152 - Thermal & Structural Loads: Insulation, Wood, and Concrete
03/19/2026 | 40 mins.
How much load can insulation actually carry—and are we over-engineering residential buildings without realizing it? This episode goes deep into the structural and thermal realities behind common building materials. The crew breaks down compressive loading on rigid insulation, long-term creep behavior, and how these factors influence slab and foundation design. From there, the conversation expands into thermal bridging challenges in wood and concrete assemblies, and how innovative framing systems like EcoSmart and Tolko aim to improve performance. Along the way, they question a core assumption in residential construction: are we solving problems that don’t actually exist? The discussion highlights where engineering matters—and where it may be overkill. And in true UnBuild It fashion, Steve closes things out with an unexpected design tangent involving beehives. Pete’s Resources: Compressive Creep Behavior of EPS Geofoam BSI-059: Slab Happy BSI-118: Concrete Solutions EcoSmart Studs Tolko Wall Framing
151 - Where Matters: Climate
03/05/2026 | 29 mins.
Climate drives building performance. In the first episode of a three-part series, Pete, Steve, and Jake explore why climate matters so much in building science. Steve kicks off the discussion with a simple analogy: Would you pack the same suitcase for Minneapolis in February, Honolulu in March, and New Orleans in July? Of course not. Buildings work the same way. Design decisions about insulation, vapor control, air barriers, and drying potential all depend on where the building lives. The conversation walks through how climate zones influence building enclosure strategy and why national research from the Building America program has shaped modern high-performance construction. And of course, no climate discussion would be complete without Joe Lstiburek’s “Perfect Wall,” one of the most influential concepts in applied building science. This is the first of three episodes exploring how location shapes building design. Next up: Site and Extreme Events. Pete’s Resources: Building America Solution Center – Climate search PNNL US Climate Map Guide BSC Enclosures That Work BSC BSI-001 The Perfect Wall
150 - Social Media: The Best and Worst of Building Science
02/19/2026 | 41 mins.
Is social media helping the building industry—or hurting it? Matt Risinger joins Jake and Steve as the Three Social Media Amigos to roast Pete, the resident social media skeptic, and unpack what online platforms really mean for builders, architects, and building science pros. The conversation draws a sharp line between the dark side of social media—misinformation, marketing noise, and ego-driven content—and its best potential: real information transfer, community, and better buildings through shared knowledge. It’s entertaining, honest, and occasionally brutal (especially for Pete), but it also raises serious questions about how we learn, teach, and influence in a digital world. The takeaway? Social media can either amplify expertise or dilute it. The difference comes down to intent, integrity, and how we use the tools. Pete’s Resources: Information Transfer in Social Media (ResearchGate) Matt Risinger – The Build Show Jake Bruton Steve Baczek Pete Yost
149 - I’ll Tell You Where to Stick That Opinion
02/05/2026 | 34 mins.
Who really matters most on a building project—and can the team actually work together? In this episode, the crew digs into the five “gears” of the building process: designers, builders, manufacturers, consultants, and building owners or users. The big question is whether any one of those gears is more important than the others—or whether good buildings only happen when they all mesh. Steve cuts straight to the chase, sharing how he really feels about consultants (that would be Pete) and, in particular, energy modelers. The discussion gets lively, honest, and occasionally spicy, but the takeaway is clear: the best-performing buildings come from integrated teams that respect each role and work together from the start. It’s a candid look at collaboration, friction, and why integrated design isn’t just a buzzword—it’s essential if you actually want buildings that perform as intended. Pete’s Resources: GBA Integrated Design WBDG Engage the Integrated Design Process BuildingGreen – Integrated Project Delivery GBA Residential Commissioning ORNL Free WUFI Versions
Are vented crawlspaces really a bad idea—and can you actually over-insulate a window frame? The crew gets fired up tackling two topics that refuse to die in building science conversations. First up is crawlspaces. The boys dig into a bit of U.S. crawlspace history, what vented crawlspaces were originally intended to do, and why they so often fail to perform as hoped. They walk through what crawlspaces should and should not do, and why climate, moisture, and enclosure strategy matter far more than tradition. Then Steve takes the lead on one of his favorite “dumb ideas”: over-insulating window frames. While improving window performance absolutely matters, the discussion makes the case that, except in very cold climates, obsessing over frame insulation can introduce new water-management risks—and distract from much bigger thermal priorities elsewhere in the enclosure. Classic UnBuild It: strong opinions, real-world building science, and a reminder to focus effort where it actually moves the performance needle. Pete’s Resources: Building America Solution Center – Crawlspaces BSI-115: Crawlspaces – Either In or Out LSU La House Crawlspace GBA Q&A on Window Frame Insulation Pete Yost on Thermal Buck
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.
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