Laura Mitchell

How I work

A lot of my testing happens in my own 1950s house, which is basically a permanent case study in what older homes get wrong with energy. I've sealed, insulated, and audited it room by room, and I track my heating and cooling costs before and after each change so I know what actually moved the needle. For the professional side, I draw on over ten years of conducting energy assessments in real homes across different climates, construction types, and budgets. When I cover a product or method I'm writing from hands-on experience, not a manufacturer's data sheet. I also stay current with building science research and green housing standards, so the advice here sits at the intersection of what's technically sound and what's actually doable for a normal homeowner on a normal weekend.