For most people the home that they live in is the largest single investment that they ever make. Caring for that investment is necessary to protect your family's safety, comfort and financial security, and whether you call a professional when you need work done on your home, or prefer to do it yourself whenever possible you need to have a good understanding of the care and feeding of a home. A quick surf through the cable channels should be all it takes to convince anyone that Americans are interested in home improvement.