A House Needs to Breathe
...Or Does It?

An Amazon bestseller!

Cover photo of the book, A House Needs to Breathe...Or Does It?

Book: A House Needs to Breathe...Or Does It?

$59.00

This book by building science expert Allison A. Bailes III, PhD 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 plain old nonsense that pervades the world of home building, remodeling, maintenance, and operation.  But it doesn't stop there.  It provides concrete advice on how to design, build, improve, and live in homes that are healthy, comfortable, energy efficient, and durable.

Whether you're an experienced professional, new worker, student, or someone who lives in a home, this book has something for you.  From indoor air quality to building enclosure control layers to heating and cooling to hot water, Dr. Bailes has covered the breadth of residential building science.

Book details

Hardcover, 362 pages, 19 chapters, 7 appendices, jam-packed index. For more information, see the book page.

Table of Contents

Click to see the table of contents

Questions?

Scroll down to see the FAQ

About the Author

Allison A. Bailes III, PhD is the founder of Energy Vanguard, a building science firm and BPI Test Center located in Decatur, Georgia. He writes the widely read Energy Vanguard Blog, where he has published more than a thousand articles since starting in 2010. After earning a doctorate in physics from the University of Florida and doing time in academia, Dr. Bailes found his calling in the field of building science. Since 2001, he has done everything from building a high-performance home to serving as regional manager for the EarthCraft House green building program to spending countless hours in crawl spaces and attics, analyzing and fixing homes. His company, Energy Vanguard, does consulting, training, and HVAC design for residential buildings.

Visit the Energy Vanguard website for a more complete biography.

FAQ

Is there a charge for shipping?

We provide free economy shipping (USPS Media Mail) for addresses in the United States. You'll also have the option to pay for expedited shipping. For countries outside the US, you can see the shipping options during checkout.

Shipping is really expensive to countries outside the US. Is there a less expensive way to get the book?

Here are a couple of other options for you. First, you may be able to order it on Amazon or from a local bookstore. Second, the digital version will be available here by mid-2025.

Is this book for beginners?

Beginners can learn a lot from this book and should not be afraid to buy it. Some of the content is at the intermediate level. There's a bit of math in some places, but it's not critical to to understanding the main points.

Here's what Amy, a copyeditor who worked on the book, wrote:

"It really is a great book. I learned a lot from it. I’m not planning any extensive home repair myself anytime soon, but I feel like I'd have a better idea if someone we hired was trying to pull the wool over our eyes."

Also see the quotes from Amazon reviews above.

Read the one-page preface to get a better feel for the target audience.

Will there be an digital version of the book?

Yes! We'll have it available here by mid-2025.