Book excerpt: Are rooms of your house uncomfortable or unusable at different times of the year? Is your home drafty in winter? Do you get hit with a wave of heat walking upstairs in summer? Are mold or pests frequent problems in your home? Do you get big icicles in winter? Do you suspect your home is making you sick? Do you sleep better out of your house? Do you have a damp, dank basement? How about air quality problems like dust or odors? Are you ready to solve those problems? Then this book is for you.Before you can solve a problem, you need to understand what is causing the problem. This book explains how your home actually works so you can address root causes, not symptoms. We've seen far too many folks waste thousands of dollars addressing the wrong problem. Armed with this book, you can find the right pros to solve problems, understand if the work was done right, and even DIY many things yourself.This is the book I wish I had when I entered the Home Performance eld. It connects theory to action and shows real world examples of work being done and the results achieved. It assumes you're a building science novice as well as smart and willing to learn.You'll learn about how your home works, what to look for in a new heating and cooling (HVAC) system, what kinds of insulation work best and why, how to choose and install the right bath fan, and more. Everything in this book is backed up by field experience, data, and an overwhelming passion to do things right the first time.