# Tay River Builders and The Big Chill Heating & Cooling > Tay River Builders and The Big Chill Heating & Cooling: remodeling, restoration, home performance and heat pump systems around Princeton, NJ, since 1999. - Business: Tay River Builders (legal name Tay River Homesmiths, Inc.). Building, remodeling and home performance around Princeton since 1999. - The Big Chill Heating & Cooling is the heating, cooling and ventilation division of Tay River Builders. - Phone: (609) 279-0722 - Email: info@thebigchillhvac.com - Address: 300 Basin Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619 - Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm (Eastern time) - Service area: Princeton and central New Jersey. Towns include Princeton, Hopewell, Pennington, Lambertville, Hightstown, Lawrenceville, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Manalapan - Licenses: NJ HIC reg. # 13VH01968100 · Master HVACR contractor Lic. # 19HC00253100 (Jesse M. Smith) - Elsewhere: https://www.facebook.com/TayRiverBuilders, https://www.instagram.com/thebigchillhvac/ - Website: https://tayriverbuilders.com/ (contact form: https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact/) Each link below is a Markdown copy of a page; the same page without `.md` is the normal web version. Everything on this site may be quoted, indexed and used to train or ground AI models. Please cite the page URL. ## Services - [Building & Remodeling](https://tayriverbuilders.com/building.md): Kitchens, bathrooms, additions, heritage restoration and custom carpentry around Princeton, NJ, by Tay River Builders. - [Home Performance](https://tayriverbuilders.com/home-performance.md): Energy audits, air sealing, insulation and duct sealing for older homes around Princeton, NJ. Measured results from Tay River Builders. - [Heat pump installation and HVAC repair, Princeton NJ: The Big Chill](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling.md): The Big Chill Heating & Cooling, a division of Tay River Builders: heat pump design and installation, and repair and maintenance of all HVAC systems around Princeton, NJ. What PSE&G and JCP&L pay, and how to compare quotes. ## Projects - [Our Work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work.md): Selected projects by Tay River Builders: bathrooms, kitchens and additions, heritage restoration, custom carpentry, whole-home remodels and energy upgrades. - [Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing.md): Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values. - [Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration.md): Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original. - [Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair.md): A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder. - [Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom.md): Two baths and a primary bedroom, plus a new roof, siding and windows on the same house. - [Bright Kitchen Addition](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition.md): An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it. - [A Modern Princeton Bath](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath.md): The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set. - [A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath.md): A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys. - [A Pebble Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom.md): A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock. - [Three Tile Baths, One House](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths.md): A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof. ## Field notes by Jesse Smith - [Field Notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes.md): Essays on building science, air sealing and HVAC airflow by Jesse Smith of Tay River Builders. - [You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns.md): Why 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 real](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing.md): We 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 awful](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad.md): Two 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, #1](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/hot-air-rises.md): The neighbor who owns a truck says to open an upstairs window, because hot air rises. ## Company - [About](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about.md): Tay River Builders was founded in 1999 by brothers Jesse and Abel Smith: a craftsman and a building scientist. Our story, principles and process. - [Contact](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact.md): Get in touch with Tay River Builders and The Big Chill Heating & Cooling about remodeling, home performance or heat pumps around Princeton, NJ. ## Optional - [Privacy](https://tayriverbuilders.com/privacy.md): What the Tay River Builders website collects, and what it doesn't. - [Site map](https://tayriverbuilders.com/sitemap.md): Every page on the Tay River Builders and The Big Chill website, in one list. ## Everything in one file - [llms-full.txt](https://tayriverbuilders.com/llms-full.txt): every page above, in full, as Markdown # Tay River Builders & The Big Chill | Princeton-area builders, home performance and heat pumps > Tay River Builders and The Big Chill Heating & Cooling: remodeling, restoration, home performance and heat pump systems around Princeton, NJ, since 1999. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/ Princeton, NJ · Since 1999 # Your house is a system. We work on all of it. Tay River Builders has been remodeling, restoring and tightening up homes around Princeton for more than twenty-five years. With The Big Chill, our heating and cooling division, one team handles the shell of your house *and* the equipment that heats and cools it, and makes sure the two work together. [Start a project](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [Heat pumps & HVAC](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling) A bathroom designed to feel like a riverbed Dormers rebuilt in hand-milled cypress A winder stair in a heritage home **No heat or no cooling?** Call [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) or [book a service call online](https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Tay-River-Builders/fe92233109f64e64b6de28eb08c00581?v2=true). ## Building, remodeling & home performance Kitchens, baths and additions. Heritage trim and custom carpentry. Energy audits, air sealing and insulation that make an old house comfortable without turning it into a space-age bubble. [Building & remodeling](https://tayriverbuilders.com/building) [Home performance](https://tayriverbuilders.com/home-performance) The Big Chill Heating & Cooling ## Ethical heating, cooling & ventilation Design and installation of heat pump systems, plus repair and maintenance of all HVAC systems. Our systems are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable, and we size them for the house you actually have. [Heat pumps & HVAC](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling) Why one team matters ## Fix the house first. Then size the equipment to fit it. Most contractors only see their slice of a house. Change one part and you change the others: tighten the attic and the old furnace is suddenly oversized; replace the furnace without fixing the ducts and the upstairs is still too hot. We treat the shell, the ducts and the equipment as one system. 1. 01 ### Measure We start by testing: blower door, duct leakage, airflow and room-by-room temperatures. 2. 02 ### Tighten Air seal and insulate where it pays: attics, rim joists, ducts. In deep upgrades we often cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values. 3. 03 ### Right-size Then design heating and cooling for the house you’ll have afterward, which means smaller equipment, steadier comfort and, more often than not, lower bills. We run your numbers first. 4. 04 ### Follow up A year after we finish, we come back to review the design and the construction with you. Much of our work is referrals and repeat clients. 1999 Founded by brothers Jesse and Abel Smith 4.8★ On Google, from 16 reviews. [Read them](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tay+River+Builders/@40.2316257,-74.8332809,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c156feab0e8c23:0x5976c95c2a8b9887!8m2!3d40.2316257!4d-74.8332809!16s%2Fg%2F1thzpt58), including the mixed one. 11° to 2° Floor-to-ceiling wall temperature spread before and after an attic upgrade, measured by the homeowner 2,000+ Energy retrofits completed, by Jesse’s count Selected work ## Craft you can see, and plenty you can’t. Carved-stone bathrooms, hand-milled cypress dormers, a cherry vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys, and the attic work nobody photographs but everybody feels. [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) [BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) [Kitchens & AdditionsLambertville, NJ ### Bright Kitchen Addition An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition) [Energy UpgradesPrinceton area, NJ ### Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing) [See all 9 projects](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) In their words [**4.8** on Google · 16 reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tay+River+Builders/@40.2316257,-74.8332809,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c156feab0e8c23:0x5976c95c2a8b9887!8m2!3d40.2316257!4d-74.8332809!16s%2Fg%2F1thzpt58) > “On a 90 degree day the window A/C’s can actually maintain a constant 75 degrees in the house. … For the comfort alone it is money well spent.” Homeowner, attic air sealing and insulation on a 44-year-old ranch, 2012 > “They took their time to do everything properly and went above and beyond as if they were doing this on their own house.” **Richard H.**, Google review, 2021 > “Not only are we enjoying lower utility bills, we are more comfortable in our home after Tay River’s work. Jesse was very receptive to our questions, and took time to explain everything.” **Alan S.**, Google review, 2013 > “Thanks again for all the fantastic work you and your crew did. My house is so much more comfortable from your efforts and we really appreciate everything, including how generous you were helping me understand a little bit of your very complicated business.” Homeowner, early-summer home performance project, 2011 The Big Chill Heating & Cooling ## Heat pumps, designed by people who understand houses. Our heating and cooling division moves homes off fossil fuels and onto air-source heat pumps, and looks after the systems you already have. It works the same way the rest of us do: we measure before we recommend, and we tell you when sealing the house will do more than a bigger unit. [Explore The Big Chill](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling) [info@thebigchillhvac.com](mailto:info@thebigchillhvac.com) - ### Heat pump design & installation One efficient system for heating and cooling, designed around your house and its ductwork instead of a rule of thumb. - ### Repair & maintenance of all HVAC Furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and heat pumps. If it heats, cools or moves air, we can look after it. - ### Ventilation & airflow Fresh air where it’s needed, and duct and return fixes for rooms that never seem to get comfortable. Jesse and Abel Smith Who you’ll work with ## A craftsman and a building scientist. Tay River was founded in 1999 by brothers Jesse and Abel Smith. Abel is a highly skilled craftsman with the hands-on know-how to build things properly. Jesse is an avid student of building science who would rather measure than guess. Between them they’ve restored and remodeled houses across central New Jersey, completed more than 2,000 energy retrofits, and spent years as an authorized contractor in New Jersey’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Jesse also holds a New Jersey master HVAC license. Most of their work still comes from referrals and repeat clients. > “Turns out people think you’ll be more successful improving performance if you actually measure stuff. Who knew!” > > Jesse Smith [Our story & approach](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about) Field notes ## We write about this stuff, too. Opinions from the attic, the basement and the blower door, mostly by Jesse. Fair warning: some of them are spicy. [Heating & cooling · May 2017 ### You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem Why hot upstairs rooms usually need more supply air, not “hot air returns,” and how to test it before you spend a dime. Read](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns) [Home performance · July 2012 ### Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real We love blower doors. We just don’t think they should be steering the crew in the attic. Read](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing) [Home performance · July 2012 ### Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful Two mental models for improving an existing house, and why you sometimes have to listen to the people who live in it. Read](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad) 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. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Building & Remodeling | Tay River Builders > Kitchens, bathrooms, additions, heritage restoration and custom carpentry around Princeton, NJ, by Tay River Builders. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/building/ Building & remodeling # Built carefully, *by people who care how it’s built.* Tay River does design, construction and major remodels, all the way down to small repairs. We aim to provide everything you need to improve, repair or maintain your home, and when we can't do something ourselves, we'll send you to the best specialist we know. [Start a project](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [See our work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) What we build ## Big projects and small ones. We’re skilled builders with an obsessive eye for detail, and we’re also home-energy specialists. That combination means a remodel can make a room more comfortable as well as better-looking. ### Kitchens & additions From a full kitchen to a new wing that respects the house it’s attached to. We design in sympathy with older buildings without pretending the new part is original. ### Bathrooms Carved stone, detailed tilework, accessible showers, custom vanities. Several of our favorite projects are bathrooms. ### Restoration & trim Rotted cornices, dormers and porches, replicated by hand when they can’t be saved. We use cypress outdoors so the work lasts. ### Custom carpentry Stairs, built-ins, shelving and furniture-grade cabinetry, often designed and built in our own shop. ### Envelope work Roofing, siding and windows, done with the insulation and air sealing that should go with them. ### Whole-home remodels Several rooms at once, sometimes with a new roof, siding and windows on the same house. Craft ## It would have been easier to simplify it. On a set of rotted dormers we could have swapped the ornate trim for something simpler. Instead we hand-milled every piece to match the original. On a cracked cherry slab, Abel stitched the split with handmade maple butterfly keys. That’s our standard, and you don’t have to ask for it. [See the dormer restoration](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) Selected projects ## From Lambertville to Hightstown. [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom) [BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) [Kitchens & AdditionsLambertville, NJ ### Bright Kitchen Addition An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition) [BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) Service & upkeep ## Small jobs matter too. We also do service work and repairs, down to the smallest jobs: a door that won’t close right, a soft spot in the trim, a leak you’ve been ignoring. > “We love our door! Makes a big difference down there. June got it hanging just right. Thanks guys.” Princeton client, door installation, 2013 How a project works ## Four steps, and a visit a year later. Your satisfaction is how we stay in business: most of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients. 1. 01 ### Feasibility We work out the rough scope, sketch a preliminary layout with general specs, give you a ballpark budget based on past projects, and check with the town for anything that could slow the work down. 2. 02 ### Design & estimate You should like and understand the design, it should improve your home, and it should fit your budget. For the largest projects we bring in an architect and work alongside them. Then you get a detailed estimate with fixed costs for everything we can specify. 3. 03 ### Building We’re with you through every step, right down to choosing a paint color. Renovation is disruptive, so we work hard to keep it as unobtrusive as possible. 4. 04 ### Follow-up At the end we do a full job review together. Then, one year after completion, we come back to review both the design and the construction. 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. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Home Performance | Tay River Builders > Energy audits, air sealing, insulation and duct sealing for older homes around Princeton, NJ. Measured results from Tay River Builders. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/home-performance/ Home performance # Comfort you can *measure.* Drafty rooms, a hot second floor, a damp attic, high bills. Most of it traces back to air leaking through the attic and basement. We find the leaks, seal them, insulate properly, and prove the result with a blower door. [Request an assessment](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=energy) [Read our field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) 30–40% Typical air leakage reduction we expect on a whole-house job 55% Leakage cut on one tested house, with no replacement windows 3× Insulation value in deep upgrades, alongside roughly half the air leakage 2,000+ Energy retrofits completed, by Jesse’s count What we do ## Efficient without tearing the house apart. Your house doesn’t have to look like a space-age bubble to be efficient. In a typical New Jersey single-family home you can get significant leakage reductions by working in the attic, kneewalls, crawlspace and basement. You don’t need to take walls down or replace the windows. 01 ### Energy audits & blower door testing We measure how leaky your house is before and after the work, so you see the results in numbers. 02 ### Attic & rim joist air sealing These are the leaks we can reach up high and down low, where sealing pays off most. We always do this before insulating. 03 ### Attic & wall insulation Thick layers of blown cellulose over a sealed attic floor, and dense-packed walls where it makes sense. 04 ### Duct sealing Leaky attic ducts waste conditioned air. Sealing them can fix cold rooms and improve indoor air quality. 05 ### Crawlspaces & basements Rim joists, foundation walls and the cramped spaces nobody else wants to crawl into. We’ve done ones with less than a foot of clearance. 06 ### Heating, cooling & hot water When equipment is due, The Big Chill sizes the replacement for the tighter house you have now. Around 80 sheets of foam board on one basement: reportedly the biggest shell upgrade at the time in New Jersey’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Why seal first ## Insulation doesn’t stop air. Air moving through insulation guts its effectiveness, so sealing comes first, every time. - **It protects the house.** Sealing the attic prevents condensation problems like mold and rot on the roof sheathing, which can save you from a premature roof replacement. - **Rooms get comfortable.** Sealed ducts and a tight attic are what make cold rooms warm and hot rooms livable. - **Your next system can be smaller.** A tighter house needs less heating and cooling, so the replacement can be smaller and cheaper to run. Advice from people who don’t pay your utility bills ## Common wisdom we politely ignore. “You need new windows.” Replacement windows and weatherstripping are rarely where the return is. On one house we cut measured air leakage by 55% without touching a single window. “Open an upstairs window. Hot air rises.” Every bit of air you push out gets replaced by hot air pulled in somewhere else. In summer, an air-conditioned house leaks downward. [The neighbor with the truck](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/hot-air-rises) “The upstairs is hot. You need a bigger AC.” Usually it’s too little supply air, leaky attic ducts, or a starved return. Fix those (and the attic) and a smaller unit often does better. [On big central returns](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns) Results ## What clients noticed. Notes from home performance clients, as published on our original site. > “Jesse and his crew had the daunting job of air sealing and insulating the attic of our ranch home. They did great work even though it was in the July heat. … Subjectively my wife and I can feel the difference, on a 90 degree day the window A/C’s can actually maintain a constant 75 degrees in the house. … For the comfort alone it is money well spent.” Homeowner, attic air sealing and insulation on a 44-year-old ranch, 2012 > “Thanks again for all the fantastic work you and your crew did. My house is so much more comfortable from your efforts and we really appreciate everything, including how generous you were helping me understand a little bit of your very complicated business.” Homeowner, early-summer home performance project, 2011 > “Just wanted to let you know we got our rebate check today exactly 2 months as you promised. We see a big improvement in our home with it staying warmer and in warmer weather house seemed cooler.” Homeowner, energy upgrade with state rebate, 2013 Programs & rebates ## We know the paperwork, too. Tay River spent years as an authorized contractor in New Jersey’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program, and one client wrote to tell us their rebate check came exactly when we said it would. Incentive programs change often; ask us what’s available for your house right now. [Energy UpgradesPrinceton area, NJ ### Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing) Start a project ## Find out where your house leaks. An assessment starts with a conversation and a blower door. You'll get the numbers and a plain explanation of them, plus a recommendation that puts the cheapest high-impact work first. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Heat pump installation and HVAC repair, Princeton NJ: The Big Chill | Tay River Builders > The Big Chill Heating & Cooling, a division of Tay River Builders: heat pump design and installation, and repair and maintenance of all HVAC systems around Princeton, NJ. What PSE&G and JCP&L pay, and how to compare quotes. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling/ The Big Chill Heating & Cooling # Ethical heating, cooling *and ventilation.* We convert homes around Princeton and central New Jersey from fossil fuels to air-source heat pumps, and we repair and maintain all HVAC systems. Our team has spent years making houses tighter first, so we can tell you when a heat pump makes sense and when it doesn’t. [Get a heat pump assessment](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=hvac) [Book a service call](https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Tay-River-Builders/fe92233109f64e64b6de28eb08c00581?v2=true) A division of [Tay River Builders](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about) Master HVAC license [Jesse M. Smith, Master HVACR contractor Lic. # 19HC00253100](https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y) BPI GoldStar contractor [Certified Heating, AC & Heat Pump Professional and Building Analyst](https://www.bpi.org/pages/locator/) Equipment we trust Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat and Daikin Aurora heat pumps. We service almost anything. PSE&G programs [Rebates and 0% on-bill repayment](#paying), where your house qualifies. [We’re on PSE&G’s contractor finder](https://findacontractor.pseg.com/HVAC). ## No heat or no cooling? Call [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722), Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, or [book a service call online](https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Tay-River-Builders/fe92233109f64e64b6de28eb08c00581?v2=true) and pick a time. **Smell gas?** Leave the house first, then call PSE&G at [1-800-880-7734](tel:1-800-880-7734) or 911. What we do ## Three things, done properly. Most HVAC companies only see the box in the basement. We see the whole house it’s trying to heat. 01 ### Heat pump design & installation Whole-house and room-by-room systems, ducted or ductless, designed around a load calculation and the condition of your ducts. One efficient system for both heating and cooling. 02 ### Repair & maintenance of all HVAC Furnaces, boilers, central air and heat pumps. Diagnosis that starts with measurements, and maintenance that keeps equipment running safely and efficiently. 03 ### Ventilation & airflow Fresh-air ventilation for tighter houses, and duct and return fixes for the rooms that are always too hot or too cold. What “ethical” means here ## The right system, or sometimes no new system at all. 1. 1 ### We size it to your house. We choose equipment from a proper load calculation for your house instead of a rule of thumb or a square-footage chart. 2. 2 ### House first, when that’s cheaper. If sealing the attic or fixing the ducts will solve the problem for less than new equipment, we’ll tell you, and we can do that work too. 3. 3 ### We measure, and show you. Static pressure, airflow and room temperatures before and after. You see the numbers we see. 4. 4 ### Straight answers. If your system has good years left, we’ll say so. If something is unsafe, we’ll say that too. 5. 5 ### Lower carbon, and honest about the bills. Heat pumps run on electricity, so a well-designed system gets cleaner as the grid does. Whether your bills drop depends on your house and what you burn now, so we run your numbers before you decide. Why heat pumps ## Moving heat beats making it. A furnace burns fuel to make heat. A heat pump moves heat that’s already there: out of the outdoor air in winter, out of your house in summer. That’s why it can deliver several units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses. - **One system, both seasons.** Heating and air conditioning from the same equipment. - **Steadier comfort.** Variable-speed equipment runs low and long instead of blasting on and off, especially when it’s sized right. - **Better in a tight house.** Seal and insulate first and the system you need gets smaller, quieter and cheaper. How paying for it works ## What the utilities pay, and how the rest gets paid. Your electric utility decides most of this, so that’s the first thing to know. These are the published programs as of November 2026. They change, and they have rules, so treat this as a map and not a promise. ### PSE&G - **Full conversion (Clean Heat):** the lesser of $10,000 or 50% of the largest system’s cost. Income-qualified homes: $12,000 or 60%. - **Dual Heat:** $5,000 or 50% ($6,000 or 60%). **Hybrid Heat:** $2,000 or 30% ($3,000 or 40%). - **Possible add-ons:** up to $2,000 to decommission the old system, up to $2,000 for re-ducting, and $2,000 per additional cold-climate unit. [PSE&G’s page](https://myhomeenergy.pseg.com/heatingandcooling) ### JCP&L - **Clean Comfort, full conversion:** the lesser of $10,000 or 50% ($12,000 or 60% for income-qualified homes), on existing single-family homes heated with fossil fuel. - **Dual fuel:** $5,000 ($6,000). Add-ons similar to PSE&G’s. - **Standard replacement rebates:** $500 to $1,000. [JCP&L’s page](https://residential.energysavenj.com/jersey-central/hvac/) ### Other utilities - New Jersey’s other utilities run their own programs, and not all of them offer the conversion rebates. Tell us who sends your electric bill and we’ll check. - New Jersey’s federally funded home energy rebates hadn’t opened when we last checked. ### 0% on your PSE&G bill PSE&G customers can repay the balance on their monthly bill at 0% interest, with no credit check, if they have 12 months of on-time payments. The limits are up to $25,000 on a regular HVAC project and up to $50,000 on a decarbonization project, usually over 84 months. The contractor applies before work starts. **The math, with round numbers:** a $24,000 system earns a $10,000 rebate, because $10,000 is less than half of $24,000. The remaining $14,000 over 84 months is about $167 a month. That’s arithmetic, not a quote. On one recent Princeton job, the homeowner saved over $10,000 through the program and is repaying the rest on the bill over seven years. That’s one job. Your number depends on your house. ### The fine print we’d want to know - Equipment must be on the cold-climate (NEEP) list, and the design needs a Manual J covering 100% of the heating load, plus a Manual S. - Owner-occupied homes of one to four units. No new construction. - If your PSE&G account closes, which includes moving out, the balance is due within 30 days. - You can’t pay extra toward the principal, only pay it off in full. - The utilities can change or end these programs. New Jersey’s current cycle runs through June 30, 2027, followed by a [one-year transition with smaller budgets](https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/2026/approved/20260715.html). Nobody has said what that does to these rebates. - The federal tax credits for heat pumps ended for equipment installed after 2025. Holding a few quotes? ## How to compare heat pump quotes. The price is the easy part. Jesse wrote about the hard part in [Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings): most of what makes a system work happens where you can’t see it, so ask for evidence. We’d want you to ask us all of these too. [Got a quote you’re unsure about? Tell us what’s in it](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=hvac) 1. **Ask to see the load calculation, and read it.** A Manual J should describe your house: its size, its orientation, its windows, its insulation. Jesse has written about one of the largest HVAC companies in New Jersey keeping a file for each equipment size and renaming it to fit the address. If nobody measured your house, ask where the numbers came from. 2. **Ask what they will measure, and whether you get photos.** Static pressure and airflow, before and after, with pictures of the readings and of the equipment nameplates. Don’t ask whether they can do it, since anyone can say yes. Ask to see it from a past job. 3. **Ask for the exact model numbers.** Then check them against the cold-climate list and the manufacturer’s capacity at your winter design temperature. “Heat pump” alone tells you very little. 4. **Ask what they would do about the ducts and the house.** A quote that never mentions duct leakage, return size or the attic has assumed all of them are fine. 5. **Get the total, then the incentives, then the monthly.** In that order, in writing, with the electrical work and any permits listed. Ask who files the rebate paperwork and when. > “Not only are we enjoying lower utility bills, we are more comfortable in our home after Tay River’s work. Jesse was very receptive to our questions, and took time to explain everything.” **Alan S.**, Google review, 2013. Attic and basement insulation, heat pump and water heater. [**4.8★** on Google, 16 reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tay+River+Builders/@40.2316257,-74.8332809,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c156feab0e8c23:0x5976c95c2a8b9887!8m2!3d40.2316257!4d-74.8332809!16s%2Fg%2F1thzpt58) Ductwork in a semi-conditioned attic, mid-retrofit. From the field notes ## “You can’t suck your way out of distribution problems.” Why are second-floor rooms hot in summer? Usually because not enough cold air reaches them, not because they lack a “hot air return.” Jesse’s case for testing the hypothesis before spending a dime. [Read the note](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns) Questions ## Good questions we hear a lot. **Will a heat pump keep my house warm in a New Jersey winter?** Modern cold-climate heat pumps are built to keep heating well below freezing. Whether one is right for your house depends on how much heat it loses, which is exactly what we calculate. Tightening the house first makes the answer easier and the system smaller. **Do I need ductwork?** Not necessarily. Heat pumps come in ducted and ductless versions. If you have ducts, we’ll test whether they’re up to the job; if you don’t, a ductless or compact ducted system can work well. **Can you service my existing furnace, boiler or air conditioner?** Yes. We repair and maintain all kinds of HVAC systems, not just heat pumps. **Which heat pumps do you install?** We’ll service almost anything, but we’re fussy about what we install. Our go-to equipment is Mitsubishi’s Hyper-Heat line and Daikin’s Aurora line. **Can you also do the insulation and air sealing?** Yes, and we plan the two together. The Big Chill is a division of Tay River Builders, whose crews have been air sealing and insulating homes since the late 2000s, with more than 2,000 energy retrofits behind them. **Are there rebates or incentives?** Often. See [how paying for it works](#paying) for what PSE&G and JCP&L offer. Programs change often, so we’ll check what applies to your house when we put together a proposal. **Is there still a federal tax credit?** No. The federal credits for heat pumps ended for equipment installed after 2025. Plenty of websites still mention them. If you had a credit from an earlier year, ask your accountant whether any of it carries forward. **What happens if I call or book a service visit?** We work Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Call (609) 279-0722, or book online and pick a time. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call PSE&G at 1-800-880-7734 or 911. Start a project ## Thinking about a heat pump? Start with a conversation and a look at your house. We'll tell you what size system you actually need, what to fix first, and what it will cost to run. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=hvac) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Our Work | Tay River Builders > Selected projects by Tay River Builders: bathrooms, kitchens and additions, heritage restoration, custom carpentry, whole-home remodels and energy upgrades. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/ Our work # Selected projects. A sampling from around Princeton, Lambertville and Hightstown. Photos are from the jobs themselves, many taken mid-construction, because we think the parts you can’t see matter as much as the parts you can. AllBathroomsRestoration & CarpentryKitchens & AdditionsWhole-Home RemodelsEnergy Upgrades [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom) [BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) [Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) [Kitchens & AdditionsLambertville, NJ ### Bright Kitchen Addition An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition) [BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### Three Tile Baths, One House A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths) [Whole-Home RemodelsHightstown area, NJ ### Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope Two baths and a primary bedroom, plus a new roof, siding and windows on the same house.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom) [Energy UpgradesPrinceton area, NJ ### Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing) 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. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly | Tay River Builders > Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Energy Upgrades # Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly Location Princeton area, NJ Scope Air sealing, Cellulose, Blower door Seal first, then insulate: how we routinely cut air leakage in half and triple insulation values. Here we used spray foam and foam board to air seal an attic. Sealing the gaps that leak conditioned air into the attic, which is essentially outdoors, can drastically reduce a house’s overall air leakage. Sealing is the necessary first step before re-insulating, because insulation does nothing to stop air leakage, and it works far worse when air moves through it. Once the sealing is done, we blow a thick layer of cellulose over the attic floor to meet the most stringent energy targets. In deep energy upgrades we often cut air leakage by 50% and triple the insulation value. [PreviousBaths, Bedroom and a New Envelope](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom)[Next A Pebble Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) Start a project ## Is your house like this one? Tell us what bothers you about your house. We can measure what it is actually doing and tell you what we would fix first. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=energy) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia | Tay River Builders > Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Restoration & Carpentry # Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Location Princeton area, NJ Scope Heritage, Exterior, Millwork Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original. Clients often seek us out for proper trim restoration. On these dormers the rot was so advanced that not a single trim element could be saved, so we chose careful replication and replacement over repair. Even the rigging was a challenge, with only a narrow alley between the house and its neighbor. We use cypress for exterior work like this to make sure it lasts. Simplifying the trim profiles would have made the job easier, but we hand-milled every replacement piece to match the dormers’ original form. [PreviousA Modern Princeton Bath](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Next Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home | Tay River Builders > A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Restoration & Carpentry # Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home Location Princeton area, NJ Scope Stairs, Heritage, Joinery A winder stair, built to modern code, replacing what most people would call a ladder. This staircase, in Abel’s own house, replaced what most people would consider a ladder. It is a “winder”: the treads wind around a center post. Modern codes set a minimum width at the narrow end of a winding tread, so the days of winding around a single point are gone. For geometry fans, this moves the center of the layout to a point some distance away from the stair. The inside stringer is mitered and the outside stringer is housed, with traditional wedging on the housed side. The varying stringer angles inspired the curved handrail. [PreviousRestoring Dormers with Curved Fascia](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration)[Next Bright Kitchen Addition](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope | Tay River Builders > Two baths and a primary bedroom, plus a new roof, siding and windows on the same house. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Whole-Home Remodels # Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope Location Hightstown area, NJ Scope Envelope, Bathrooms, Bedroom Two baths and a primary bedroom, plus a new roof, siding and windows on the same house. We worked our way through two bathrooms and the primary bedroom in this house, while also replacing every element of the building envelope: roofing, siding and windows. The vertical wood grain on the vanity drawers is a simple way to give a room a modern emphasis. [PreviousThree Tile Baths, One House](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths)[Next Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Bright Kitchen Addition | Tay River Builders > An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Kitchens & Additions # Bright Kitchen Addition Location Lambertville, NJ Scope Addition, Heritage, Kitchen An addition that respects a Mansard-roofed heritage house without pretending to be part of it. This Lambertville addition had to be sympathetic to the heritage character of the house. The original structure has a Mansard roof with highly decorative cornices and beautiful dormers. Our addition echoes those Mansard pitches and dormers with simpler, modern trim. That follows a core heritage principle: design in sympathy with the historic building without fooling anyone into thinking the new part is original. Inside, the Mansard roofline above the upper cabinets creates an interesting soffit. [PreviousCustom Stairs in a Heritage Home](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair)[Next A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[Restoration & CarpentryPrinceton area, NJ ### Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia Rotted arched dormers rebuilt in cypress, with every trim profile milled by hand to match the original.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # A Modern Princeton Bath | Tay River Builders > The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Bathrooms # A Modern Princeton Bath Location Princeton, NJ Scope Design, 3D modeling, Tile The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set. This client had very modern taste, and the bathroom was the first room to be updated in a 50-year-old home. The challenge was to work out the tone they wanted to set for everything that would follow. Some clients prefer to see a 3D model once the working drawings are done, so they can really understand the design. We built one for this room; compare the renderings with the finished space. The work continued into the rest of the house: a second bath, a kitchen, and replacing a large single-story section with two stories. The house would have stairs for the first time, which is always a fun design problem. [PreviousA Pebble Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[Next Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath)[BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### Three Tile Baths, One House A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom | Tay River Builders > A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Bathrooms # A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom Location Princeton area, NJ Scope Furniture, Cherry, Live edge A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys. This bathroom, in Abel’s own house, sits under an eyebrow dormer. Anyone who knows the furniture maker George Nakashima will recognize the inspiration. His studio outside New Hope, Pennsylvania, is called the Conoid, from “cone,” a nod to its sweeping arc, and the arc became the theme here. The counter is a cherry flitch. Abel repaired a large split using two handmade maple butterfly splices, and built the drawers to follow the compound angle of the cabinet face. [PreviousBright Kitchen Addition](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition)[Next Three Tile Baths, One House](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### Three Tile Baths, One House A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # A Pebble Bathroom | Tay River Builders > A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Bathrooms # A Pebble Bathroom Location Central New Jersey Scope Stone, Tile, Custom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock. The brief for this primary bathroom was to make the room feel like a riverbed. We used heavily textured stone tile on the floors and walls, and natural slab surfaces in the shower and around the soaking tub. The sink basins are carved out of solid stone. In the water closet, a round window adds a small nautical touch. [PreviousAttic Air Sealing, Done Properly](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing)[Next A Modern Princeton Bath](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath) ## More like this [BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath)[BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### Three Tile Baths, One House A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Three Tile Baths, One House | Tay River Builders > A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths/ [All work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) Bathrooms # Three Tile Baths, One House Location Central New Jersey Scope Tile, Accessibility, Powder room A formal powder room, an accessible guest shower and a playful kids’ bath under one roof. Three bathrooms in the same home, each with its own job. One is a formal powder room. One serves a spare bedroom and has a shower bench for older visitors. The third is playfully aquatic, for the two children. The primary bath in this home is the Pebble Bathroom. [PreviousA Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath)[Next Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom) ## More like this [BathroomsCentral New Jersey ### A Pebble Bathroom A primary bath designed to feel like a riverbed, with stone basins carved from solid rock.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom)[BathroomsPrinceton, NJ ### A Modern Princeton Bath The first room updated in a 50-year-old house, modeled in 3D before a single tile was set.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath)[BathroomsPrinceton area, NJ ### A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom A bathroom under an eyebrow dormer, with a cherry slab vanity mended with handmade butterfly keys.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) Start a project ## Planning something like this? Tell us about the house and what you have in mind. We will talk it through, give you a ballpark based on past projects, and tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=remodel) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Field Notes | Tay River Builders > Essays on building science, air sealing and HVAC airflow by Jesse Smith of Tay River Builders. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/ 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. - [Heating & coolingMay 3, 2017You 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.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns) - [Home performanceJuly 9, 2012Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t realWe love blower doors. We just don’t think they should be steering the crew in the attic.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing) - [Home performanceJuly 9, 2012Everything 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.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad) - [Home performanceAugust 20, 2011People who don’t pay your utility bills, #1The neighbor who owns a truck says to open an upstairs window, because hot air rises.](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/hot-air-rises) Elsewhere ## Jesse in print, and on air. Longer pieces Jesse has written for *Asterisk* magazine, plus a podcast conversation. - [Asterisk · September 2026So 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](https://asteriskmag.substack.com/p/so-you-think-you-could-be-an-electrician) - [Pigeon Hour podcast · May 2025Jesse Smith on HVAC and indoor air qualityA conversation about HVAC and indoor air quality.Read](https://www.aaronbergman.net/p/14-jesse-smith-on-hvac-indoor-air) - [Asterisk · February 2024Lies, Damned Lies, and Manometer ReadingsWhy so much HVAC work misses industry standards, and what that means for indoor air quality.Read](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings) 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. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem | Tay River Builders > Why hot upstairs rooms usually need more supply air, not “hot air returns,” and how to test it before you spend a dime. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns/ [Field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) Heating & cooling # You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem Why hot upstairs rooms usually need more supply air, not “hot air returns,” and how to test it before you spend a dime. By Jesse Smith · May 3, 2017 Here’s an excerpt of an email I wrote in support of adding large central returns in a finished basement, directly next to the unit, with transfer grilles at the top of the basement stairs. The overwhelming majority of HVAC technicians reject this as something that can never work. One of the amazing things about trying this is that the effect can be tested before doing the work, by temporarily removing the blower cabinet door and taping the door switch shut. (Danger: this can cause serious safety problems by making combustion appliances spill, so it requires a continuous return path. Don’t try this if you’re not an HVAC professional!) > The point of why I went there was to test if the hypothesis was right. In this case, it appears to be right. There are basically two parts to the problem: 1. Airflow is restricted, specifically on the return side. This reduces the total quantity of airflow. That statement is totally uncontroversial, and there are multiple ways to test it. You can check the total external static pressure of the duct system, estimate what a reasonable static pressure would be after the duct changes, and check both values against the blower chart for the unit. PSC fan motors in particular have a pretty sharp airflow curve, so reducing static pressure increases airflow significantly. 2. Delivery temperatures tend to improve, especially in summer, through better mixing. We’re (at least initially) moving the coldest air through the system. Lots of technicians believe they can fix distribution problems by sucking air out of individual rooms. This rests on some false assumptions and leads to confusing outcomes. In general, you can’t suck your way out of distribution problems. In some cases you can increase total system airflow by adding return, much as I proposed on this job, but where the return is located doesn’t tend to matter much. I think about it with Occam’s razor: the simplest answer tends to be the correct one. Why are rooms hot on the second floor in summer? Because not enough cold air is being supplied to them. At what point does a room being too hot stop meaning insufficient supply and start meaning insufficient local return? And how do so-called “hot air returns” know to pull the hot air out of a room and not the cold? When we pull air from a room, what temperature is the air that replaces it? Doesn’t the supply air displace the room air anyway, just by being supplied? (Yes, or the room would explode.) I design the return side of a system to do two things: support the system airflow effectively, and ideally keep the pressure difference between rooms under 1 pascal. Local room returns are really good at reducing pressurization problems, which is what they should be used for. If you still have skeptics, test it under hot conditions. Go to the house at 2pm on a really hot day and record the temperatures on all three floors. Then take the cabinet door off, leave the basement door open, and watch what happens. Ideally record airflow before and after. It might take a little while, but in most houses this will be highly effective. Originally published on the Tay River blog. Lightly edited. ## About Jesse Jesse Smith co-founded Tay River Builders and The Big Chill with his brother Abel, around Princeton, NJ. He holds a New Jersey master HVACR license, and the company is a BPI GoldStar contractor with more than 2,000 energy retrofits behind it, by his count. He has also written about HVAC for [Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings). [More about us](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about). Keep reading [July 9, 2012Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing)[July 9, 2012Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad) Start a project ## Wondering about your own house? Rooms that never feel right, a system that runs and runs, a quote you are not sure about: we can measure what your house is actually doing and tell you what we would do. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=hvac) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real | Tay River Builders > We love blower doors. We just don’t think they should be steering the crew in the attic. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing/ [Field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) Home performance # Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real We love blower doors. We just don’t think they should be steering the crew in the attic. By Jesse Smith · July 9, 2012 I really like blower doors. There are a lot of building diagnostic tools most people have never heard of that I like: duct blasters and flow plates, to name a couple more. Blower doors are mainly used to measure a home’s air leakage at a fixed pressure, nearly always 50 pascals. That lets us do two important things: 1. Compare houses. When people ask “How leaky is my house?” they usually mean “How leaky is my house compared with other houses?” 2. Track changes (hopefully reductions) over time. We can do a lot of other things with a blower door, but we shouldn’t care nearly as much about zone pressure diagnostics as we do about that big-picture stuff. I run a blower door several times a week, and I’ve worked on the shells of hundreds of homes. My crew has had tremendous success at making buildings tighter. One of our earliest discoveries was that a blower door is pretty much useless at directing air sealing. That runs counter to conventional wisdom in most energy-geek circles, so here is my case: 1. We can’t multitask very well (thanks, Daniel Kahneman). Either we’re running a blower door or we’re air sealing the house. We can’t do both at once. 2. A small area of sealing that doesn’t move the numbers doesn’t mean the rest won’t, and vice versa. Suppose we scamper down to check the blower door after finishing a quarter of the attic and the numbers haven’t changed much. Should we skip the other three quarters? Of course not. Get back in the attic and finish the job! 3. Walking back and forth between the work and the front door takes time away from the important work of sealing. 4. Blower door tests run sporadically through the day probably aren’t very accurate. Occupants and workers open and close windows and doors, which makes the numbers useless. None of this is aimed at high-performance new construction, where homes are tight enough to find minor leaks with a fog machine. The practical upshot makes air sealing existing homes fairly simple. Start with the accessible stuff up high (attics), then down low (basement and crawlspace rim joists). When other areas become accessible, say exterior walls during a re-siding project or a vaulted ceiling during a roof replacement, make those tighter too. Run a blower door test at the start and finish of each project. Now get back in the attic! Originally published on the Tay River blog. Lightly edited. ## About Jesse Jesse Smith co-founded Tay River Builders and The Big Chill with his brother Abel, around Princeton, NJ. He holds a New Jersey master HVACR license, and the company is a BPI GoldStar contractor with more than 2,000 energy retrofits behind it, by his count. He has also written about HVAC for [Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings). [More about us](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about). Keep reading [May 3, 2017You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns)[July 9, 2012Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad) Start a project ## Wondering about your own house? Drafty rooms, a cold floor, an attic you have never looked at: we can measure what your house is actually doing and tell you what we would fix first, and what we would leave alone. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=energy) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful | Tay River Builders > Two mental models for improving an existing house, and why you sometimes have to listen to the people who live in it. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad/ [Field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) Home performance # Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful Two mental models for improving an existing house, and why you sometimes have to listen to the people who live in it. By Jesse Smith · July 9, 2012 I have two mental models for understanding and improving building performance. The first I call “Everything Is Sort of Bad.” It says a building is pretty bad (but not horrible) almost everywhere, in most of its systems: the thermal boundary, the pressure boundary, the ducts, the water-resistive barrier, and so on. The second I call “Everything Is Sort of Bad, but at Least One Thing Is Awful.” The first model is helpful. There are lots of places in a building where slight improvements yield large benefits. Attic air sealing is usually a good example. Cracks at the drywall ceiling tend to be fairly uniform, yet plugging all the holes in an attic yields a significant improvement, usually a 20 to 30 percent overall leakage reduction, or at least two thirds of the potential improvement on one of our projects. Here, geeky diagnostic tools are genuinely helpful: blower doors and duct blasters are great for verifying the effect of these measures. But it’s often hard to tell whether the marginal improvement left hard-to-find problems behind. A 35 percent leakage reduction is great, but it doesn’t tell us whether the cantilevered second-floor joists, reachable only from a small roof over the garage, were sealed. The second model includes all the lessons of the first, but tells us to be on the lookout for egregious problems. And when you’re looking for isolated but big problems, it’s unfortunate, but you may have to actually listen to the people who live in the building. Originally published on the Tay River blog. Lightly edited. ## About Jesse Jesse Smith co-founded Tay River Builders and The Big Chill with his brother Abel, around Princeton, NJ. He holds a New Jersey master HVACR license, and the company is a BPI GoldStar contractor with more than 2,000 energy retrofits behind it, by his count. He has also written about HVAC for [Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings). [More about us](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about). Keep reading [May 3, 2017You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns)[July 9, 2012Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing) Start a project ## Wondering about your own house? Drafty rooms, a cold floor, an attic you have never looked at: we can measure what your house is actually doing and tell you what we would fix first, and what we would leave alone. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=energy) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # People who don’t pay your utility bills, #1 | Tay River Builders > The neighbor who owns a truck says to open an upstairs window, because hot air rises. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/hot-air-rises/ [Field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) Home performance # People who don’t pay your utility bills, #1 The neighbor who owns a truck says to open an upstairs window, because hot air rises. By Jesse Smith · August 20, 2011 The world population is just shy of 7 billion people. Of those, the number who will pay your utility bills is probably even smaller than the number who have been in your kitchen. So we’re starting a series on people who don’t pay your utility bills, and the advice they give. The individuals will remain unnamed, but these stories are based on situations Tay River has actually encountered. ## Neighbor who owns a truck says open an upstairs window, because hot air rises Everyone knows hot air rises, right? Of course! So on the hottest days it makes perfect sense to take a two-pronged approach to beating the heat: 1. You’re definitely going to need air conditioning. Obviously. But what if that’s not enough? 2. On really hot days you need a bit more punch. If hot air rises, wouldn’t it make sense to open some upstairs windows, heck, maybe even put a box fan in them? Wouldn’t that force the heat right out the window? Obviously. This is a really bad strategy for “saving” energy. Air pushed out of a building is always replaced by air pulled into it, so you end up drawing a lot of hot air inside. On top of that, stack effect is typically the biggest driver of air leakage. In summer, the pressure on an air-conditioned building pushes air downward through it, which feels a lot like heat rising, but isn’t. So don’t listen to the neighbor who gives this advice, even if he owns a truck. Remember, he doesn’t pay your utility bills! Originally published on the Tay River blog. Lightly edited. ## About Jesse Jesse Smith co-founded Tay River Builders and The Big Chill with his brother Abel, around Princeton, NJ. He holds a New Jersey master HVACR license, and the company is a BPI GoldStar contractor with more than 2,000 energy retrofits behind it, by his count. He has also written about HVAC for [Asterisk](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings). [More about us](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about). Keep reading [May 3, 2017You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns)[July 9, 2012Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing) Start a project ## Wondering about your own house? Drafty rooms, a cold floor, an attic you have never looked at: we can measure what your house is actually doing and tell you what we would fix first, and what we would leave alone. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact?topic=energy) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # About | Tay River Builders > Tay River Builders was founded in 1999 by brothers Jesse and Abel Smith: a craftsman and a building scientist. Our story, principles and process. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/about/ About Tay River # A craftsman, a building scientist, *and a lot of houses.* Tay River was founded in 1999 by brothers Jesse and Abel Smith. Between us we cover two parts of the building world that rarely meet: skilled, detail-obsessed construction and the science of how houses use energy. We get a lot of satisfaction out of every job we take on. Jesse and Abel Smith Abel ## The hands. Abel has been building since 1989, when he started out installing cabinets and renovating historic buildings, and he holds diplomas in Architectural Technology and in Heritage Carpentry and Restoration. He’s the one turning an artist’s pencil sketch into built-in shelving, stitching a cracked cherry slab with handmade butterfly keys, and laying out a winder stair so it meets modern code. A couple of our favorite projects are in his own house. [The stair in Abel’s house](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair) Jesse ## The data. Jesse has worked in construction since 1991 and finished his carpentry apprenticeship in 1998 (now, in his words, “a fond but vague memory”). After the 2008 crash he steered the company toward air sealing and insulation, then earned his New Jersey master HVAC license in 2015. He runs the blower door, reads the research, and writes about building science for [*Asterisk*](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/05/lies-damned-lies-and-manometer-readings) magazine, usually with more opinions than the average contractor. [Jesse’s field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes) Also from the Smiths ## Willard Brothers Woodcutters In 2017 the brothers bought [Willard Brothers Woodcutters](https://www.willardbrothers.net/our-story), a lumberyard near Trenton that stocks close to a thousand live-edge slabs. Its founder, Sam Willard, supplied George Nakashima with many of the slabs for his furniture, which makes the [Nakashima-inspired bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath) in Abel’s house feel less like a coincidence. How we think ## Five principles. These have been on our website since 2012, and they apply just as much to a heat pump as to a bathroom. 1. 01 ### The house is a system The parts of a home affect each other. Replace or renovate one piece and it can cause problems, or create opportunities, somewhere else. Too few contractors understand how the pieces relate. We make sure the systems in your home work together, so it ends up more efficient, more comfortable and more durable. 2. 02 ### Big changes enable other changes When a house changes a lot, other systems can often be eliminated or downsized. Add insulation and air-tightness, and you can usually scale back the heating and cooling equipment. That’s how we approach every project: a home that works well, with lower energy costs and a smaller footprint. 3. 03 ### Redundancy makes houses tougher There are several ways to protect a roof: an airtight ceiling, a ventilated roof, controlled indoor humidity. Any one helps. Doing all three makes the house far less fragile, and saves the most over the long run. 4. 04 ### Test and measure Testing and measuring drive progress in a lot of fields, ours included. The surgeon Atul Gawande showed how simple measurements can improve medicine, and we think the same is true for houses. If you’re serious about your home, repairs and renovations should be guided by evidence. 5. 05 ### Follow the science People often change their homes based on advice from friends and neighbors instead of the best available research, and that can damage a house. We keep learning and replace outdated practices with newer, empirically tested methods. One company, two names ## Why The Big Chill? Because the best heating and cooling system is one designed for the house after it’s been fixed, not before. Having our own HVAC division means the people who seal and insulate your house are the same people who size the equipment for it. The Big Chill Heating & Cooling launched in 2026 as Tay River’s heating and cooling division, with Jesse as master HVAC technician. Its focus is converting homes from fossil fuels to air-source heat pumps. It’s the same people working from the same principles, so the whole house gets one plan. [Building, remodeling & home performance](https://tayriverbuilders.com/building)[Heat pumps, HVAC repair & ventilation](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling) How a project works ## Four steps, and a visit a year later. Your satisfaction is how we stay in business: most of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients. 1. 01 ### Feasibility We work out the rough scope, sketch a preliminary layout with general specs, give you a ballpark budget based on past projects, and check with the town for anything that could slow the work down. 2. 02 ### Design & estimate You should like and understand the design, it should improve your home, and it should fit your budget. For the largest projects we bring in an architect and work alongside them. Then you get a detailed estimate with fixed costs for everything we can specify. 3. 03 ### Building We’re with you through every step, right down to choosing a paint color. Renovation is disruptive, so we work hard to keep it as unobtrusive as possible. 4. 04 ### Follow-up At the end we do a full job review together. Then, one year after completion, we come back to review both the design and the construction. Where we work ## Princeton and the towns around it. We’ve worked extensively across central New Jersey, from Princeton to Manalapan, and will travel up to about an hour for energy work. - Princeton - Hopewell - Pennington - Lambertville - Hightstown - Lawrenceville - West Windsor - Plainsboro - Manalapan - and nearby 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. [Request a visit](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact) [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) --- # Contact | Tay River Builders > Get in touch with Tay River Builders and The Big Chill Heating & Cooling about remodeling, home performance or heat pumps around Princeton, NJ. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact/ Contact # Tell us about your house. A few details help us come prepared. We’ll get back to you to talk it through, and if it makes sense, set up a visit. Rather talk? Call [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722), Monday to Friday, 8 to 5. Message sent ## Thanks. We have it. A person will read it and get back to you. We work Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. 1. Check your inbox for a short confirmation. If it isn’t there in a few minutes, look in spam, or just call. 2. We’ll talk it through with you and tell you honestly whether we’re the right people for it. 3. If it makes sense, we’ll set up a visit and take a look at the house. Can’t wait? [Call (609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722). ## Tay River Builders Building, remodeling & home performance - [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) - [info@thebigchillhvac.com](mailto:info@thebigchillhvac.com) ## The Big Chill Heat pumps, HVAC repair & ventilation - [(609) 279-0722](tel:+16092790722) - [info@thebigchillhvac.com](mailto:info@thebigchillhvac.com) ## Address & hours [300 Basin Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=300+Basin+Rd%2C+Trenton%2C+NJ+08619) This is Willard Brothers Woodcutters, the lumberyard the brothers own. Most of our work happens at your house, so please call before stopping by. Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Serving Princeton and central New Jersey. Existing heating or cooling system acting up? [Book a service call online](https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Tay-River-Builders/fe92233109f64e64b6de28eb08c00581?v2=true). ## Checking us out? - [NJ HIC reg. # 13VH01968100](https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y) (state lookup) - [Master HVACR contractor Lic. # 19HC00253100](https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y), Jesse M. Smith - [BPI GoldStar contractor](https://www.bpi.org/pages/locator/) (search “Tay River”) - [4.8 stars on Google, 16 reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tay+River+Builders/@40.2316257,-74.8332809,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c156feab0e8c23:0x5976c95c2a8b9887!8m2!3d40.2316257!4d-74.8332809!16s%2Fg%2F1thzpt58) - [Photos from our jobs](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work) To send a message, use the form at https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact/ (it needs a browser). --- # Privacy | Tay River Builders > What the Tay River Builders website collects, and what it doesn't. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/privacy/ Privacy # What this website keeps. Not much. No cookies, no advertising trackers, and we don’t sell or share your information. ## If you send the contact form What you type goes to us by email and is saved in a private list, so a message can’t get lost if email hiccups. We also note which page you started on, which site sent you, if any, your rough location from your internet provider, and anything optional you chose to tell us. It passes through two service providers: Cloudflare, which runs the form, and Resend, which delivers the email. The person who looks after this website can also see it, and gets the message directly if our inbox ever rejects it. We use it only to answer you and to understand how people find us. Contact details are erased from that list after two years. If you leave an email address, you’ll get one automatic note confirming we got your message. There is no mailing list. ## Visit counts We count page visits, clicks on our phone number, email, map and booking links, when someone starts or sends the contact form (not what they type), how long pages take to load, the site that sent you, your rough location from your internet provider, and whether you’re on a phone. We don’t use cookies for this or store IP addresses. A visitor is a scrambled code that changes every day, so we can’t follow anyone from one day to the next. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we don’t count you at all. Your browser keeps a draft of the contact form, and the page you started on, until you close the tab. That stays on your device unless you send the form. ## Links to other sites Online booking is handled by Housecall Pro, and maps and reviews by Google. Their own privacy policies apply once you’re there. ## Questions, or want something deleted? Call (609) 279-0722 or write to [info@thebigchillhvac.com](mailto:info@thebigchillhvac.com), and we’ll take care of it. Last updated November 2026. --- # Site map | Tay River Builders > Every page on the Tay River Builders and The Big Chill website, in one list. Source: https://tayriverbuilders.com/sitemap/ Site map # Every page, in one place. ## Main pages - [Home](https://tayriverbuilders.com/) - [Building & remodeling](https://tayriverbuilders.com/building/) - [Home performance](https://tayriverbuilders.com/home-performance/) - [Heat pumps, heating & cooling (The Big Chill)](https://tayriverbuilders.com/heating-cooling/) - [Our work](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/) - [About & approach](https://tayriverbuilders.com/about/) - [Field notes](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/) - [Contact](https://tayriverbuilders.com/contact/) - [Privacy](https://tayriverbuilders.com/privacy/) ## Projects - [A Pebble Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/pebble-bathroom/) Bathrooms, Central New Jersey - [A Modern Princeton Bath](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/modern-princeton-bath/) Bathrooms, Princeton, NJ - [Restoring Dormers with Curved Fascia](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/dormer-restoration/) Restoration & Carpentry, Princeton area, NJ - [Custom Stairs in a Heritage Home](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/heritage-winder-stair/) Restoration & Carpentry, Princeton area, NJ - [Bright Kitchen Addition](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/lambertville-kitchen-addition/) Kitchens & Additions, Lambertville, NJ - [A Nakashima-Inspired Bathroom](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/nakashima-inspired-bath/) Bathrooms, Princeton area, NJ - [Three Tile Baths, One House](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/three-tile-baths/) Bathrooms, Central New Jersey - [Baths, Bedroom and a New Envelope](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/hightstown-baths-and-bedroom/) Whole-Home Remodels, Hightstown area, NJ - [Attic Air Sealing, Done Properly](https://tayriverbuilders.com/work/attic-air-sealing/) Energy Upgrades, Princeton area, NJ ## Field notes by Jesse Smith - [You can’t suck your way out of a distribution problem](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/big-central-returns/) 2017 - [Blower-door-guided air sealing isn’t real](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/blower-door-guided-air-sealing/) 2012 - [Everything is sort of bad, but at least one thing is awful](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/everything-is-sort-of-bad/) 2012 - [People who don’t pay your utility bills, #1](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/hot-air-rises/) 2011 ## For feed readers and machines - [Field notes RSS feed](https://tayriverbuilders.com/notes/rss.xml) - [llms.txt](https://tayriverbuilders.com/llms.txt) a plain-text guide to this site for AI assistants - [llms-full.txt](https://tayriverbuilders.com/llms-full.txt) every page as Markdown, in one file - [XML sitemap](https://tayriverbuilders.com/sitemap-index.xml) for search engines