Pretty Good House provides a framework and guidelines to focus on the core issues that should be front and center when designing and building a high quality home or renovation.

About the name….

In southern Maine, there’s a small group of building professionals that get together monthly to discuss building science. It sounds boring, I know, but truly it isn’t. Food is brought in, beer is consumed, a blackboard is present and a topic is brought up for discussion. (topics like, high performance windows, venting cathedral ceilings, moisture migration in wall assemblies, slab on grade details, etc.) Since we are all peers, and colleagues (with egos, attitude, and a good sense of humor) the conversation is usually lively, informal and frankly all over the place. There’s usually a moderator to keep everyone reined in and on topic. Every once in a while I have the pleasure of being that moderator, but that is only when builder, Dan Kolbert can’t attend. Dan while on a rant once, expressed frustration with the status quo, and even more frustration with the various rating systems that had him jumping through many hoops to prove that his work was in fact “green” and energy efficient. As many can attest, these systems can be very costly in time and money, and in the case of many green projects, they aren’t doing anything to advance the project. Rather they are simply certifying them. So Dan simply stated, “I just want to build a pretty good house.”

- Chris Briley

We’ve been talking about it for some time, but now the Pretty Good House book is real!

It is available directly through the Taunton store, local bookshops, and on Amazon. The link below allows you to order the book.

Updates on the book, cover, and release will be all over our social media channels. We do not plan to make an email list with updates at this time.

Click HERE to order your copy!

Meet the authors this fall:

Midwest Building Science Symposium

Kansas City - Sept 14th & 15th - Mike & Emily

Common Ground Fair

Unity, ME Sept 23-25th - Dan & Mike

Southeast Building Science Symposium

Chattanooga, TN - Oct 12th - 13th - Emily

The Entre Architect Community Annual Meeting

Austin, TX - Nov 1-3rd - Mike & Emily

South Bend City Housing Symposium

South Bend, IN - Dates TBD (Late Nov / Early Dec) Dan & Chris

Guidelines for Designing and Building a Pretty Good House

Building a house or doing a major renovation is a daunting task. This diagram shows how the PGH pros think about things! Scroll down a little bit further for explanation of the main points.

Economics

Key to the PGH approach is balancing expenditures and gains. Where other programs use specific energy-use targets or other criteria, and the building code establishes a baseline (“the worst house you can legally build”), a PGH goes above code until it stops making financial sense.

Climate - Where are you?

Where you live plays an important part in the design of a PGH.

Design

Design is much more than floor plans and making pretty things. The whole process of construction is designed as well.

The Building Shell - Envelope basics

Every house needs to keep rain and cold (or hot) air out, and conditioned air inside. In a Pretty Good House it’s easiest and best to identify dedicated control layers

Envelope Details

Basic physics. This is where the rubber meets the road. A PGH builder or architect is also something of a science geek.

Windows and Doors

Even the best windows and doors on the market perform much worse than even an average wall, but they can also allow solar energy into the house, and of course light and views are important. Selection of specific brands and models of windows and doors comes into the conversation very early in the process.

Materials

Local is good. While we can get materials from nearly anywhere on earth, buying locally supports the local economy, typically keeps the carbon footprint smaller, and makes a house a product of its environment instead of a cookie-cutter house that could be anywhere.

Mechanical Systems

Mechanical systems include the equipment needed to heat, cool and control humidity in a house, and also the plumbing system. The primary reason for mechanical systems is occupant comfort. A PGH allows mechanicals to be smaller, less expensive and generally simpler.

Electrical and Lighting

Lighting can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Daylighting, using windows and other glazing, reduces the need for artificial lighting during the day. Wiring in a PGH must include a well thought out strategy for sealing all penetrations in the building shell.

Verification

There are many ways to check your results. Third party verification systems such as Energy Star or Passive house may influence bank financing but are not the focus of a Pretty Good House.

Owner / Occupant

Occupants can be creative in the ways they break the rules so it’s important for them to be educated on how to operate their Pretty Good home.

If you feel that you have designed and built a Pretty Good House, please feel free to download, fill out and display a Pretty Good Certificate, signed by the Pretty Good House authors—available in two flavors, plain and fancy! Just click on the image and you can download a PDF.

Relevant organizations and references

the BS* + Beer Show a weekly (for now) Zoom based meeting of building science nerds from around the country - links to local chapters coming soon

To watch previous episodes of The BS* and Beer Show - Find the YouTube Channel HERE

Green Building Advisor - This is where many of us initially heard the term “Pretty Good House” The original article is HERE

Building Science Corporation provides training, research and can provide a deep dive into building science

Fine Homebuilding The original magazine that we all know and love has a ton of information on high performance building including some great podcasts

Journal of Light Construction has really stepped up to the plate with lots of information

Pro Trade Craft - Best practices and great videos. This is a great place for builders to learn.

E3 Podcast - Emily Mottram interviews various people with a focus on Energy and Efficiency

Green Architects’ Lounge - A podcast covering many topics relevant to Green Building, high performance building and Pretty Good House info

Building Green - industry watchdog and long time provider of product vetting and technical expertise to the profession.

NESEA the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is a resource for builders and homeowners - they put on symposiums in Boston and NYC, builder training, home tours etc.

Maine Indoor Air Quality Council - information, links and training. The quality of the air inside a Pretty Good House is paramount!

Mike Maines and Robert Swinburne presented the Pretty Good House at the 2020 Fine Homebuilding Summit