The Fine Homebuilding Podcast

Listeners share their home shop ideas. The crew answers questions about insulating above-grade basement walls and how to form and insulate the edges of a building slab. Tune in to Episode 656 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: Tips and tricks for a productive home shop How to insulate basement walls with rigid insulation Edge insulation and form work for a thickened-edge slab Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: Episode 656 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer, the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

Brian, Ian and Patrick hear from listeners and answer building questions. Does it make sense to dehumidify under a basement subfloor? Do basement windows need a header? Tune in to Episode 655 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: How engineers test structures Does active dehumidification of a basement subfloor make sense Do basement windows need a header Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: *insert link to podcast episode page* ➡️ E-Learning Sketchup for Builders by Jon Beer ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

The Podcast crew talk about the beauty and benefits of functional shutters. Matt shows us how to save wildlife from window wells. Richard explains how to improve attic air handlers and ductwork. Matt Millham shares his favorite lime wash recipe. Tune in to Episode 654 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: Mike talks about how shutters protect homes from sun and storms Richard talks about the best way to run HVAC in unconditioned attics Matt explains how Ann Arbor is requiring home energy ratings at resale Mixing your own lime wash for masonry Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 654 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer, the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

Peri, who is having a disagreement with a coworker, asks the Podcast about insulating structural columns for an elevated deck. The FHB Podcast crew talks about getting kitchen design help from multiple designers. Peri asks if there's any reason to insulate hollow porch columns and address walls. Robert has been house shopping in the Bay Area and every real estate inspection indicates problem vapor barriers. Tune in to Episode 653 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: Kitchen design rules for tight budgets Decks structure and Canadian stair design Where to put vapor retarders in mixed climates Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 653 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer, the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

This week's favorite question comes from Jim who asks on Fine Homebuilding's forum if he can replace rotted pressure-treated decking or does he have to rebuild the whole deck. The FHB Podcast crew talks about cross-compatibility of power tool batteries. Contractor Evan in Dallas is asking how to replace moldy sheathing behind brick without removing the brick. The crew offers their best suggestions and discuss the importance of managing vapor drive behind brick or other reservoir claddings. Tune in to Episode 652 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: Power tool battery pack construction and cross-compatibility Deck construction and durability of pressure-treated lumber Brick veneer vapor control and moldy framing and sheathing Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 652 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer, the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

The Podcast question of the week comes from Chris, who asks about the best way to install inset windows so they're easy to replace when the time comes. We also hear from Superspeeder on YouTube who wants more details on Ian's Pretty Good House. Finally, Matthew asks if you need an air barrier behind board ceilings and wall paneling. Tune in to Episode 651 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: What makes a Pretty Good House The basics on inset window installations Cool ideas for a home shop and shop techniques for the job site Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 651 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer,the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen

The Podcast question of the week comes from Tyler, who is building a bridge from native lumber over his hogs. We also hear from Dan Kolbert of Kolbert Building and coauthor of Pretty Good House. Dan shares thoughts on sustainable building. Finally, Matthew asks if you need an air barrier behind board ceiling and wall paneling. Tune in to Episode 650 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about: The importance of drywall or another air barrier behind tongue-and-groove boards How to build a boardwalk using native, locally sawn lumber The advantages and challenges of installing exterior insulation Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at [email protected]. ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 650 ➡️ Learn about SketchUp for Builders by Jon Beer,the new E-learning course from Fine Homebuilding ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media: Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

Listeners write in about trade work and deck longevity and ask questions about sealing crawlspaces, transitions where masonry meets framing, and vented attics with AC ductwork.

Listeners write in about English spray foam and wonky doors and ask questions about vent-free dryers, retaining walls, and home energy use.

Listeners write in about opera and keeping young by building and ask questions about leaky light fixtures, porch conversions, and installing wood siding.

Listeners write in about building on a mesas and their experience with pin foundations and ask questions about a missing band joist, sustainable building, and bath ventilation

Listeners write in about condensing dryers, giant gears, and saggy doors. They ask questions about chimney safety, longevity of black windows, and rot-resistant assemblies.

Listeners write in about changing careers and organizing volunteer builders and ask questions about high humidity, underfloor cooling, and removing ceiling texture.

Listeners write in about tightening a Cape and ask questions about roof insulation, budget busters and how much designer is enough for a basic kitchen remodel.

Listeners write in about insulating attics, foundations for additions, and dodgy electrical devices. They ask questions about truss uplift, wet ceilings and siding a second time.

In this best-of episode the FHBcrew discuss windows that open onto decks, keeping kitchen remodels affordable, painting stucco, and more.

Listeners write in about kiln-dried pressure treated lumber and bad deck details. They ask questions about conditioning a shop, installing hardwood, and building a pretty good house.

Listeners write in about water treatment, masonry heaters, and leak detectors. They ask questions about finding builders for high-performance homes, foundation insulation, and foundation settlement.

Listeners write in about changing careers, rain screen raised beds, and introducing people to trade work. They ask questions about buying a moldy house, choosing construction as a career, and building on a sandstone mesa.

A conversation with Bill Grande , Vice President: Codes, Standards and Compliance at electrical device manufacturer Leviton.

Listeners write in about wonky doors and hacking water heaters and ask questions about insulating a four square's attic, adding on to an existing foundation, and deck construction.

Listeners write in about keeping pipes from freezing, and wood species for porch railings. They ask questions about tongue-and-groove siding, mass timber construction, and moldy minisplits.

Listeners write in about endangered overhangs, mass timber, and DIY sawmills. They ask questions about opening windows in a Pretty Good House, insulating 2x6 rafters, and insulating trusses.

Listeners write in about skinny houses, green-building upgrades, and leak detectors. They ask questions about flashing windows, protecting footings from frost, and back-to-basics home builds.

Listeners write in about landscape lighting, airsealing porch ceilings, and foregoing inspections, and ask questions about DIY dense-pack insulation, fixing a wonky door, and detailing envelope penetrations.

Listeners write in about ADUs, data-hogging washers, and foregoing inspections. They ask questions about replacing functioning HVAC systems, reinforcement for footings, and repairing a garage built on fill.

The FHB Podcast discusses refrigerants, the HVAC industry, and HVAC worker training.

Listeners write in about outdoor showers, a Philadelphia carpentry teacher, and the science of hail damage. We ask building scientist Monica Rokicki-Guajardo questions about building performance, HVAC systems, and indoor air quality.

Listeners write in about shade structures, metaphors for air-sealing, and the HVAC industry and ask questions about porch railings, porch flooring, and Japanese footings.

Listeners write in about off-site construction, displaying old walls, and building outbuildings and ask questions about leaky doors, missing flashing, and insulating kneewalls.

Listeners write in about high water bills, soggy straw bales, and house fires and ask questions about tightening wood-fiber walls, places without inspections, and heat pump water heaters.

Listeners write in about EVs, sources of CO, and structural engineering and ask questions about roof insulation, rim joists, and shrinking houses.

Listeners write in about water conservation, useful books, and work trucks. Questions include builders in Oklahoma, roof insulation, and fixing ice dams.

Listeners write in about the value of FHB and ask questions about basement flooring, condensation on windows, HVAC register locations, and heat-pump water heaters.

Listeners write in about off-site construction and ask questions about board-framed walls, sealed crawlspaces, and overflowing laundry standpipes.

Listeners write in about Super Insulated Houses and water pipes and ask questions about building a house inside a barn, sidewall flashing, and chimney dampers.

Listeners write in about high-performance builds, wall insulation, and EV vans and ask questions about bad building, insulating a lean-to, and minisplit air distribution.

Listeners write in about handyman businesses, NASA's stuck screws, and leak detectors and ask questions about old houses, sizing beams, and restoring windows.

A talk with Heather Clark Director of Building Emissions for the White House Climate Policy Office and feedback on missing water, Bay Area renovations, and pex manifolds.

Listeners write in about choosing pipe material, finding a good contractor, charred timbers, and PV utility costs, and ask questions about venting metal roofing, air-sealing, and foundation drainage.

Listeners write in about work vehicles and faulty LEDs and ask about extension jambs, charred timber frames, and wood flooring on concrete.

Listeners write in about producer Jeff and moving heavy things and ask questions about WRBs, cavity insulation without sheathing, and IV drips for mold.

Listeners write in about HVAC design, missing water, and a young builder and ask questions about rotted sills, builders and their comfort zone, and roofing shoes.

Listeners write in about home-repair businesses, vertical siding, and click-together flooring and ask about stucco, build teams and building product warranties.

Peter is navigating the Massachusetts stretch building code. Jim needs help choosing a domestic water pipe system. Wayne wants to tighten his attic. Adam asks about long-term tests of AeroBarrier.

The crew hears from listeners about contracting in high-end zip codes and the economy of electric cars. Discussion questions include installing shou sugi ban forest products, saving leftover material, and how to air-seal a floor system that overhangs the foundation.

The editors discuss widening an existing deck, modern timber-frame buildings, inexpensive building products, work vehicles, and installing a vented bath fan in this best-of compilation.

Peter's DIY addition appears on Google Street View. Ed shares a chart of common house problems. A listener says ethernet cables are not for lighting. Evan asks for help flashing the bottom of a metal building. Listeners email about energy retrofits and siting new houses.

The crew hears from listeners about protecting buried posts, hydronic HVAC, and building affordable houses. Discussion questions include small low-slope roofs, calculating heating and cooling loads, and encouraging the next generation of trade workers.

The crew hears from listeners about housewrap, replacing windows in brick openings, and managing heavy beams. Discussion questions include wood foundations, raising a ceiling in a ranch, and sealing up panned joist returns.