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.
The crew hears from listeners about tight-fitting batt insulation, integrating HVAC equipment, and housing affordability. Discussion questions include foam insulation instead of a concrete slab, closing gaps in laminate flooring, and rainscreens under board siding.
The crew hears from listeners about stair design, broken tool batteries, and toilets from the box store. Discussion questions include buying rental property, attic venting, and modified Bonfig walls.
Consulting engineer and self-described compulsive measurer Marc Rosenbaum talks to Brian and Patrick about improving the comfort and efficiency of residential buildings.
The crew hears from listeners about ceramic paint, prefinished siding, and tiny houses in Texas. Discussion questions include flashing windows in masonry walls, protecting buried fence posts from rot, and using boilers for domestic hot water.
The crew hears from listeners about EV charging, aging in place, and dowsing. Discussion questions include customer communication, covering exposed foundation insulation, and HVAC design.
The crew hears from listeners about ICFs, remodeling a small kitchen, and affordable net-zero and then takes questions on rebuilding a cabin, leaks from wind-driven rain, and refilling hydronic heating systems.
Nic and Carson have thoughts on LEDs. Phil asks about self-stick underlayment on Zip System roof sheathing. Buzz wants to add a shade structure over his paver patio. Knot Painter asks about priming new drywall. Mark is trying to lower his home’s humidity.
The crew hears from listeners about gas stoves, screw-pile lighthouses, and LEDs. Discussion questions include roots lifting a garage, leaky porch ceilings, and central dehumidifiers.
The crew hears from listeners about WRBs, Brian’s porch piers, and hidden costs of construction. Discussion questions include tightening a stone foundation, stucco on straw bales, and low-buck energy upgrades.
The crew hears from listeners about manufactured houses and DIY lighting with LEDs. Discussion questions include unstuck flashing tape, sealing the bottom of new windows, and EV chargers.
The crew hears from listeners about affordable net-zero, roofing underlayment, and garage separation. Discussion questions include fixing trusses, frost-protected foundations, and air-control strategies.
Listeners share thoughts on condensate drains, fake shutters, and silicosis. The crew takes questions on insulating a floor system, converting a former storage building to living space, and how to use LED strip lighting.
In the final episode of Pro Talk, Ian, Andy, and Jude talk about engaging with young adults to foster an interest in the building trades from the perspectives of the contractor and of the apprentice.
The crew hears from listeners about sound attenuation, plumbing, and LED lighting. Discussion questions include high-humidity spaces, best building practices, and garage-door weatherstripping.
Ian and Josh talk about managing risk in the built environment and how Josh’s vocation as an insurance adjuster has influenced the design of the home he is building for his family.
Listeners share their thoughts on storm shutters, LED light solutions, ERVs vs. HRVs, and contractor licensing. The crew takes questions on writing good contracts, testing DWV systems, and common problems with modular homes.
Ian talks to John Klabacka of Associated Training Services in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin about training the next generation of crane and heavy-equipment operators, and jobsite safety.
Dan Kolbert shares his thoughts on cordless power tools and batteries. Jeff suggests curbside pickup. Chris shows us a good-looking drop ceiling. Bill is contemplating a roof and insulation upgrade. Evan is considering an attic-to-living-space conversion. Felix asks about pocket screws for framing. Wade wants to know which construction trade shows he should visit.
Ian talks to builder and remodeler Jon Beer about building your own home as a construction professional and how to improve your business by defining processes and developing procedures.