Seriously? These 3 clowns are sages? The discussion includes how to select the "right” school. How much should a school include building science compared to learning it on the job? And what about even just the 4 control layers?  And all three of us stand squarely with Steve: if you want to design buildings, get out on the job site first, second, and last over the course of your prep and your years on the job. And then take what you learn at the site to improve the information transfer you accomplish with your drawings!

PETE'S RESOURCES:

• The architecture school Steve went to
• Pete taught for Keene State in building science (briefly)
• ACSA (Assoc of Collegiate Schools of Architecture): cool resource including a Quiz that leads you to schools that reflect what you want out of your architecture education
• NICHE Building Science and Technology Graduate Programs in America
• BuildingScience Newsletter: sign up by scrolling to the very bottom of their home page

All of us in the industry have projects--likely early in our careers--that we just either cringe about or wonder how the heck we got away with that one? The boys wax nostalgic about stories of their naivety over the years, turning them into valuable lessons learned. Actual building topics include spray foam, sill sealer, combining blower door & IR imaging, slab-on-grade insulation, and rainscreens.

PETE'S RESOURCES:

• "Foam-In-Place Insulation: 7 Tips for Getting Injection and Spray Foam Right:"
• "Sources of Household Moisture" (GBA blog)

Installing windows is getting more, not less, complicated. Pete lobbies for a different, more durable, and simpler gasket installation of windows. Steve and Jake weigh in with their insights and challenges to what Pete is up to. And a bonus: with Steve and Jake's help, Pete creates a new word: "Poninions" (Pete crashed the words opinions and positions, and his "friends" just could not let it slide).

PETE'S RESOURCES:

- Pella Steady Set: https://www.pella.com/professionals/steady-set/

- Build Show LIVE 2024 Austin, TX: "Why I am a Wingnut: Real World Testing of Building Materials Including Windows & Their Installation:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGLbHItOH-Q

- BSI-004: Drainage, Holes and Moderation - https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-004-drainage-holes-and-moderation

www.santa-fe-products.com/

The boys start with a really cool problem-solving involving a monopoly framing, big overhangs, and thermal bridging. And the follow-up is an excellent question from Western Canada regarding the use of ZIP sheathing with a Class I interior vapor retarder. It's a great discussion involving R-values, air barriers, vapor permeability (including all Classes of vapor retarders), wetting, and drying. Whew! Good thing that Steve had a "great" joke to close this one out...(gag).

 PETE'S RESOURCES:

- GBA: "Calculating Thermal Bridging in a Wood-Framed Building:" 

- BuildingScienceAdvisor: 

- GBA "Can Polyethylene Be Used As An Air Barrier?"

www.mbricotiledecks.com/

If you can't find an experienced high-performance builder, then find a professional builder who is willing to listen and learn! And add in time and money in the budget for that listening and learning. The same can go for your architect. But as Steve says: "SOMEONE has to drive the bus. Put on your big boy pants and move your business to the next level."

 PETE'S RESOURCES:

- Building Enclosure Manufacturers Tech Support - Here are just a few manufacturers with outstanding tech support professionals: Huber, Dorken, Rockwool, Benjamin Obdyke, Prosoco...

 - "How Does Building Geometry Affect Energy Performance, Aesthetics, and Construction Cost?" - https://haus-arch.com/building-geometry/

https://www.arclin.com/

All 3 UBIP podcasters are fond of the Superior Wall System, but connecting the extended "foot" of the foundation wall panel to the basement slab is a bit tricky. But not for Steve, but of course. And while sump pumps OUTSIDE are a mystery to Pete, Jake & Steve walk Pete through it. And a bonus: using gravel to spread the structural load and better manage the water load. All that and a "joke" by Steve to-just-die-for...

PETE'S RESOURCES:

- Superior Wall resources on slab-to-panel connections - https://weaverprecast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Pouring-the-Concrete-Floor-Slab.pdf& https://www.superiorwalls.com/api/getFile/19

- Outdoor sump pumps

- Sump Pump Guide

- https://buildingscience.com/documents/building-science-insights-building-profiles-new-construction/bsi-146-below-grade-water

- "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner

https://www.arclin.com/

Once again, we drive wood into the ground, but only in the context of Permanent Wood Foundations. No surprise that this discussion is all about water & drainage. And some episodes ago, the boys each revealed pivotal moments in their careers in the building industry and wrapped up with a request for your pivotal moments. We got one, but what a doozy from our buddy Carl Seville of SK Collaborative. I think we might be done now (at least for a while) with PWF, but come on now: email us your pivotal moment in our industry!

PETE'S RESOURCES: 

- American Wood Council 2021 Permanent Wood Foundation Specifications NOTE: Need to purchase this one...

- Southern Forest Products Association Permanent Wood Foundations Design & Construction Guide NOTE: freebie...

- Sk Collaborative, Carl Seville & Carl Seville interview

Two great questions about wall assemblies. The boys dig deep, exploring all the variables to consider for both wall assemblies. And no big surprise: Much of the conversation is about how to get these three control layers right (water, air, thermal) and ALSO get the drying potential (vapor) correct.

PETE'S RESOURCES:

- 2021 IRC - Montana

NOTE: The IRC 2021 does NOT include any chapters on energy efficiency/energy requirements...

- Huber Table for ZIP-R recommendations for all climates

- "Check but Verify - Why We Do Multiple Blower Door Tests:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDD-BpTZJ3I

- "When to Perform a Blower Door Test (and when not to)"

Whole bunch of reasons to consider SIP building systems BUT switching from stick-framing is not a walk in the park. But UnBuild It has a ton of experience with SIPs. Next up: Just how stable are the R-values of rigid insulations (the plastic ones with blowing agents) over time? The boys spend just the right amount of time on this on...(just could not resist that).

PETE'S RESOURCES:

- "The Complete Guide to Building With Winter Panels:" 

- BASC SIP Details (SIPA)

-"The BuildingGreen Guide to Thermal Insulation:" 

- "A Study on Variation of Thermal Characteristics of Insulation Materials for Buildings According to Actual Long-Term Annual Aging Variation:" 

Should exterior above-grade wall sheathing or framing line up flush to the outside face of the foundation? Is sealing the bottom of the above-grade wall and foundation with a sill sealer product like Protecto Wrap Triple Guard a good idea? This sets off Jake, Steve, and Pete on balancing water protection, air sealing, and drying potential at this key transition and challenges for control layer continuity. Finally, Steve gets TMI with his sleeping arrangements with his wife...

PETE'S RESOURCES:

• Protecto Wrap Triple Guard
  • NOTE: It is interesting that in their installation drawing, the framed wall is stepped out to line up the framing with the foundation, but they do not lap the sheathing down over the foundation.
•  Huber ZIP Sheathing bottom-of-above grade-wall Detail(s)
  • NOTE: 4 details with "Scenario 4" being spot on for the UnBuild It guys...
• Above-Grade Concrete Foundation Waterproofing