Hardcover - A House Needs to Breathe...Or Does It? by Allison A. Bailes III, PhD

Hardcover - A House Needs to Breathe...Or Does It? by Allison A. Bailes III, PhD

An introduction to building science

Dr. Allison Bailes has written a book! After 12 years of blogging about building science, he now has put some of the most important knowledge about how houses work—or don't. This book lays out the basic science of buildings. When it comes to how houses perform, professionals and homeowners alike believe many things that just aren't true. This book explodes the myths, misinformation, and just plain old nonsense that pervades the world of home building, remodeling, maintenance, and operation. Whether you're a homebuilder, remodeler, trade contractor, architect, real estate agents, home inspector, or homeowner, you'll benefit from the information in this book.

Why buy this book?

• The average American spends about 90% of their time indoors, yet few understand the factors that lead to comfort, good indoor air quality, and energy efficiency.
• The message about how houses really work is spreading, but it hasn't gotten through to enough of the stakeholders yet.
• As we adopt new materials and more advanced technology, the effect on home performance can be significant. The more people understand the principles of building science, the better this integration will be.
• The author has a wealth of content to draw from as he has published more than 900 articles over the past ten years in the Energy Vanguard Blog.
• The style will be engaging and readable. As Tom White, the former publisher of Home Energy magazine, wrote, "I have to say [Energy Vanguard] is one of my favorite places to read energy tips written in a way that makes learning building science understandable and fun."

Synopsis

Have you ever lived in a home where you just couldn't feel warm even though you had the heat cranked way up? How about one where you have to turn up the volume on the TV when the air conditioner or heater comes on? Or a home with a musty smelling basement?

These and more are problems common to many homes. Whether you rent or own your home, you most likely have suffered with problems of comfort, indoor air quality, noise, high energy bills, and more. The primary cause of these problems is that many of the architects, builders, and contractors responsible for delivering the final product don't take the full occupant experience into consideration.

And they operate largely based on myths about how buildings actually work. Let exhibit A be the title of the book: "A House Needs to Breathe.” This statement is usually shorthand for, "I don't believe the cost of air-sealing a home is justified by the benefits.” It's wrong, though. Random air leaks through the building enclosure can lead to moisture problems, indoor air quality problems, and wasted heating and cooling.

This book will explode the myths, misinformation, and just plain old nonsense that pervades the world of home building, remodeling, maintenance, and operation. You'll get building science principles in plain English so you can understand why those things you've been told are wrong and what are the proper ways to make homes comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient.