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UnBuild It Podcast

UnBuild It Podcast

By: Unbuild It Podcast
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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.

© 2026 UnBuild It Podcast Economics Science
Episodes
  • 152 - Thermal & Structural Loads: Insulation, Wood, and Concrete

    152 - Thermal & Structural Loads: Insulation, Wood, and Concrete
    Mar 19 2026

    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
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    40 mins
  • 151 - Where Matters: Climate

    151 - Where Matters: Climate
    Mar 5 2026

    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
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    30 mins
  • 150 - Social Media: The Best and Worst of Building Science

    150 - Social Media: The Best and Worst of Building Science
    Feb 19 2026

    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
    Show more Show less
    42 mins
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