Field notes
Opinions from the attic.
Jesse has been writing about building science since 2011: blower doors, ducts, returns, and the advice of people who don’t pay your utility bills. A few favorites from the archive.
- You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problemWhy hot upstairs rooms usually need more supply air, not “hot air returns,” and how to test it before you spend a dime.
- Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t realWe love blower doors. We just don’t think they should be steering the crew in the attic.
- Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awfulTwo mental models for improving an existing house, and why you sometimes have to listen to the people who live in it.
- People who don’t pay your utility bills, #1The neighbor who owns a truck says to open an upstairs window, because hot air rises.
Elsewhere
Jesse in print, and on air.
Longer pieces Jesse has written for Asterisk magazine, plus a podcast conversation.
- So You Think You Could Be An Electrician?Funny how the people telling kids to get jobs in the trades tend to be white-collar.Read
- Jesse Smith on HVAC and indoor air qualityA conversation about HVAC and indoor air quality.Read
- Lies, Damned Lies, and Manometer ReadingsWhy so much HVAC work misses industry standards, and what that means for indoor air quality.Read
Start a project
Tell us about your house.
Whether it’s a cold bedroom, a tired bathroom, a heat pump quote you’re unsure about, or a dormer that’s seen better days, start with a conversation. We’ll tell you honestly what we’d do, and what we wouldn’t.