UnBuild It Podcast
THE GOOD news: our homebuilding industry is jam-packed with new materials, new techniques, and new systems, and it’s so easy to get information online in an instant. THE BAD news: How do we know what we can trust, what will work, and under what conditions? Where do we turn to separate the spin-and-hype from the true-and-square? We’ve got you covered! The UnBuild It Podcast is an industry-leading opportunity to get good information. UnBuild It podcast is a three-member team – Peter Yost, Building Scientist; Jake Bruton, Builder, and Remodeler; and Steven Baczek, Architect. We are nationally recognized industry leaders: Jake as a homebuilder, Steve as an architect, and Peter as a building scientist. You can find us at leading homebuilding industry events, in top-notch publications, and online media outlets. We believe that solid industry-related information has four key ingredients; RELEVANCE: You need insight on your job site. Jake, Steve, and Peter are in the field regularly doing what we strive to do. We walk the walk – then talk about the walk. We have worked together long enough to build on each other’s expertise and not take ourselves too seriously. We are among the best at taking what may seem like complicated concepts, breaking them down, and turning them into job-site-ready breakthroughs. ACCURACY: Jake is often quoted as saying, “Trust but Validate.” We don’t ask you to be the bleeding, leading edge; we develop trusted solutions based on our work in the field, pushing each other to practice what we preach. Our accuracy comes out of triangulation: building, design, and performance. UTILITY: We guarantee that each podcast episode will move you from all ears to all action. Our information is born from our work. We pride ourselves on delivering information you can use the same day you listen to an episode. CAMARADERIE: We work together because we love homebuilding, hitting the airwaves, and humor. We are not doing our job if you are not enjoying learning with us during each episode.
Episodes
You say Post-Frame, I say Pole Barn or Barndominium...Yikes. The boys beat up on this topic when we move utility-grade agricultural weather-sheltering buildings (pole barns) to fully-conditioned homes. Aesthetic questions aside, there is solid building science to consider here. And speaking of building science, how do we insulate and air seal rim joists in a way that keeps them dry and durable? This topic takes us from spray foam a...
From metal worker to Director of Architecture Risinger Build to home remodeler, Chelsea is all about working on buildings. Instead of a working-man's Architect like our buddy Steve, Chelsea is the quintessential working-woman's Architect. And get this: Steve & Chelsea are about to team-up on a Risinger Build project!
Pete's Resources:
- GBA Retrofit Case Study: "How to Get the Eichler Look Without the Ene...
Since the internet makes us all so cozy from LA to Louisiana, it comes as a surprise to even hard-core building pros that many materials and systems simply don't translate from region to region. Local context simply interferes: price, local expertise, local building codes, availability of materials, even just "no one has done it that way here..." BUT, the internet and social media are shaking things up, in some cool...
When Steve doesn't show up on time for the podcast, Jake and Pete jump all over the idea of roasting him. But the podcast is mainly about why we love working with the "jamoke." It is about a half-hour of stories about the consummate job-site architect, Steve Baczek, the guy we "can't live with; can't live without him."
NOTE: Pete incorrectly calls out Steve's height as 6 - 8; he is actually 6 ...
Jake & Pete get schooled again on dehumidification by Nikki.
- Nikki introduces the acronym HVACD to make dehumidification in equal standing with heating, air conditioning and ventilation.
- Great discussion of the differences between portable ("big box") and whole house dehumidifiers.
- Importance of the change in measurement standards for DEHUs from "80/60" (80 degrees F & 60% RH) to "65/60" fo...
Jake and Pete host good friend Matt Risinger (pretty sure he is “part” of the Build Show...). It starts simple with pre-drywall checklists (you know, like blocking for toilet paper holders...). But boy, it quickly blossoms into a wonderful, wandering discussion of everything from sequencing to quality control to a scopes of work program. Terrific list of resources comes out of this podcast!
Pete’s Resources:
Many of us in the building industry turn to Nikki for all questions dehumidification (certainly including this weeks hosts, Jake & Pete). Nikki goes toe to toe with HVAC techs with a degree in communications and that is because she understands that you have to go tech if you are representing technical products such as dehumidifiers. She connects indoor air quality, occupant comfort, and moisture management. Cool discussion of a...
After the boys were done taking jabs at each other, they each take this question and apply it to their fields: building (Jake), designing (Steve), and enclosure review (Pete). Much of the discussion centers on the cost and expectations that both building professionals and clients have or should set with each other. Another central theme is that pulling in expertise early in the design process may seem as though it is more costly. S...
Daniel Glauser is the Executive Project Manager for Risinger Build in Austin, TX. And he really puts his money where his mouth is. This episode focuses on his deep energy retrofit of a 1977 home in Austin, TX, which will be certified per the Phius Core Revive program. And get this: this soup-to-nuts retrofit is being done while he, his wife, 3 kids, 2 dogs, and several cats are living there full-time. This should be a reality TV sh...
This week's podcast is a discussion about slab-less slabs AND some new projects in which Steve & Jake use alternative or innovative foundation materials or systems. The three boys get off on substantial tangents regarding the environmental profile of foundation materials and construction waste management but hold on: there are great resources below for a host of great topics included in this episode.
Resources:
Steve and his "jamokes" (Jake & Pete) share moments that changed their careers. Especially interesting is that the term jamoke that Steve uses is most often associated with CarTalk host Ray Magliozzi in this quote: "If my brother and I proved one thing, it's that just about any jamoke can host a radio show." Wow, does that nail the three of us and our podcast!
PETE'S RESOURCE(S):
Pete, confused? Pete takes the lead on garages and tries hard not to confuse Steve and Jake (not very successfully...). It's all about how garages are "conditioned" (heated, cooled, dehumidified, ventilated, and filtered) and just what uses the garage is designed for in comparison to the expectations homeowners have in terms of their use(s).
Pete's Resource(s):
- BSC Information Sheet 802: building...
Listeners picked up on two places where perhaps Steve and Jake do not agree (can you imagine....?): Face-seal vs. Drained-rough-opening window/door installations and details at sill plates. After considerable "silliness" (that would be Steve's not Pete's pun...), Jake & Steve reconcile these apparent disagreements with lots of UnBuild It love for each other (WHAT???).
Pete's Resource(s):
Great questions from our listeners!
- How do you determine the best insulation levels by climate (with the best being the greatest value)?
- Does adding screws (at some point during construction) make sense when using Advantech floor sheathing, adhesive, and ring shank nails?
Pete's Resource(s):
- BSI-081: "Zeroing In" - https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/capture-green-value-over-time-not-short-term-payback-anal...
Client involvement is critical in any building project, but this can be a double-edged sword. We need our clients engaged and to manage their expectations, particularly given how much information/stuff is available online. The boys each give their perspective on the importance and the corralling required for client involvement.
Pete's Resource(s):
- Custom Builder May 2006 - "Guiding Customer Expectations" - https://w...
How do you transform below-grade full foundations (also variously called pits, cellars, or basements and historically meant to be or tolerated as damp and cool and dark) into true living-conditioned spaces? We say add four continuous control layers, access to daylight and egress, thermal comfort, and good acoustics—make it a place to thrive as well as live (and even escape).
Pete's Resource(s):
It's funny that Steve, a very nuts-n-bolts guy, hosts this largely philosophical episode. But all three of us agree:
- Separate symptoms from causes—It's easy to get distracted or engrossed in symptoms, but the causes lead to solutions.
- Solutions come much easier if you first identify the problem(s).
- Step back to move forward. It's always tempting to jump on the "obvious" solution, but it pays to understand ...
Who would have thought that our buddy Steve would be more than OK with both off-site building and the homeowner acting as their own General Contractor? But combining Superior Walls for the foundation with Harvest Homes for all of the framing means the GC homeowner is dealing with far fewer trade contractors. Steve, Jake, and Pete walk through the advantages and challenges of offsite building.
Pete's Resource(s):
1. What about whole-house ventilation systems (balanced, exhaust only, supply only) and their impact on pressure balance in homes? And do ERVs/HRVs accommodate pressure imbalances created by things like exhaust fans, stack effect, etc.?
2. Per Steve: to butyl or not to butyl...For areas such as door sills, use butyl sealant or maybe acoustical sealant? We know how fond Steve is of Tremco acoustical sealant (a single-component, non-s...
Tim Hill of Risinger build--Austin homebuilder for over 40 years--teamed up with Matt some 10+ years ago. Tim details his company's approach to architects, customers, and trades, including featuring building science in ALL aspects of their building company. The conversation aptly starts with the job site trailer carrying a Goodman mobile dehumidification unit parked just outside the build studio to the way in which Risinger bu...
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