UnBuild It Podcast

A detailed look at smarter HVAC ducting, better airflow, and what it really takes to manage appliance exhaust and makeup air in high-performance homes.

The boys dive into the how and why behind HVAC duct layout, register placement, and whole-house airflow. They break down how interior design, enclosure performance, and mechanical systems must coordinate—because ducting isn’t just about energy efficiency. Thermal comfort and indoor air quality matter just as much.

They also get into makeup air, kitchen ventilation, and what happens when houses get tighter and appliances get stronger. Lots of building science, lots of clarity, and (of course) a little UBIP chaos.

PETE’S RESOURCES:

• Green Basics – GBA Integrated Design
• Building America – Ducts
• Building Science “The Perfect HVAC”
• ACCA Technical Manuals
• Mechanical Kitchen Ventilation Study
• Makeup Air Systems Example (Fantech)
• IQAir Visual Pro Monitor

What does it really take to grow as a young builder today? Jake and Steve bring in Risinger Build’s Managing Partner, Tim Hill, for a fast-paced, experience-packed conversation full of practical advice for builders looking to level up their craft, business, and mindset.

Jake and Steve give Pete the boot for this one—and for good reason. Tim joins them to share real-world insights on everything from building capital and managing budgets to client communication, niche-building, and avoiding the projects that drain your time and sanity. Across the episode, there are a “baker’s dozen” takeaways that every young builder needs to hear:

1. Build capital each year.
2. Have honest, direct conversations about budgets.
3. Meet clients in person for budget discussions instead of relying on email.
4. Remember that builder or not, you’re in the customer service business.
5. Cost projects accurately, not optimistically.
6. Use the job you’re on to improve the next one.
7. Market your own work and own your story.
8. Don’t take projects just because you feel you have to.
9. Show clients the cool things happening on-site every day—they care more than you think.
10. Think and act like a building professional, not just a carpenter.
11. Trust your gut and say no to the wrong projects or clients.
12. Find your niche instead of trying to be everything to everybody.
13. Don’t let your business consume your entire life.

A ton of wisdom in a single episode—and a must-listen for builders on the rise.

 PETE'S RESOURCES:

1. GBA "Five Cathedral Ceilings That Work:"

2. BSD-149: Unvented Roof Assemblies for All Climates

3. "Convection in Loose-Fill Attic Insulation - Measurements and Numerical Simulations"

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