The Green Spec Playbook For Cleaner Builds Part 1

05:20 Back In Play 05:26 What Makes Finishes 10:19 Drywall Alternatives 12:30 Flooring Reality Check 21:56 Low VOC Paint 28:42 Exterior Coatings 32:30 Countertop Tradeoffs 36:36 Specialties Grab Bag 44:00 Smarter Appliances 56:15 Heat Pumps Ventilation 59:20 Electrical Futureproofing

00:00 Back to windows01:11 SHGC cocktail03:18 Sponsor break07:00 Why windows matter11:22 The key metrics13:24 U-factor basics17:36 SHGC and comfort23:57 VT and tint27:17 Low-E decoded36:19 DP vs PG

00:00:00 Welcome Back00:04:10 Why specs matter00:10:05 Division 01 basics00:20:30 Site and salvage00:26:45 Low carbon concrete00:32:45 Masonry and metals00:33:55 Wood and toxicity00:44:15 Decking decisions00:57:20 Insulation and WRBs01:08:05 Doors and hardware

00:00 Welcome back01:09 Storm chaser cocktail04:05 Passive house wildfire10:37 Resilience vs durability15:23 Designing for hazards22:35 Durable cold climate details28:54 Resilience and equity33:52 How buildings learn38:56 Future ready services43:04 Outboard module idea

00:00 Welcome & scope creep defined 02:02 Cocktail: Classic Bramble05:51 Why projects grow beyond plan09:38 Program exercise: rooms, office & garage14:45 Square footage reality check17:40 Basements & garages aren’t “free”21:54 Program–budget method (checklists & meetings)28:33 Contingency & finish tiers38:58 Fork in the road: cut scope or raise budget55:53 Price updates, escalation & communication

00:00 Intro & Cocktail of the Day02:42 What We Mean by “Airhole”08:05 Why Air Sealing Matters14:47 Ventilation vs. Infiltration21:19 Building Science in Action36:31 Common Air Sealing Mistakes42:50 Tools and Techniques50:04 Audience Q&A and Wrap-up

00:00:00 Intro & setup00:00:53 Cocktail: Whiskey Sour (recipe + dry shake)00:06:50 Basements: the "free room" myth00:08:48 When a basement makes sense00:10:47 Concrete & embodied carbon reality check00:13:52 Phil’s numbers: foundations vs CO₂e00:19:09 Water 101: drains, dimple mat, daylight00:22:21 Insulation: outside vs inside00:27:16 Slab build-up & vapor control00:34:34 Capillary breaks + the termite shield tale00:38:16 Foam glass underfoot (Glavel 101)00:41:02 Slabless slab: concrete-less floors00:46:03 ICFs: pros, cons, pour-day realities

Welcome back for part 2 of Jacob's lecture from the PassivhausMAINE lecture series on addressing embodied carbon in our built environment.  We close the episode with a song from one of the bands Jacob records with; Fantasma by Mal Maiz! Enjoy! Cheers!  

Chris and Phil were not only lucky enough to attend a lecture by Jacob Racusin, but they were also able to record it! Our friends at PassivhausMAINE invited Jacob to share his insights on low-impact, high-performance building technologies and discuss some of the ground-breaking work he has been involved in lately regarding plant-based construction and carbon sequestration in our built environment. He's a wonderful speaker with contagious passion for combating climate change through better building. This is part one of his lecture, be sure to check out part two which will be released in about a week. Also be sure to visit our lame facebook page for cocktail recipes and links to Jacob's slide deck. Visuals help, but the the audio holds up on its own as well. Also, new theme song.Cheers!  

Welcome to Episode #50!!! So many people are talking about offsite construction as an inevitable next step to solve the myriad housing issues we currently face, and we can't help but envision high-performance as going hand in hand with this movement. We discuss the evolution of these systems from the Sears Kit Homes of the 20's, to the race-to-the-bottom Post-war Mobile Home industry, to the Dwell Prefab dreams of the oughts, to the realities of today - both in the USA and in Europe. We'll discuss how the companies currently innovating in the space (including Phil's own BrightBuilt Home) are faring with their various business models, and what are the challenges and limitations are being faced by the different approaches.We concoct a Corpse Reviver #2 just in time for Halloween, the recipe for which can be found on our Facebook page.