How is your home built

The first requirement for any Do It Yourself project is to understand what you are dealing with. You may not be sure about what damage/problem is hidden behind a wall, but you really need some understanding of how your home was assembled. Where are the electrical wires probably located? Where are the studs? What is under the carpet, etc.

I try to provide this kind of background with pictures and information which will be especially helpful to novices.