It would be great if you insert pictures while you're talking about a specific product that is being discussed so everyone not familiar can get a better understanding. A picture is worth a thousand words!

From the start, Ryan was very helpful and is continuing to be helpful about his kzfaq.infoUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 Plans . Also, they have answered all the questions I have asked & I got outstanding support from his My Shed Plans full package.

I appreciate both guys honesty when admitting they believed all the hype of new building products and techniques. I also learned those lessons. When an ad in a builder magazine boasts that their product saves so much labor that it costs a fraction of what you're paying now, that fraction is usually 5/4.

This was such a good episode. Being honest about mistakes and learning from the experience of those that came before. That's how we make progress.

Finally something I can relate to. As someone who works as an engineer in both the commercial and residential markets (Minnesota and Wisconsin currently), it's all about knowing what the building needs to be designed for and how it needs to perform. There is no one perfect system. When you're working with a budget, there will always be a compromise between cost, speed of construction and long term performance. We do our best to balance those on a daily basis.

Perfect listen for us right now. Great to hear from Witt, thanks for putting this out Matt. 🤝

Great video, thanks so much ! I built 5,000 sqft custom built and in addition to alot of things you talked about I used construction adhesive with proper nail schedule with the OSB, the house is solid... Thanks Again!

What a great conversation.

My addition to my house built in the 60’s - 70’s has 7/16 Fiberboard Sheating it got wet on the bottom below (2) windows that are 36” wide installed in the same opening with a space of 3” between them! All the wall cavities had black mold on the exterior drywall wall paper! I removed the fiberglass insulation and sprayed vinegar onto the paper and scraped the moldy paper off the drywall!! As soon as it warms up here in Utah in March or April, I’ll be removing all of the fiber board on all 3 of the exterior walls of the addition and replacing it with Zip Sheating with Zip 2.0 ! And Atlas 1” PolyIso on-top of zip all new 1/4 and 1/8 glass Vinyl Windows!

Always fantastic content here

Can you please do a video on garage floors, garage drains, oil-water separators options and the connection to driveways, linear drainage, and how radiant heat and how HVAC applies to the garage space.

Matt, great format and info. Regarding waterproofing ICF exterior, Nudura has a spray/roll-on product TREMDri 160 that works on below-grade ICF without dissolving the EPS, supposedly. I haven't used it, but we are building a farmhouse in ME and using ICF so I am researching water management systems aggressively.

I work for a Structural Engineering firm (Structural Engineer here), and we've adapted to listening to our contractors. We've asked a lot of them for feedback and what they want to see on drawings. It has come down to we know what holdowns certain contractors like, what headers (Timbers, (3) ply or (2) ply, Glulams over LVLs, post if they want wood or steel, etc.) and even have had it to the point where some have asked for fewer details as well. It took a lot of humbling and going back and forth, especially for liability, but we got to the point where we will do our best to listen to our contractor and have a discussion and take advice from them on what they've seen works and doesn't work; we always contact our contractor if we are engineering a connection or product where it is out of the ordinary and we usually have a sit down meeting with them to see if we can do another option or if we need to approach this entirely different. I agree with the 3/4" Plywood and exterior insulation. At a previous firm I worked for, this was similar appraoch I tried after asking the mason what they wanted to do and when I presented a similar situation to my previous engineer, he said "H*** No!" Don't work for him anymore, so that is a positive on my end. I am also a big fan of ICF but I understand it does have its pros and cons. Don't get me wrong, ICF requires the builders to understand it is not conventianal framing and may require a different set of skills to work with, but I love it even though the majority of houses/buildings I engineer are standard dimensional/stick framed. I truly appreaciate Whit's prespective on what he likes to see/likes to do as well. Engineering can take a lot of stress off the builder, but when the builder and Structural engineer can work together, it makes the job go much more smoother, even though there may be RFI's or SI's, it is the communication with it all I'd say. Great discussion! Would love to see more of these types of videos!

In regards to tornado, When your neighbor's 70s house flies into your remodeled house, there will be huge damage. That is to say, if you were either on your own acreage or amongst similarly reinforced homes, then wind damage is minimized. My Great Grandmother had the garage dug up during construction to have a fraidy room built underneath (complete with snorkel in yard)...but that all happened the week of Cuban missile crisis.

Great input on alternative systems, we are specing our that vs stick now and this was very valuable.

Great show Matt. I agree with Witt's dad, a well thought out ICF home is the way to go. All types of home construction have their short comings... But when they are mitigated and or eliminated, I'm in the ICF camp.

I know a way to push water out of those icf walls, there is a company in Tampa that uses some kind of ultrasonic waves to push water out of buildings, it does work, pretty cool.

Good afternoon from Auckland, New Zealand ...

After using the Simpson Titen anchors ONCE, I was sold on its use. So much easier than making templates and setting J-anchors in concrete.

Matt, I would love to hear you and Whit’s thoughts regarding foundation repair on existing homes. As a homeowner, there is no real guidance out there on proper evaluation and repair to make sure its done right the first time. There are thousands of companies who tell you different things and its confusing. I have a 1960’s home in Dallas and I have had foundation repair companies tell me i need repairs. I hired an independent structural engineer not tied to a repair company and they told me things were fine. Most homeowners do band aid repairs but i would love to know if there are right and wrong ways to approach the different types of foundation repairs. I know geography and foundations around the country are different but a general “what to look for when you think you need foundation repair” would be very helpful.

So excited about this episode. I am at this stage with my house. We are doing Larsen Trusses, strawbale and cob!

This must have been recorded some time ago, OSB is back to sub $10/sheet now in 2023.

Interesting discussion. Consider a change to the questions around a customer asking about an over-engineering aspect of the design, "would you as a builder do it for your home?"

Great podcast!

Can you please post a visual representation of the zip system that utilized standard framing techniques while accomplishing Monopoly level sealing. It was a builder you visited, but his description was a bit hard to follow.

Good night from London, England.

Excellent presentation. My forty+ years as a contractor/ residential building designer, your talk was most informative. What I am now seeing is moisture, air, radon and energy control changes as we learn more with time. My question is with a 2x6, fiberglass insulated wall, taped zip panels exterior - drywall interior; where should we be installing the poly-moisture/ air control barrier to allow the wall to breathe and prevent moisture build-up and future mold and wood rot? Your thoughts?

I would love to see a sample of the 3/4" plywood sheeting and exterior insulation.

LVL studs work great for walls that are going to have cabinets on them for a straight flat surface or for long hallways that can project a warped stud behind drywall. sounds like maybe avoid using them on exterior walls because LVLs rot quicker than solid lumber, unless you spend even more for treated LVLs.

Matt, I am really curius what your initial thoughts would be about a system called Gablok. Engineers from Belgium have designed the system and have build hundreds of houses by now in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands by now. It consists of hollow blocks made from OSB, with rigid insulation foam blocks in the voids of the OSB, stacked like lego. Then they are connected with some ancors, resulting basically in a SIP structure but then made out of small LEGO blocks.

holdown and 3x exterior plate with 5/8 anchor bolt 2' oc and exterior plywood is the best .bottom plate fail in 94 earthquake . 1x4 bracing break the studs in a earthquake

Hope you get better soon, btw you're rocking the beard very well, you should keep it!

lol. sheathing is supposed to provide racking resistance - if the house is braced with diagonalization or strapping, sheathing isn't needed building wrap provides the barrier - maybe the cardboard provides a surface to firmly tape the wrap... I like sheathing as a concept - it tightens the frame immensely in to a single diaphragm. In Australia - where I live, it is typical that houses are not sheathed = or only critical wall pannels are partly sheathed. (noggins are typical in all frames - due to limited structural sheathing). 3/4 inch / 20mm sheathing ply -if used, is structural - allowing any external cladding members to be directly fastened to the sheathing... (plus if the sheathing is sealed, glued and nailed- that wall is going nowhere anytime soon)...

Hello Matt, at the end of this video you referenced a manufactured truss with storage in the center. I am about to use this style truss on a spec home. My question is, on the build you referenced, did you leave the non storage area of the attic vented? Thank you in advance.

Live in a double wide and looking to remove all drywall including ceilings. Question with and average electrical bill of $285 a month over 12 month average. Already getting new double pane fiberglass windows. Is closed cell foam going to make a difference over pink with such a low electric bill, or just just upgrade the pink stuff? Also looking at the new water heater the forces air one. That should cut bill be $59

The one advantage that panelized construction has over conventional framing is that it eliminates much of the lumber loss due to theft. It is very difficult especially for small builders to protect themselves from theft. And its almost impossible to press charges against those who do the stealing.

How long do you wait for framing to go up after foundation is pour?

Its almost like as if the foundation starts with a functional family structure.

How can I find a builder that puts in thought like you guys?

Keep the beard and also go more in depth with post framing next time he is a guest. I would like to here his take on a diaphragm system, that is sealed properly. Also, if you have time to do so, touch on the Battic brand attic access system, for cold climates, level 7 here. Thanks, Matt, love the content!

I have been a fan for a while and now I am interested in planning my own passive house build and I don’t know where to turn. I am having trouble finding someone in St Louis. What do you recommend? How do I get started in my area with a retrofit of my existing home and a new build as well? I have called a local architect and having trouble connecting.

It’s pretty funny when OSB is considered an upgrade. 😂

Thank you so much for this info session! I'm in the design stage of my green build house. I've looked at ICF and SIP. But came back to standard 2 x 4 studs monopoly frame with 3" exterior polyiso wrap, 6" on the roof with a R38 batt in the vault ceiling, zip sheathing envelope. Even going old school CMU for foundation walls filled with a perlite concrete mixture for extra insulation plus 3" XPS and waterproof dimpled membrane draining to foundation drainage. This discussion really sealed it for me. Fraction of the cost of the "alternative" methods with equal performance. But I'm planning on putting the 3" iso between the stud and zip system. Is there a reason that wouldn't work?

3D printing house is effectively a factory. The factory has a robot and a brain. The software brain is programmed with plans done in advance, and constantly updated with new learning. This method will probably win out as complex home builds are simplified. Also they can build 24x7, satisfying the banker.

Would I-joists be logical to reinforce 1940 floor that squeaks excessively?

Matt - How can I find someone in my area to guide me on foundations, insulation, rain screens? My budget is very tight. I am a DIYer building a kit post and beam cabin that doesn't come code compliant. Thanks!

Beard looks good!

Regarding pier and grade beam foundations - Arthur Levin's book "Hillside Foundations" - would Wit be willing to share his thoughts around this approach? Foundations on sloping lots are always perceived as a very costly and "heavy lifts", but Mr. Levin's text credibly somewhat refutes that via the use of the pier and grade beam configuration. I only prompt this given the lack of information out there on this type of foundation and its seemingly very effective and affordable characteristics.

Your guest looks like Al Borland lost weight and found the Fountain of Youth. "I don't think so, Tim."

29:56 why has the cost of OSB gone up 5-6x?

ICFs made with GPS rather traditional EPS makes a better structure with moisture tolerance and better insulation .

My heart sank when he said OSB is 50 dollars a pop. 😩

Whats ICF?

what do you think about modular? The potential advantages are so great I'm curious why they are not more popular.

Gotta use PSL instead of LSL for exterior use

How is this guy not famous movie star? 😂 Seriously though that was very helpful. About to build my first house I’ve designed, pretty stoked.

What about 3d printed concrete

So, you say it's economically not feasible to build a house to withstand a hurricane. But that is not true. A well-built ICF house absolutely would, and it is not too much more expensive. Only now with the lumber prices coming down again is flimsy wooden stick construction cheaper again.

He is correct that basically no residential home in the U.S. can survive a direct hit from a tornado. Every house would need to be a a fortress. If you're looking for a engineered system that uses this strategy of being uneconomical for the problem it's trying to solve, look at transportation infrastructure, particularly the U.S. road and highway system, which is free to spiral out of control thanks to a firehose of deficit spending subsidies from the Federal government.

Clarification: the engineer accidentally said “my ICF house” once when referring to his SIP house. A few minutes later, I’m curious if @MattRisinger did the same thing when he said: “you really have to get your waterproofing right with ICF, if water gets inside it won’t have anywhere to go.”

The biggest issue I have with the cardboard sheathing, is I have never seen it installed to spec

People are spending a million dollars on a traditional framing house modular is the way to go ultra-tight uses little energy and some of them come with a 30-year warranty companies such as unity and dwell make great houses

I wish these conversations had chapters so you can skip a lot of the stories and get to the point.

There is nothing hard about waterproofing ICF's.

Very interesting interview! The wall assembly you discussed that was sheathed with 3/4 plywood and only exterior insulation ; how would that perform acoustically? Seems like it would be hollow and echoey on the inside of the house. Btw, your engineer looks exactly like Christian Bale. 😂

Yes, indeed, insulation belongs on the outside. I keep saying that. :D

941 Osborn Plug, was it sponsored 🤔

This guy tells this story as a First generation beginner!How did he miss that HE was responsible to unload them?l thought his dad was an engineer too!

Thumbs-up on the beard, Matt.

My first question would be, how many foundations and frames has your structural engineer actually built with his own hands.

Ciao sarebbe interessante se riuscissi ad inserire una traduzione in italiano nei sottotitoli .. sono sicuro che dite cose interessanti ma io non capisco nulla 🙈🙈

Another alternative system,was A STRAW HOUSE!..ABSOLUTE MALPRACTICE,ON the builders part.All they saved was insulation..and every contractor screwed them.double walls,one to hold siding ,one for sheetrock....and close to uninsurable!

In my opinion the cardboard houses are too susceptible to penetration by windstorm debris.

I was surprised to hear that you recommend conventional construction unless there's some specific reason to use alternative designs, when things like exterior insulation, an airtight building envelope, vapor-open assemblies, etc. are ideas you promote.

Answering your question about a tornado,no..your house would be toast!Hold downs are worthless.hurricanes,yes,you can build to defeat it.Have you ever seen a tornado devastation?when l was a board boy in the 1970s,WE NEVER put the nuts back on any poured-in anchor bolts..we are in kcmo,not exactly tornado free..

New technology adoption require to find an engineer an pay +- $10k for his engineer stamp. I stick to the 100 years old inefficient building code.

Why isn’t this guy’s name in the video title or at least the description? “Matt’s structural engineer!” sounds like Mick calling Charlie Watts “my drummer”. Charlie socked him in the mouth, which is great. Matt’s probably not as annoying as Mick. Still a conspicuous and odd choice. He’s a great guest, treat him right and give him credit.

Matt looks 10 years older with a beard.

Aas

Alternative building systems can be silly...usually not any easier,always more money,seldom any better.Zip is 33 bux a sheet and tape is high!osb is now 9 bux a sheet!Tape to hold out water on a roof is a FOOLS ERRAND!.If your roof itself doesn't keep out water,how will bogus tape?You guys are too young to know this but,millions of houses were built in the inflationary years of 1970s,WITHOUT FELT OF ANY KIND!AND when we tore them off,they were fine!

Why you guys compare wood with concrete? Is not comparable, icf or any other technology or cbs is way stronger (in hot weather better) than wood. Nowadays wood is so expensive, is more convenient to build on concrete or blocks plus all the weather going crazy

Unfortunately, we have a tax, regulatory, and tort system that wasn’t designed to punish employers for hiring people, but it could have been. We really need to find ways to reduce labor in home building or get some fundamental change in DC. Regular people are getting pushed into bad homes or kept out of the market altogether because they cannot carry the load of all the labor costs which they only get a fraction of when they work.

I would not build a dog house with cardboard sheets.

To me, first generation means your parent was the first to immigrate/ go into a profession. So if you’re a second generation engineer, then your dad and grandpa were engineers

매트형도 이제 많이 늙었네....

I am shocked, dismayed, and extremely disappointed and disheartened that Matt says if he were to build his personal home again, he would not use LVL lumber (including studs). This is a betrayal to Build Show fans, and I am putting Matt on probation.

Ugh Prius is probably the ugliest car mass produced. I always feel like people who drive then have no style, imagination or creativity.

Straps and diagonals are nothing compared to the rack strength of OSB!..especially a single 1x4..a waste of time.ln 1979 ,we used 3/4foam and NO diagonals, but 3/4 CDX PLYWOOD.ON CORNERS ONLY...