The Flow Lab

Sam Myers is joined by Lee Canegaly from Retrotec’s tech support and dev team, along with Michael and Greg, to talk about what happens when blower door testing moves beyond code compliance and into industrial rooms, fire suppression systems, and strange building failures. The episode gets into enclosure integrity, blast-proof shelters, server rooms, and why field testing beats guessing every time....

Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Brantley May to talk indoor air quality investigations, building forensics, and why you need both a contaminant and a pathway for a real problem. Brantley explains how blower doors, duct testing, and pressure diagnostics help prove where mold, smoke, dust, and odors actually enter a home. They also go over common misses from standard inspections, plus why bet...

Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Jake Bruton to talk blower door testing, airtightness, and why data beats opinions every time. Jake explains why he tests multiple times during a build, what leak paths still surprise teams, and how those checks reduce risk and callbacks. They also get into vetting HVAC contractors for low load homes and why buy-in matters more than bravado. If you are seriou...

Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Xavier Walter of the Building Performance Association to talk about the workforce gap, why HVAC contractors need building science partners, and where the industry is headed next. They get into apprenticeship and workforce development, how weatherization and HVAC can work together, and why callbacks drop when contractors solve the whole problem. Plus, a quick...

Sam Myers and Ben Walker sit down with Joe Medosch to talk about why indoor air quality is personal, and why better HVAC diagnostics matter more than ever. They break down MeasureQuick, direct capture, and the accountability gap that still holds the industry back. You will also hear why “the occupant is the greatest sensor,” plus what wildfire smoke and ventilation mean for real homes. If this hel...

Most “Indoor Air Quality upgrades” are just gadgets in a box. And a lot of them can make things worse.  HVAC and building science veteran John Ellis joins Sam Myers and Ben Walker to break down what actually moves the needle in a home: thermal comfort, ventilation, filtration, humidity control, building pressure, and source control.  If you build, renovate, or work on HVAC, this episode will chang...

Everyone blames the HVAC System. Most of the time, that’s wrong. Nikki Krueger breaks down why modern homes struggle with humidity, even with high-efficiency systems, and why dehumidification has become a missing piece in comfort, health, and durability. Sam, Ben and Nikki talk crawl spaces, shoulder seasons, overcooling, air leakage, ventilation mistakes, and the real-world install details contra...

High school students are building real, high-performance homes… and hitting 0.9 ACH50. Matt Blomquist joins The Flow Lab to unpack how his class builds tighter houses than most pros, why blower-door testing is a game-changer, and how hands-on education is shaping the next generation of builders. If you care about building science, air sealing, or the future of the trades, this episode hits hard. M...

On this episode of Flow Lab, Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Leilani Orr and Ty Branaman from the Grit Foundation to talk about a very practical way to grow the trades pipeline: youth camps where kids actually do the work. Instead of PowerPoints and lectures, these camps drop 12–17-year-olds into escape-room-style challenges with real tools, real wiring, and real jobsite scenarios. Mentors...

Solar & heat pumps can be a dream team or a challenge when time‑of‑use rates and sloppy sizing collide. Brent Davidson joins Ben Walker and Sam Myers to share a contractor‑first playbook: fix the enclosure, model the real load, then pair PV, storage, and controls so bills go down and stay down. We discuss home battery technology, how TOU windows change design decisions, and why rules of thumb...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook -------------------------------- In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast , hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers are joined by John Konstantakopoulos and Joseph Cheung to discuss the challenges of improving airtightness and energy efficiency in Australian ho...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook -------------------------------- In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast, hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Sean Maxwell , Scheme Manager at ATTMA Australia & New Zealand, to discuss airtightness in buildings and the challenges of impro...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook -------------------------------- In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast, hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Denali Jones , Technical Director at the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) , to talk about how large buildings are tested fo...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook -------------------------------- In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast , hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers are joined by Barry Cope , Managing Director of ATTMA (Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association), affectionately known as "Mr. Blow...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast, hosts Ben Walker , Co-CEO of RetroTec and Sam Myers , building science specialist and RetroTec trainer, sit down with Kevin Hart , Founder and CEO of HavenIAQ , a company focused on transforming the way we moni...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast, hosts Ben Walker , Co-CEO of RetroTec, and Sam Myers , building science specialist and RetroTec trainer, sit down with Niek-Jan Bink , Director/co-owner at ACIN instrumenten and mastermind behind innovative too...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab , hosts Ben Walker , Co-CEO of RetroTec, and Sam Myers , building science specialist and RetroTec trainer, are joined by Amit Gupta , the CEO of Aeroseal . Together, they explain the innovative world of air sealing tech...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab Podcast, hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers continue their conversation with Brendan Reid , a pioneer in home performance and HVAC sales. Brendan shares expert knowledge into ductwork efficiency, sales strategies, and the s...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab, hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Brendan Reid , an industry veteran and founder of Retrotec, to look into the history and evolution of blower door testing, energy auditing, and building performance. Brendan...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook In this episode of The Flow Lab , hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Colin Genge , founder of RetroTec and a pioneer in building science and HVAC innovation. They take a look at the origins of blower doors, the evolution of air tightness tes...

The basics to help you understand homes as a system. Download our FREE ebook and start solving problems like a pro. 👉 https://bit.ly/flow-lab-ebook Welcome to the very first and special episode of The Flow Lab , where hosts Ben Walker and Sam Myers sit down with Harold Orr , a pioneering figure in building science and energy efficiency. Harold shares the fascinating story behind the invention of...

Welcome to The Flow Lab Podcast by Retrotec! This is a project that Ben and Sam have been working on for a while. The goal is to provide education and news on technology advancements in the industry through a new platform. In each episode, we interview industry leaders and innovators whether they have been in the industry for a while or are up-and-coming pros. Our first episode drops next week wit...