Advertise on podcast: 7 Minutes of BS (#BuildingScience w/a BEAT)

When space is tight and housing demand is high, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) offer an ideal solution—until wildfire sweeps into the neighborhood. To understand how property density affects fire spread in the suburbs. Researchers set fire to a code-compliant ADU to test how ember swarms, radiant heat, and direct flames impact nearby structures.

Today's guest is Peter Yost, of Building-Wright, talking about the problems that attic fans set out to solve, whether they solve the problems, and how to do it, regardless of whether you use an attic fan.

In this episode of 7 Minutes of BS, we continue the discussion with engineer Jonathan Smegal of RDH Building Science Laboratories to break down the best exterior insulation retrofit systems based on real-world testing on five identical student housing units. Jonathan walks through what separates a good system from a great one — fewer layers, less thermal bridging, lightweight claddings, and a dedicated air and water barrier at the sheathing layer. His preferred approach: remove the cladding, add sheathing if needed, apply an air- and water-barrier, then install exterior insulation with strapping on top. Dan also makes the case for EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems), which can be applied directly over existing brick — keeping thermal mass within the envelope, reducing landfill waste, and nearly eliminating thermal bridging when the foam is applied adhesively. Key takeaways: All five tested systems performed well for energy efficiency and durability Fewer installation passes = lower cost and less complexity Air and water control belong at the sheathing layer, not split across multiple materials EIFS offers exceptional design flexibility and near-zero thermal bridging

Today, we are joined by Jonathan Smegal, an engineer with RDH Building Science in Waterloo, Ontario. Mr Smegal discusses the benefits of exterior insulation, then walks us through a recent study of five exterior insulation systems.

Dark roofs absorb heat, and light roofs reflect it. Light roof shingles—combined with more insulation in the attic— can go a LONG way towards reducing the heat stress people in southern climates experience three seasons of the year.

Dr. Joe Lstiburek explains the fourth state of water: ADSORPED water. It exists on surfaces as tiny monolayers that can fill pores on the surface and cause mold. It also explains why expansive soils expand. If you thought you understood diffusion and capillarity, buckle up.

Vapor Diffusion Ports: Air Barriers That Let Moisture leave Dr. Joe Lstiburek explains what Vapor Diffusion Ports are, how they work, why they're needed, and how to construct them—in about nine minutes. The skinny version: they're like a modified ridge vent but for an unvented roof. They allow moisture to escape unvented roof assemblies without letting air leak out.

An overview of water, the liquid that makes life possible, rots buildings, and makes great wine.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Joe Lstiburek, out favorite crawlspace buddy, to talk about the origin of hot roof and cold roof labels.

This time on 7 Minutes of BS, Jonathan Smegal, M.S., describes his work at RDH Building Science Laboratories testing various wall sheathing materials for air tightness. The results are somewhat surprising but, truthfully, not a deal-breaker for most builders and remodelers.

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.

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 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.

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.

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