7 Minutes of BS (#BuildingScience w/a BEAT)

Latest Episodes:

Hail Resistant Roofing Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Today's guest expert is Tanya Brown-Giammanco, formerly the Managing Director of Research at the Institute for Business and Home Safety (when we recorded this episode) and currently the Director of Disaster and Failure Studies at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (congratulations on the new gig, Tanya!). Tanya explains how hail damage works, why hail damage matters, and how to minimize damage from hailstones by selecting the right roofing shingles.

SHRINKAGE - How PVC Moves and How to Install it Right Jun 27, 2022

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This episode of 7 Minutes of BS explores how to install PVC siding and trim to reduce the effects of shrinkage. PVC moves differently than wood, so it also behaves differently than wood. Here's the inside dope.

Wildfire-Resistant Construction Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

Wildfire is different from wildland fire. Wildland fire is a regular part of a region’s ecology. Wildfire is a wildland fire that burns out of control. In this episode, we are joined by Daniel Gorham, a fire engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. We talk about what wildfire resistant construction is, how it works, why it matters so much these days, and how to do it right.

Jobsite COVID Protocols and Solutions: Career Toolbox Podcast Jun 10, 2020

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Guest Rob Matuga, Assistant Vice President for Health, Safety, Jobsite regulations at the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) discusses how to re-open jobsites safely.

Heat Flow Jun 08, 2020

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Guest Jonathan Smegal, from RDH Building Science Laboratories, explains the mechanisms of heat flow, and how it can actually flow around insulation.

Wind Resistance Feb 25, 2020

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Guest: Dr. Anne Cope, Ph.D., P.E., Chief Engineer of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety explains why calling it hurricane resistance puts so many people at risk.

EFFECTIVE R-Value: Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

Can a wall plummet from R-50 to R-12 because of the studs? In this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Smegal, M.A. SC a Senior Project Manager with RDH Building Science Laboratories breaking down the nuts, bolts, what, why and how of R-value, insulation, and building assemblies.

Dew Point Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

This time we discuss dew point with Dr. Allison Bailes, aka, the Energy Vanguard. “Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in the air will condense on surfaces. So, if you have a surface that is at the dew point temperature of the water vapor that’s in the space around that surface, the water vapor will start condensing on that surface."

Stucco Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

“Stucco is an exterior finish, and more specifically, we tend to think of it as an exterior plaster finish. In some of the literature and in architectural dictionaries, stucco can be used for both exterior and interior finish work, but really in this day and age, we talk about plaster, particularly in North America, for interior work.” —Sarah Gray, an engineer with RDH Building Science

ViscoElasticity Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

"ViscoElasticity is what we’re talking about and that is the property of a material that exhibits the viscous nature of a liquid but also the elastic nature of a solid." —Allen Sealock, the product director for ZIP Systems with Huber Engineered Woods talking about the pressure-sensitive adhesives that are used on construction tapes.