Suzanne from Bozeman asked such a great question it gets a SECOND podcast but this time focusing on how far is too far when remodeling in general (instead of just an addition). Tons of cool issues but here is a "gem" from each of the boys.

STEVE: Consider re-design before adding new design. How well are existing spaces being used? Maybe reconfigure/repurpose as the most efficient remodel?

PETE: EVERY remodeling project should start with a full hygrothermal building assessment.

JAKE: All remodeling projects need to start with aligning client expectations with the custom set of constraints each unique structure brings. Do the best your can/as much as you can to any portion of the building you "touch" as part of the remodel.

Featured in this episode--from Suzanne in Bozeman Montana: When renovating, how far should you take performance improvements, on the whole building, on just part of it, or an addition? What about going from the inside versus the outside? What about dealing with windows?

The overall UBIP response? Do as much as you can, in as much of the building as you can, WITH the same control layer priorities: water first, air second, thermal last. But boy are there still a lot of questions to dive into.

Window weeps are the drainage system for the Insulated Glazing Unit (IGU), protecting the vulnerable seals that sit at the bottom of the IGU. Do all windows have them/need them? Are they meant to handle interior condensation as well as exterior leaks? Should they drain to the face of the frame (visible) or to the bottom of the window frame (hidden)? Pete remains sad, curious, and even a bit disgruntled at how little our industry seems to address, systematically, window weep systems.

The BS of BS--the bullshit of building science--is Steve's way of characterizing sound building science gone haywire in totally screwy application. Examples include paralyzing worry over vapor diffusion as a way that buildings get wet, insane levels of exterior insulation in below-grade walls, using only financial payback when comparing double- and triple-pane windows (ignoring thermal comfort and durability). Add in over-insulation of window frames, bans on spray foam, and you have the UBIP combined blood pressure skyrocketing.

Three great questions UBIP-answered: proper insulation of slab-one-grade perimeter and the entire slab; managing moisture at the ridge in unvented roof assemblies; proper detailing of the bottom edge of wall sheathing where it meets the concrete foundation system. Since these three are a bit hard to cover--even for the UBIP boys--with just words, good time to check out Pete's Resources below.

Jake and Pete host retired building scientist/mold expert/pulmonary physician, Nathan Yost. Yes, the older and wiser older brother to Pete. Jake and Pete take full advantage of Steve's absence to get the strongest and most focused discussion with Nathan. Long story short: Nathan connects the building science, the biology, and the medical perspective on mold and its management.

At the heart of this issue is the new acronym, TFF--Temporarily Fully Functional. That would be everyone because no one gets around the loss of function as we age. It's not a question of if but when. How well should our homes support the loss of function? Maybe high-performance homes that are just as "UD-ready" as they are "PV-ready" (UD for Universal Design/PV for Photo-Voltaic)? Jake closes out with a pretty cool UD-tip/technique he recently coined.

No touchy-feely stuff here--this is a hard-core business discussion. Good business means BOTH building professionals and clients listening not simply hearing. Wait, what is the difference between listening and hearing again? Listening describes an intentional activity; you are actively trying to hear and process something. Hearing is not intentional; hearing is something that just happens, whether you wanted to hear it or not.

Listen in as the boys talk about their love and hate of the thermal control layer.

Holy Smokes--Steve and Pete agree that vapor control is not about a single layer! While this may be the most technical discussion in the Love/Hate series, it still includes plenty of Jake and Steve building science band names.

Listen in as the boys talk about their love and hate for air control layers

Questions all about water, in everything from concrete to paint, to soils and ventilation systems. Steve says bring caramels and a book for this one…

From the Mongol Horde (an actual rock band but what Jake thought Steve was referring to regarding wall permeability) to the Visual Abacus (a rock band Jake wants to form but Steve's new name for his slider detail climate-tuning wall insulation), wall framing is covered in an entirely unique way in this UnBuildIt podcast. You won't be surprised that the boys approach wall framing from the Control Layer Priority perspective.

What the Foch (based on the lead-in quote from Jake)? I honestly was not prepared for how riveting an impromptu discussion of floor framing could be but listeners won't be surprised to hear Jake and Steve blow up the "simple" decision of floor framing systems with issues like: HVAC integration, finished floor materials, air barrier penetrations, fire protection for engineered wood systems, kitchen island stability, lumber yard availability of different floor framing systems. This UnBuildIt podcast will simply floor you...

Pete's Resource: Chapter 5 of the code and specifically, sections R502.2 and R502.8, and on the UnBuildIt YouTube channel the new series from Steve called "Before the Build."

And yet, in homes, whole-house ventilation is a "brand-new" concept in much of our industry. The boys go through all the whole-house ventilation systems citing pros and cons and their own experiences with different systems in their projects across the board.

Holy smokes--so much to consider: the boys range from roof pitch to venting, from color (heat absorption) to texture (water retention), and even planning out plumbing penetrations based on roof cladding layouts (or air admittance vents...). And by the way: this podcast only covered pitched roof claddings--roof membranes on low slope roofs waits for another UnBuildIt day.

Steve--the Zen master of deep discussion on all things building--explains how he thinks of these two terms. If you don't integrate, you end up solving during application, be it moving water off the building or transferring structural loads. This approach to designing, specifying, and constructing means the window package is connected to the HVAC system, the roof plan connects entryways to gutters, and a problem popping up on paper won't get better or easier on the job site. Although you might get discouraged with the dubious initial focus on beanie babies, hang in there for some insightful exchanges with Steve, Jake, and Pete.

Jake lays out the three major sound issues in homes--inside/out, room-to-room, sources of noise inside the home. Pete draws analogies between early 1980s airport noise abatement and early air tightness work. Steve, always listening carefully, finally offers how he designs for sound management.