Insulate and Weatherize - Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Taunton-s Build Like a Pro) Description:

Insulate and Weatherize : Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Taunton's Build Like a Pro) review:
5 stars (Essential reading for every homeowner!) - Insulating your house is fraught with dangers and there are lots of sharks out there only too delighted to take your money and ruin your house. Although I am still learning this stuff, I'm still confident that I know more than most of the insulation contractors that have come through my door. Scary, isn't it?The dangers of doing it wrong aren't just a waste of money. There is a real risk of mold in the short term and rot in the long term. Read this book, but let it be your first step. See the Taunton forums at their web page, the Building Sciences Corp web page, and do your homework before you let anyone do anything to your house.I agree with a previous reviewer that a weakness of this book is its lack of step-by-step guides, and as a complete novice on house construction I had to look elsewhere for some of the terminology. But I'm still giving it 5 stars just because it has so much important information, to counteract all the misinformation and misconceptions out there.
3 stars (Very useful overview, but not a step-by-step manual) - This was one of the first books that I bought after purchasing an older, leaky home. And not having insulated a house for ten years or so, and knowing many people with rigid-insulated McMansions, it was a relief to see a book that treats insulation as something to be planned, like any other infrastructural component, not just done ad hoc. Like other Taunton publications, this one is nicely laid out and designed. However, as an amateur, I wanted to see a game plan that I could follow, including which tasks I could be expected to do reasonably well myself, and which things should be left to a professional. Sure, this advice is scattered in the content, but having something like a checklist and timetable would make this a great reference, not just a great overview.
5 stars (Clears up common misconceptions about insulation) - I am very pleased with this book. In addition to covering the basics of insulation and weatherization, the author shares the latest results of actual research in "building science". This book dispelled several myths about what really works.The book has numerous sidebars with expert tips and "what can go wrong."You can tell the author teaches seminars on his topic, because the material is very well organized and clearly presented.The advice of an expert is invaluable, and I am re-thinking my approach as a result of reading this book.Insulation and weatherization can be time-consuming and costly. If you want to tackle the projects that yeild the greatest bang for the buck, read this book.