Insulate and Weatherize. Expert Advice from Start to Finish Build Like A Pro

Customer Reviews

Excellent book and worth every peeny

2007-10-03
I purchased an old wooden home built about 1890 a few years ago. Other that some poorly installed blown fiberglass there wasn't any insulation in the house. I immediately started getting every book on insulating and energy efficiency that I could out of the library. This book was one of the last ones I read but it's the only one that I went back and purchased. It may not have step by step guides but what it does do is teach you about the basic mechanics of how your house works, which to me is more important than any step by step guide. It is not short on very specific advice either and also includes an excellent resource guide to purchase many of the things you will need to do the job. I have constantly referred back to this book as we slowly turn this leaky old home into a tight, energy efficient and more comfortable home.

This book is for anyone looking to improve the energy efficiency of their home, even if you are just in the design stage. Many more subjects than just insulation are covered.

Beginner to Expert, Something for all.

2007-06-11
I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.

Worth every penny ...

2007-02-21
This is the first book that I've ever been prompted to write an online review of. I'm having a new home built in the spring, and this book has given me the information needed to make sure my contractor is doing the job correctly. If you're inclined to do the work yourself, this is also the book you want. If you implement just one of the suggestions, you'll save many times the cost of the book.

Fantastic reference

2007-01-19
I bought a 50 year old house 6 months ago and I've already checked this book out of the local library four times. Plenty of sections I keep coming back to. Excellent plan of attack for sealing, insulating, and then (when you need to) properly ventalating an older house. And the HVAC sections have been a great reference when were were shopping for central AC (which we just put in) and a new boiler (the next big project). I've raved about this book to so many other homeowners with high utility bills.

I had an energy audit done a litte while ago, and two guys came out to the house. One was the trainer, the other had just gone through the certification program. Between this book and the building sciences website, I felt like I knew more than the assitant. And that definitely helped me get more out of the audit, knowing what questions to ask and understanding the auditor's recommendations.

Learned Some Things

2007-01-04
I live in a condo so not every part of this book was applicable. But I learned some very interesting things that were useful and essential when I was replacing my windows and wanted to re-insulate the window bays. For what I needed and learned, it was worth every penny.

Good coverage

2008-03-10
This book gives credible (not just a repeat of info on manufacturer websites) coverage of insulation, air leakage, ventilation, moisture problems, etc. and handles each subject with respect to different climates. I learned a lot and it helped me make decisions in the renovation of a 60 year old house.

great series

2008-01-31
same great features of other books in the series (pro tips, what can go wrong...). these books are thorough and informative.

Insulate and Weatherize: Expert Advice from Start to Finish

2007-12-03
This is the best book and only book you will need on insulating and weatherizing your house. We have gained much insight and valuable information to make our house more energy effcient. The author will also (for a fee) come to your house and evaluate and recommend what you need to do. We cannot say enough about this book.

Must Have for Every Home Owner

2007-11-04
I think of all the poor suckers who pay $50,000 for new windows when they could accomplish more energy savings quicker, easier, and for only a couple hundred bucks even if they hire out the work using the suggestions of this book. Everthing you think you know about saving home energy is wrong! Read this book instead! Incredibly detailed and photographed. If you can't do it yourself then hire it out -- but DO IT!

This book teaches you the easy way to make those energy efficiency improvements

2007-10-19
Sealing up your home envelope (the border between conditioned and unconditioned spaces) and proper insulation are the most cost effective improvements you can make in a home to significantly reduce your energy consumption while improving comfort. This book is a guide based on a professionals experiences, teaches the best ways to make those improvements, and educates you on why and how. Though it's scope is constrained around insulating and weatherizing, it's the best reference in that space I've found.