The Fine Homebuilding Podcast

Ian and Mike help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Richard shares some insider knowledge of modern HVAC compressors. Listeners write in with theories about Mike's stinky sink. Sebastian asks how to build good-looking and affordable multi-family housing. Zak wonders about the right way to flash windows under vertical shiplap siding. Tune in to Episode 758 of the Fine Ho...

Ian and Mike help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Vic thinks we could have brought additional value to a porch roof redo. Erik from Sweden solved his wintertime foggy windows. Jonathan wonders what is oozing from his siding. Richard shares what kind of house you get in Central Texas for $368k.   Tune in to Episode 757 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more abo...

In episode Episode 756 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast, Mike and Randy help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Mario says a good developer helped him become better at installing windows. Marv likes a big right-angle drill for rough-ins. Brit wonders how to treat a storage area that's neither inside nor outside. Mike, Randy, and Patrick talk about the Fine Homebuilding S...

High-performance builder Ben Bogie interviews Tedd Benson about a life spent building houses. Tedd shared how moving from substandard housing to a well-built house changed his family's life and how it steered his path to becoming a home builder. He also discussed the evolution of his businesses and the importance of innovation in the construction industry. Tune in to Episode 755 of the Fine Homebu...

Ian and Randy help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Tom says the podcast got it wrong when discussing the energy use of evaporative versus steam humidifiers. Tim likes IKEA cabinets and asks about exterior insulation for a rehabbed house in New Hampshire. Cari asks if the trend of DIYers taking on extremely ambitious projects is new or is it something that's always exi...

Ian and Randy help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. David asks if there's a secret to effectively using self-leveling compound. Another David wonders if it's better to be a specialist or generalist carpenter. Patrick asks what's been driving the rapid increase in home prices over the last two decades. Mike and Teresa say their bathroom sink stinks and they are hoping f...

Ian and Grant help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Scott is sharing some old Taunton books with his kids. Jim alerts us to panel sheathing made from grass.  Daniel is contemplating buying a fixer-upper in Alabama. An FHB Forum participant needs help designing a porch roof that won't be a problem later. Tune in to Episode 752 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn m...

Producer Cari asks for advice on how to tactfully educate your contractor about best practice. Robert shares a story about an ambitious couple saving a dilapidated Civil-War Era house they bought in an auction. Jim shows us how early 20th Century builders bragged about insulation. John wonders why his bathroom ceiling is wet in the summer. Travis asks about insulating walls and adding a thermal br...

In this special edition of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast, the crew discusses effective roof, wall and deck flashing techniques to celebrate Flashing Awareness Day. Special guest Aron Jones of Big Dog Construction joins the Podcast to talk about good and bad flashing techniques and why it's so important to keep bulk water out of buildings. Aron builds houses on Grand Manan Island in Canada's Bay of...

Randy and Ian help Patrick address listener feedback about RTA cabinets and shim screws before talking about the best way to insulate a post frame building that's being converted to living space and the pros and cons of an extra sheathing layer under steel siding.     Tune in to Episode 749 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  How IKEA cabinets hold up in the real world  The best...

Dan Kolbert says to use the tools that work best. Mike Guertin offers advice for site-built scaffold. Jordan asks about fixing leaks behind stucco exteriors. Greg wonders if he should insulate the floor of his garage shop.    Tune in to Episode 748 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  Altering the size and height of Mike Guertin's A-frame scaffold system  How to track down a leak...

Matt Puntin says that helical piers are a game-changer. Patrick and Greg alert us to lab-grown lumber. Brad asks about controlling humidity in a beautiful, old brick house. D_Dart wonders which is the right exterior insulation.  Tune in to Episode 747 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  The potential benefits of lab-grown lumber How to control humidity in an old brick house in a...

Ken describes the efficiency of common residential humidification systems. Bob reminds us about concrete igloos. Miranda asks the Podcast what has changed in residential construction since the first episodes. Grant talks about a new category of quieter impact driver called hydraulic or oil-impulse drivers.  Tune in to Episode 746 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  The energy co...

Dack says we should reconsider our endorsement of LP SmartSide. Josh suggests we come up with a better name for water vapor. John wonders how to insulate his concrete garage ceiling. Keegan shares a tale sizing a heating and cooling system using AI.  Tune in to Episode 745  of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  The environmental tradeoffs of engineered wood siding How to insulate...

Welcome to the Fine Homebuilding podcast, our weekly discussion of building, remodeling, and design topics aimed at anybody who cares deeply about the craft and science of working on houses. In  Episode 744 , our best-of show, the Podcast crew revisits some of their favorite segments. Tune in to Episode 744 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  How to asses leaks behind stucco Bui...

John says that listening the FHB Podcast has him mildly terrorized. Bob wonders about using a post and manufactured earth anchor for raising his bat house. Paul is concerned that his old building's bricks are unsound. Zak asks if we know about Top Star shim screws. Special guest Josh Edmonds and Ian Schwandt discuss Josh's Fine Homebuilding Summit class before helping help Patrick address listener...

David describes an audacious tool thief and shares insights into the best clear finishes.  Tom asks Ian if he can provide sources to further his research about trade craft and guilds in Colonial America. Anna wonders is she can safely change the design of Mike Guertin's scaffold. Chris seeks advice about building a modular house on a wet site in Texas.  Tune in to Episode 742 of the Fine Homebuild...

Randy and Ian help Patrick address listener feedback about rampant tool theft and softening hard water without brine. They answer questions about running ductwork in a slab-on-grade ranch house and foundation fixes for bowed block walls.     Tune in to Episode 741 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  How new tools don't necessarily have the appeal of old favorites   Using plenum...

Casey Knips joins Grant and Patrick to talk about his FHB class on hanging complex interior doors before the whole crew addresses listener feedback and answers their home building questions. Austin alerts the FHB Podcast team about nails made from wood fiber and nailers made for driving them. S eth wonders if plywood laminations can be used instead of dimensional lumber to sister rotten floor jois...

Vince says we spent a lot of time not answering his question. David thinks it has been too long since FHB covered igloos. Steve wonders how to insulate and air-seal the bump-out breakfast nook that's showing signs of water entry. Grant was shocked to learn a current project is framed without studs.  Tune in to Episode 739 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  Controlling humidity...

Ian, Randy, and Patrick address listener feedback about training to be a GC and the safety and sustainability of two-part DIY spray foam kits. They answer a builder in North Carolina who's considering SmartSide engineered siding as an alternative to fiber-cement and FHB Forum poster who is adding an LVL beam to strengthen his second-floor floor system. Tune in to Episode 738  of the Fine Homebuild...

Grant, Ian and Patrick address listener feedback about felt WRBs and building your own interior doors. Then they tackle questions about affordable entry doors and installing and living with Ikea kitchen cabinets. Tune in to Episode 737  of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  Building your own interior doors for odd-sized openings Options for affordable entry doors Pros and cons to...

Brian and Ian help Patrick address listener feedback and answer their questions. Brian talks about interesting things happening at FHB and Ian describes what he'll be covering at his class during the fine Homebuilding Summit.   Tune in to Episode 736 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  Tool theft in the US, UK, and Canada and its effect on trade workers The pros and cons to clea...

Brian, Ian and Patrick talk about plans for the 2026 Fine Homebuilding Summit. James shares his advice for insulating and air-sealing attic knee walls. Chris wonders if window manufacturers should be teaching installers how to flash windows. Heather asks how to detail a slab on grade foundation with interior stem wall insulation. Ian seeks advice on addressing a previous owners questionable upgrad...

Ian and Grant help Patrick Adress listener feedback and answer their questions about ventilation for a small apartment building and the best way to fit doors when the floor slopes around them. David discusses bath tub drains in Japan and Taiwan. Will shares tips for airtight windows with tight fitting extension jambs. Greg asks about ventilation for his four-unit apartment building. Jim wonders if...