Smart Homeowners
Daily tips and resources to help you improve, care for and protect your home.
I will give you something every day so you can live smarter. With my team of experts, we’ll cover what matters to you: security, energy efficiency, maintenance, home improvement, finance and insurance.
🏠 Your roof assembly – Part 1: Sheathing
This week we’re going to look at the components of your roof assembly. Why it matters: Roofing is not a licensed trade in Texas, so homeowners need to educate themselves. 🖼️ The big picture: Building code considers the roof assembly to be the roof covering + the roof deck. Roof covering = shingles or other material […]
🙅♂️ Say no to power vents
Using a power attic vent to cool your attic may seem like a good idea. But they don’t work as advertised. Why it matters: Attic ventilation depends on balanced intake and exhaust. The air leaving the attic — through a power vent, a turbine, ridge vent — has to ENTER the attic from somewhere. 🥊 […]
💪🏠💪 It’s time for FORTIFIED
On August 2 we will be installing our first official FORTIFIED roof as part of a re-roof in Allen, Texas. Follow me on Instagram to see Fortified in action. Why it matters: Fortified might be the most important home resilience measure you’ve never heard of. This beyond-code re-roofing method has been proven by decades of […]
⛰️ Redemption hike
Today’s email is coming to you a little late as I was out the door this morning at 4:15a. Why it matters: I want to share one of the keys in my journey back to fitness after being in the worst shape of my life in 2020. I do have a related tip for Smart […]
💧 The dew point in the attic
The dew point in your attic changes based on 2 factors. Temperature and humidity Why it matters: Knowing the dew point will help you understand when water will become a problem in the attic. 🧮 By the numbers: Right now, the temperature in my attic is 81 degrees and the relative humidity (RH) is 59%. […]
🦹 Home performance super powers
Using home performance testing methods and equipment gives a contractor super powers. Why it matters: Seeing through walls and seeing things the human eye can’t see helps us fight off the bad guys. 🥊 Reality check: Air, heat and water are stealth intruders attacking your building materials and dominating the air inside your house. We […]
👽 Alien vs. Predator in my attic
The 1987 film Predator brought thermal (infrared) images to the big screen for the first time. Showing us a different way to see. Why it matters: Using thermal imaging we can find clues that help us understand what’s going on with our building enclosures. 🔬 Zoom in: I was testing my new thermal camera at my […]
🤔 When 50K < 35K
Systems thinking understands that spending more on one system can mean spending less on another. Why it matters: Focusing on individual line items in a budget can cause us to miss these opportunities. 📖 Story time with Steve: Steve Baczek is an architect and one of the great voices in building science. Steve says we should […]
📈 20 percent annual return
A one time investment in air sealing and insulating your home will reduce your energy consumption, saving you money. Year after year after year. Why it matters: A small investment now can yield significant results for the long haul. 🔦 Pro Spotlight Cody Bridwell of Blown Away Insulation is approaching this the right way. Cody and […]
🚨 The best alarm system
“The best alarm system is one that works.” — Joe Slota, Foresight Security Why it matters: 53% of homes with an alarm system have a broken or missing component. I just made up that number … but raise your hand if your first thought was, “At least I’m in the majority.” 🙋 😂 🥊 Reality check: […]