manual A Roof Cutter's Secrets (1988, 2002, 2014), and the challenging workbook The Complicated Roof (2009), shares a bucket load of stories as he reflects back over his 42-year career as a hard swinging roof framer. The book goes back to the early 1970s when the author was a jobsite laborer working for a custom builder, and carries all the way through to 2014 when injuries finally got the best of him. It is the love story of a man and a job. The story of a relentless roof-framing junkie who was never happy unless he was up in the air. Interwoven in the book are intriguing stories of lessons learned - many the hard way - aimed specifically at helping the reader avoid the same pitfalls that tripped him up. The book harbors a kaleidoscope of fun and informative topics, including: his favorite tools; swinging a hammer; avoiding jobsite injuries; dealing with simple or crippling medical events; forging a top-notch framing crew; setting up your work truck; the history and tools of production roof cutting; applying the cool new rafter cutting inventions; the development of modern day roof framing lingo; and, staying in physical shape for maximum jobsite performance. In one stirring chapter, Will tells of his conversion to Christianity while stacking roofs in the Los Angeles housing tracts, and how that decision eventually lead him to a part-time ministry in Central America, where he helps out as a relief pilot and teaches locals rough carpentry skills. The book is truly a collection of the best pearls of wisdom from one of the industry's most beloved roof framers. It is written in a manner that will cause the reader to stop and think, all the while challenging him/her to reach for the stars.

Many of us know Will Holladay as a roof framing specialist (A Roof Cutter’s Secrets, From the Top Plates Up, Roof Framing for the Professional video series), but in this book he reveals that his dedication to rough carpentry comes in third behind his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and his love of country. As a staunch patriot, Will is deeply concerned that the USA is being drug further and further off her foundation by socialist leftism. Most certainly the “real world” exposure from his unusual lifestyle combined with his ongoing study of American History and economics have made this undeniable. Prior to a disabling injury in 2014, Will operated four concurrent careers. After beginning his construction career in 1972, Will became a part time whitewater river guide and outdoor educator in 1980, then added flying the summers in Alaska in 1989, and finally started serving as a humanitarian aid volunteer to Central America in 1991. These unique and vastly different experiences have provided him with an unparalleled education that one could only hope to gain over several lifetimes. Unlike elitist politicians and intellectuals who talk about things without having any direct experience in them, Will has lived them. In this book, The Carpenter Patriot, Will lays out his views on a variety of hotbed political issues and backs them up with stories from his own life. He takes on: immigration; taxes; Social Security; voting; national defense; the environment; the US government’s finances; and more. He pulls no punches, and brings every subject back to the original intentions of our nation’s founding fathers. Eloquently written in the intensely logical manner of the “hands on” tradesman, The Carpenter Patriot is certain to open your eyes to what is happening to our country, all the while providing some practical suggestions on what we can do about it.

Here is your opportunity to own a copy of the latest version of "A Roof Cutter's Secrets" (2023). This is the very book that many believe revolutionized the modern home framing industry. It has been the "go to" reference book of choice for rough carpenters since the late 80s. It remains unrivaled in popularity and relevance. In 350 pages of clear, concise instructions, including over 300 drawings and photos, professional roof cutter Will Holladay shares the knowledge he has gathered over his lengthy career in rough carpentry. There are speed and production tricks/techniques from his years as a roof cutter and stacker in the Los Angeles housing tracts during the 70s; complicated custom home framing methodology from his years as a high end framing contractor along the California Coast during the 80s - 90s; and finally lessons learned from various arcane and oddball situations that he has faced through the 00s and onward as a framing consultant. In KISS format, Will presents the "how to" principles required to conquer nearly any type of complicated framing challenge. From steep hillside lot underpinning to detailing plates, from plumb and line issues to beam work, from regular roofs to unequal pitch versions, from bastard intersections to polygon and round shaped roofs, from eyebrow dormers to hanging fascia, from simple stair layout to elaborate circular staircase construction, from pop-out Bay windows to chandelier domes - it is all there. Situations not found anywhere else. The amount of information jam packed into this book is absolutely amazing! There is even a special section at the end of the book devoted specifically to applying the Construction Master Calculator to various situations found in the book. "A Roof Cutter's Secrets" is one resource that you will most certainly want to keep in your tool box.So, no matter where you fit in the construction industry - apprentice, journeyman, foreman, supervisor, contractor or architect - you're bound to pick up some new techniques and methods from "A Roof Cutter's Secrets" that will help increase job site productivity and improve the delivered job quality.