The Fine Homebuilding editors discuss questions about running a remodeling business, maintaining access to buried plumbing, dealing with leaky soffits, and more.

After celebrating Rob's viral success with an online video of his pedal-powered snow plow in action, Rob, Patrick, and Matt try to find answers to listeners' problems with leaky pipes, leaky walls, and leaky attic vents. Maybe we can nail down some solutions for the ever-present old-house moisture issues once and for all.

The Fine Homebuilding editors offer advice for several old-home upgrades, compare notes on their favorite home-building books, and invite listeners to stop by our mobile podcast studio at the International Builders' Show.

Patrick, Matt, and Rob share some great listener feedback about questions from previous shows (keep that feedback coming, folks!) before they discussed attic and staircase remodels in Maine, a garage-workshop in New Jersey, and a possible door replacement project in who knows where. There are a few special details to report this week: IBS 2019 is just around the corner, and we're looking for folks to chat with on the podcast while we're at the show; there's also a sweepstakes going on where anyone can enter to win a $500 shopping spree in the Taunton Bookstore. 

The Fine Homebuilding editors discuss the dangers of remodeling a house without informing the local building department.

Patrick, Matt, and Rob share some great listener feedback about home-workshop air quality before tackling questions about legally renovating a home, the pros and cons of radiant floor heating, and solutions for air trapped in a hydronic heating system.

This week the editors attempt to answer several unique questions including "What's the best sealer for end cuts on decking?" and "Is there a reliable way to flash a masonry chimney to a standing-seam roof?"

Patrick and Matt kick off the podcast by grilling Rob about his messy metal shop–but they all agree that (most) craftspeople need to have a ready supply of scrap materials at hand to feed their creative projects. Then it’s on to an assortment of listeners’ emails, with questions about ventilation requirements for a metal-clad, slab-on-grade home; the ideal product for protecting end grain on cedar and hemlock that will be exposed to the elements; and options for keeping water out of the gap between a chimney and a metal roof.

Matt, Kiley and Patrick hear from listeners about pink bathrooms and pillows before taking questions on moving an AC condenser, DIYing a concrete patio, and staying comfortable with a single-zone HVAC system.

In this episode, host and managing editor Justin Fink, editor in chief Rob Yagid, and design editor Brian Pontolilo tackle the challenge of building a whole house on a very tight budget. They cover everything from site work to building design to windows, insulation, roofing, siding, HVAC, interiors, and appliances.

The FHB editors field questions about the perils of an unheated shop, concerns about insulating a band joist behind brick veneer, and how to build a "fine" house on a tight budget.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to building code expert Peter Kulczyk about his three decades in the building industry. He has written six books on building codes and energy codes and he has taught classes for inspectors in ten states.

Patrick, Kiley, and Matt answer questions about how to frame a roof with I-joists, a confusing code requirement for framing nails, and how different types of floor joist hold up in a fire.

One podcast listener wonders if he should jack up his drooping joists or if he can just create a flat floor using tapered sleepers over the old subfloor.

On this week's show, Patrick, Matt, and Rob talk about rigid fiberglass insulation, saving energy with low-flow shower heads, and siding details on houses with garrison-style overhangs, before answering listeners' questions about leveling floor framing, bringing the grade up for an accessible entrance, and what books to read to become a better builder.

Today's building pros are more willing to swap stories about their crafts than their predecessors were. Is that good or bad for business?

Justin Fink joins Patrick and Rob this week and starts off the show with discussions about learning from other tradespeople and about what it would take to get started in blacksmithing. Then the crew dives into several listener questions about insulating without removing siding; avoiding moisture build-up under mats in a basement rec room; keeping cold air out of a walk-up attic; and building a tornado-proof house with ICFs.

In this episode, host and managing editor Justin Fink talks with editor-in-chief Rob Yagid and design editor Brian Pontolilo about mold problems, roof-framing options, and the moral obligation of building to code.

Matt, Rob, and Patrick hear from listeners about fraudulent contractors and making a gazebo from a lightning-damaged tree, before taking questions about minisplits, pex plumbing, and weather-beaten house wrap.

Shawn has a lot to say about closing the skills gap. He suggests that one part of the solution is to "solve your own skills gap" — that is, run your business right, use the right hiring process, and train the right people. Shawn also takes an interesting look at the financials of going into the trades vs going to college.

In this episode of the podcast Patrick and Kiley pick Steve’s brain on how architects and builders can have a better partnership and what the real role of an architect should be. He also gives us a taste of his upcoming presentation at the Fine Homebuilding Summit. Patrick and Kiley talk about fitting drawers and building cabinet doors.

The crew hears from listeners about heating humid air and can light replacement before taking listener questions on how to seal can lights, the best way to build a workshop, and what to do about small inaccessible foundations.

The Fine Homebuilding editors offer advice about framing new stairs for a deck, choosing the right level for a whole-house construction project, and figuring out how to upgrade an old HVAC system for efficiency and comfort.

Patrick kicks off this week's conversation with an update on his trial of Spray & Forget mold remover to clean up the grungy siding on his house, then Rob contemplates some interesting architectural follies he saw on a local country road. Matt gets us into a more technical topic–one contractor's peculiar way of insulating the underside of a house built on piers–before the crew jumps into answering a few listeners' emails.

The FHB editors offer advice to listeners with uninsulated solid-masonry walls, unusual flashing-material substitutions, uncommon cladding comparisons, and confusing insulation mandates.

The FHB crew takes questions on choosing water heaters, mixing and matching exterior building materials, getting historic renovations right, and more.

One of our favorite podcast-crew alumni joins us to discuss the best way to build a garage floor, whether a builder should hire a laborer or an apprentice, and how to make a worn out wood floor look beautiful again.

Justin spells out his plan for the future and Brian talks about the future of FHB. This special episode talks to former Fine Homebuilding editor Justin Fink and the new editor Brian Pontolilo.

In the second installment of this two-part Pro-Talk podcast, Patrick talks to Ace McArleton General Director and Managing Partner for New Frameworks, a high-performance home builder in Burlington, VT.  

Matt, Rob and Patrick hear from listeners about frozen hellscapes and pitch pockets before taking listener questions on real estate appraisals, treating tradespeople with respect, and energy improvements in a new build.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Ace McArleton General Director and Managing Partner for New Frameworks, a high-performance home builder in Burlington, VT.  

Matt, Kiley and Patrick hear from listeners about knowing the code and changing careers before taking questions on sealing ductwork, canceling a brick opening, and fixing wonky stairs.

In the second part of this two-part Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Rob Delaney, an Assessor/Quality Control Inspector for MCS Community Services in Jacksonville, Illinois, a weatherization firm improving the efficiency of housing for low income people.

Kiley, Rob and Patrick hear from listeners about sawhorses, spray foam, and winter in Minnesota, before taking questions about garage insulation, canceling window openings, and how to get your dream job in construction

In this two-part Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks Rob Delaney, an Assessor/Quality Control Inspector for MCS Community Services in Jacksonville, Illinois, a weatherization firm improving the efficiency of housing for low income people.

Kiley, Brian, and Patrick hear from listeners about sawhorses and thermography before taking questions on a basic DIY tool kit, brick walls without overhangs, and testing waste lines.

In this Fine Homebuilding PRO-TALK podcast Patrick talks to lead carpenter Dejah Leger about making the transition from graphic arts to carpentry, what it’s like to work construction in the rainy Pacific Northwest and how to increase diversity in the construction workforce.

Rob, Matt and Patrick hear from listeners about sawhorses and thermal bypasses before taking questions about a leaky flat-roof penetration, air-sealing board sheathing, and building woodworking shops

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Dr. Erik Severson, Extension Associate in the Wastewater Management Training Program at North Carolina State University, about the science of on-site wastewater treatment and training its workforce.

Rob, Kiley, and Patrick hear from listeners about floor squeaks, building codes in New Zealand, and construction-themed songwriting, before taking listener questions on clad patio doors, fieldstone foundations, and crazed tile.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to architect Katie Hutchison about the role of architects, small houses and her interests in photography, fine art and writing.

Kiley, Matt, and Patrick hear from listeners about attic insulation removal and FHB podcast diversity before taking questions about spray foaming moldy sheathing, waterproofing a deck with living space below, and replacing wood expansion joints.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Ethan Biederman of South County Post and Beam in West Kingston, Rhode Island about making post and beam structures in the 21st century.

Kiley, Rob and Patrick hear from listeners about saunas and septic systems before taking listener questions on high-flying ridge vents, vacuuming up old insulation, and matching textured drywall.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Ian Schwandt about changes in the residential construction business and Ian’s plan to build a high-performance home for his family.

Colin, Rob and Patrick hear from listeners about modest house plans and looking for leaks before taking listener questions on drilling concrete, fitting trim to stone, and fixing a flat roof.

In this Pro-Talk podcast Patrick talks to Andy Engel, carpenter and former Fine Homebuilding editor, about changes in the residential construction business and the challenges of being an ethical builder.