Episode 99: Minimum Standards for a Well-Built House

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[@user-vn6hi2bi3g]

I realise most of your content is geared towards constructors, but this video is beyond good and if I was in charge of your companies I would require my clients to view this show. It was explained in a manner that all can comprend that build standards are important and create lasting confort, safety, and value. All homes ideally should be built to last and have the potential to become legacy family homesteads that will last with maintenance for multiple generations. Congratulations to all of you for what in my opinion is a seminal video on construction goals. Thanks, Ray Stormont

[@KJSvitko]

There needs to be a data base of builders and architects that build quality homes. Builders in my area do not even know what Net Zero, Passive House or energy efficiency ratings mean in actual implementation.

[@frankjoyce76]

I was just thinking this.

[@ckstd]

Open web joists but only with a finished basement, zip on the walls taped, liquiflashed and sealed at the foundation. Fiberglass windows properly installed, advantech (not zip) on the roof. 50 yr owens corning shingles with an algicide, trane variable speed hvac units w/aprilaire fresh air unit, All brick and real stacked stone facade, Unconditioned attic with 1" closed cell on the top of ceiling and blown rock wool insulation, Rockwool batts in the walls, Sioux Chief pex b, All no rot cornice materials. Great, reputable subcontractors, and The most important part of the project, a builder who's on the job everyday and is proud of his work.

[@qaptin1996]

That was a great video, exactly what I needed to hear. Can make this a series and go over each part of a house: plumbing, electric, hvacs, insulation, etc...

[@chriswithrow3107]

Great point from Jake right off the bat, as an electrician I am completely on board with what he said.

[@patrickkenny2077]

FWIW Matt, you could really use a trapezoidial desk for this type of camera format-- narrow at the wall and wider in front so we can see everybody's faces without the awkward seating accommodations.

[@bardigan1]

Hey Steve, Love your conceptual approach to the work. I'm responding because you said something close to what I try to live by, but have never been able to accomplish, "always be the smartest guy in the room." I've never been that, but I've worked my butt off for years to be the best informed guy in the room. It's paid off in spades.

[@vrc5674]

The problem here in Vancouver is that it seems to be all about real estate speculation and flipping. All the trades I talk to try to talk me into something cheap that will fool the next buyer into thinking the house is better than it is rather than something of good quality. I did find one "good" contractor who would do a quality job but he won't even return my calls to even get started on $1million in renos. It's been frustrating but I'm trying to move forward with new roof, windows and HVAC on my own because I can't get a contractor. Just met with a roofer yesterday who tried to talk me out of getting a metal roof and put asphalt on instead. I said I wanted to add additional insulation at the same time and was told that too much insulation is bad because the house "needs to breath" . So many of these guys seem to be full of !^&$*. It's all so frustrating

[@157-40_T]

As a kid; I loved to go to my grand mother’s house in summer to sit in front of her Swamp Cooler and feel the cool air. She almost had to drag me away. I still miss that old unit.

[@johnday6544]

As a DIY'r prepping to build a house, these discussions are invaluable. Cost considerations are always at the forefront but looking at the build in packages such as windows & HVAC together can be really eye opening.

[@Eric998765]

Great podcast. I have a lot of thoughts but I'll just focus on one, and that is price and judging the $175/sqft builder. While I have seen Matt's videos of the cardboard sheathing and other blaring issues, I don't think all cheap builders are bad or scummy. Truth is, due to the current economy and markets, even a mediocre house is outside of the price of the average American. The average salary in this country I believe is around $50k/yr which is $24/hr. As someone who makes about that and currently is having a house semi built (I'm finishing the interior myself to save massive money) I can tell you it is a tough pill to swallow when you get a quote from an electrician or another tradesman and they are making $100-150/hr for something they don't necessarily have former training in. Unfortunately that is how supply and demand works but point is, if your window quote for double glazed windows is $15,000 or triple glazed upgrade is $23,000 just for the material, then your installer charges another $15,000 on top of that for labor, the extra $8,000 makes a massive difference. Extrapolate that to all facets of the building and your house price just went from $300k to $450k. Just as I said I don't think all cheap builders are scamming people, I don't think all expensive builders are either, but there are definitely a ton of over priced GCs and tradesmen out there and I definitely do not fault people for shopping for a cheaper option. There is also the issue of lack of choices or where all the competition "colludes" such as my area that only has five custom home builders and they all charge exactly $250/sqft flat rate as a starting price, but that's a different issue and topic

[@6stringsandapick]

We have also let the Income to House value ratio run wild. Average income is about $67k. Average home cost is $436K 6.5x the average annual income. Go Back to the 1950's and homes were more like 3.6x the annual income. I'd love to see a $250k New house that can perform well. Focus on the needs more than the wants and desires. 2x6 24" OC Rectangular, simple roof, simple ceilings. etc.

[@fox156]

Um what was the average size of a house in 1950. Start by comparing apples to apples.

[@NuttyElf]

​@@fox156983 sq feet according to 24/7wall st

[@500iq6foot8]

You should form an organization that vouches for good builders across the county

[@steven7650]

Triple glazed is nice, but only matters if the casing is of similar quality. I would take a double glazed with a lower air leakage rate before going up to a triple.

[@jesinbeverly]

Building in New Mexico. Builder wanted 16” on center 2x6 framing. I asked about going to 24” for better insulation values. He prefers the 16” because it better supports the stucco and prevents problems there. Problems with stucco is something he has to warranty. We did agree to go with 2” zip R vs 1”.

[@4himsanctified]

Forget Minneapolis, try Duluth (or as he said, International Falls) ZONE 7. Mpls has Spring a month sooner than us.

[@scottt.4596]

Great content! Cheers 🍻

[@PLH_Exclusives]

Hi guys, can you talk about the topic of strategies for building long distance with or without your usual sub? Thanks!

[@michaelomalley6726]

such a good conversation...thank you

[@I3iGZ3U5]

I fully understand the intent of "have a minimum standard of client", but that isn't the question that should be asked by most people and wasn't the question of the episode. The question is: What is the minimum standard for a well built house? You can answer that honestly based on an objective measurement be that blower door, R-value, etc. The reality is 90+% of homes built are to a minimum standard and neglected to raise that because they "aren't built for the right client" is a cop out. Matt, you have had videos before of low cost details. You could easily make this video and say: no cardboard sheathing, a fluid applied or factory applied air barrier, a minimum of an R-23 wall, 2x6x24 construction, as many heat pumps as possible, european style triple glazed windows... the list goes on. So many of these items are not a drastic difference when constructing even an entry level home. The average home sold in America is around $500k. There should be a minimum expectation of a home built for that much.

[@jillbuttermore2744]

I’m not in the construction business and I’m watching this channel and others that are informative about energy efficiency. What I am getting from this video and several others that I’ve watched is that it is worth it to spend more on the build when it is for energy efficiency. The idea of a Net Zero home that I will own for a lifetime is very appealing. Even though it will cost more to build it, the money that I’m saving from having low or non-existent monthly utility bills makes it worthwhile for me. To me it makes a lot of sense to buy a smaller home with smaller bedrooms, I mean, how big do you need a bedroom to be? In my opinion it’s worth it to by a smaller home so I can stay in an affordable range while being super energy efficient. We can hope that with climate change becoming a lot more evident recently that there will be a big push and incentives to help pay for these expensive upgrades . I know, I know, I’m a dreamer.

[@000OO0OOO0]

I'm curious what issues they had with IKEA cabinetry. My kitchen was installed by a first time amateur (me) and looks great after 15 years of use and abuse. Meanwhile, most fabricators can't make frameless cabinets and are rely on 50 years old technology.

[@FallRiverHomesScott]

Great podcast as always gents! Sure wish I could come work with/for any of you for a while just to “sharpen the saw” even more. Hope to see you again at the next IBC! 🏠🔨😎👍

[@mixedbeans]

What was the configuration of this 'best wall system' mentioned in this podcast?

[@markturner5207]

You guys did a good job talking about how great you are but not a lot of specifics…

[@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs]

Episode 99, for an educational that is fine, fine ☺🇨🇦 Long live our buildings💯

[@neilquinn]

All of these things make sense if you can be selective about wealthy clients. For most people though going for the best of everything is pretty tone deaf in today's price and rate environment. Would be good to hear strategies on how to optimize the 'good' builds for price. I say this as someone with an engineering background that loves well-built things.

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

Exactly, justifying a prices tag of $500-$600k for a 2000 sq ft house is friggin insane, especially when buying a home of that size is max of $300k in the same market. How are banks even financing houses like this? Or are we assuming everyone is just paying cash?

[@mayxiong5213]

Agree! It is tone death to assume we don’t want all these features if money wasn’t an issue. And builders and contractors also up charge cost of materials like crazy so I find it completely unreasonable they are claiming it’s to maintain quality of the build. Sure, if they didn’t charge anything extra I’d be on board! Not letting clients purchase their own outlets? Ridiculous. And there’s nothing wrong with IKEA cabinets if you can’t afford custom (and you know they likely charge 1000% for custom)

[@micahmartin4762]

If the owner provides it, then it’s not under your warranty. Write it in your contract. Simple

[@chrismartin1215]

I understand these guys want to build for the top 10% of wage earners in the US. Where money is not an issue in building a truly custom home, but probably for 90% of his audience this is worthless information for building a normal price home under 300k where most american incomes are.

[@charlesrodriguez7984]

True. I’ve been watching the build show for more than a year now (since March or April of 2022) and have learned some great knowledge of how to build a high quality and high performance product but the main issue is the complexity of technology and mechanical ventilation in airtight homes driving up the cost which most people will never be able to afford. Not to mention the series of major failures that can happen in airtight houses.

[@DanLee1969]

Great thoughts on considering HVAC and windows pricing together.

[@johnhaller5851]

One question is how long those triple-paned windows will hold their seals, or if they will fog up in 20-30 years like the builder grade ones do?

[@anthonykaiser974]

We think European houses are expensive, but the more I learn, it just confirms that the fact is, most new US houses are cheap crap, and have been for decades. I lived in the attic of a newer German apartment home. Thankfully there's very little RH there and the building was concrete and at keast a foot thick insulated tile-covered roof. Only had issues above 90 degree days one week last summer. Fans and removing the duvet from the cover made sleeping relatively comfy, but maybe a bit later than normal.

[@SoCalVipers]

This was a great discussion, but I can’t imagine being told by the contractor I hire that I can’t choose the fixtures in my shower. I spend 20 minutes a day in the shower. The right fixtures are crucial to my enjoyment of my house. That goes for pretty much every other thing I touch in the house - kitchen appliances, light switches, toilets, carpet, etc.

[@wyattfrost9221]

He’s not saying that you can’t choose them, he’s saying that there is a certain quality and criteria that is required. Most likely he’s referring that there are certain manufacturers that aren’t allowed.

[@Z71hosestretcher]

You just tell him what you want and he will purchase it. If it’s quality enough that’s all he’s saying.

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

I just wanna know where he is getting $1000 shower valves. Like wtf he build houses exclusively for Hollywood stars?

[@bradmason8334]

Steve / Matt - 🙏 - how would you insulate a cinderblock home for Sarasota Florida? I can only find wood homes on your site. Thanks in advance - Semper Fi

[@jezza6575]

Pretty Good House standard is a good starting place!

[@cameronjohnson1931]

As a custom home designer/builder in the sub $1m range, this just isn’t very relatable. I have been watching the build show since 2015 and can credit most of my building science knowledge to Matt, but people are not going to give up 30% or so of their sq ftg and the majority of their wants and desires in order to save a few bucks a month and have marginal comfort benefits. I understand the risk aspect of this, but those risks are ones that the clients (myself as well) will take on when it’s laid out in front of them in this price range. They will find someone who gives them what they want. For this market, I think that the middle ground between the build show’s standards and standard production is the place to be, obviously pushing towards better products and practices when possible. Unfortunately, most custom builders are far closer to production. I think having more relatable content for this price range (which is the vast majority of custom homes) will educate clients AND builders to build better products.

[@samasmith89]

Hey Cameron, curious what windows you are most often using for your homes in this price range.

[@cameronjohnson1931]

@@samasmith89the most common is Norandex Extreme 130, which has been my standard for 6 years or so. Their quality has been sub par recently though. I’m switching over to pella encompass/250 series.

[@cassgil8448]

Hey Matt, (or anyone in the community) I need to upgrade my Gas Water Heater (and might be thinking of switching to a heat pump style. Do you have preference between Rheem brand and State brand? Thank you

[@LASFVEGASHOUSTON]

I wish more bankers and appraisers better understood the quality of build is not just in the finishes. Quality of material like zip boards, fortified roofing etc. versus the typical production builders quality.

[@jasonsstratton]

I've installed three IKEA kitchens in my own houses. I have been happy with all 3. Great hardware, as long as you know the backs are cheap, and replace them, there isn't a problem. Most of the time custom cabinets come with worse hardware than the Ikeas do.

[@fox156]

Yep! Often the people that complain about Ikea are the same ones that can't follow the instructions and assemble ETA furniture. I bet if Ikea cabinets came pre assembled we'd hear a different tune.

[@lookup9078]

30:30 🛎️🎯🙏

[@wink9970]

Wow. I skip some, not interesting or applicable to me. This was just so interesting. Thank you for all the knowledge FREE!!!

[@tamil1001]

Great video. Besides Schuco are there other companies manufacturing triple glazed windows in US or Canada that you would recommend considering?

[@JamesG1126]

The amount you'll spend on triple glazed windows makes no sense compared to $ saved in eletricity costs.

[@DrMJJr]

Alpen

[@ASIRIDesigns]

@@JamesG1126 The costs might not make sense, but triple glazed windows are a lot more comfortable if you're living in a cold or hot climate. I.e. specifying triple glazed on windows on the south elevation in a hot climate above the equator, or on the north elevation in a cold climate.

[@marinablueGS]

My greatest fear associated with building a house is that I have to trust a stranger to do me right and build a quality home. I've heard too many horror stories.

[@TheJeof1000]

Hmmp same product different buyer (owner vs contructor) why the price is different? And why the warranty is different? Is that extra income to the contructor?

[@user-vx5ne8sx9u]

Good info, but the reality is the vast majority of Americans can't afford your houses. While I find high-performance house attractive, I admire a good production builder that can provided quality, affordable houses.

[@charlesrodriguez7984]

Same here. I aspire to start a production home building business at some point after getting a job in architecture that simply focuses on building the highest quality homes possible while still being somewhat affordable for most Americans

[@aknorth1053]

That's why as a society we have a building code. Most contractors have a two fork desicion tree, does it increase profit for me right now yes or no? Buildings code is there to prevent bad behavior. It does have to be enforced to be effective. For example a lot of areas have the contractors hire the people who do code compliance inspections for the city. There is a clear conflict of interest. Not to say there are no good contractors but typically they are limited to the high end where budgets allow owner input to look beyond the right now

[@ckstd]

I see many homes around Atlanta where the contractor is using cardboard sheathing. I wouldn't use it on a dog house.

[@ryansoo4000]

Hi Matt. I do NOT want to see you, Steve and Jake do a video on the minimum standards for indoor air quality (bet that got your attention lol). Well, actually I would like to see that, but what I would like to see in addition to that is a video on the best HVAC and IAQ equipment available today for the house of the future - in other words, the all electric, possibly solar powered house. People are already talking today about how Governments, industries and manufacturers are encouraging homeowners to transition away from fossil fuels, not only for space heating, DHW and cooking but also vehicles. “Everything should run on electricity”, they say, and then they add that your future home should either include solar PV or at least be “solar PV ready”. Well, what if there is ONLY solar PV in the future? Is there a way to future proof your HVAC system (in addition to your building envelope) so that in 50 years, should solar be all that’s available, you can still use all the HVAC systems you installed today for space heating, DHW, cooking and IAQ?

[@NuttyElf]

The equipment is irrelevant compared to proper hvac design.

[@ryansoo4000]

@@NuttyElf Really? So if the HVAC design calls for a one ton unit to provide the home with a properly functioning heating system and Unit A costs twice as much to run compared to Unit B wouldn't you want to know which unit is better (IE cheaper) to run?

[@NuttyElf]

@@ryansoo4000 I meant the equipment brand doesn't really matter. Maybe that's not what you were saying in your original comment.

[@BSCTrainerRob]

I live in Oak Ridge TN which is a town built to develop the uranium bomb in WW2. Almost all the houses here were built circa 1944. Thousands of homes and not a single one is below ach 1.0 and yet people are fine. Nobody is unhealthy because of it and nobody has such exorbitant energy bills that a huge retrofit would make sense. I'm just saying I believe there's seriously diminishing returns with this super high end type of building

[@christiandude44]

I like these guys quite a bit, however some of the tone of this video bothered me. There are tons of people who can't afford houses at 175 a foot, let alone where they are building. Some of the really cheap innovations to get a house built cheaper are very necessary for people who want any hope of starting their home buying journey. Even with lower performance, There are plenty of not super well but houses that do fine. Builders that want to build very inexpensive houses at a much lower profit to try and make houses affordable for people are not inherently lazy

[@aaronatkins5297]

KC Missouri AND KANSAS Matt! Sheesh😅

[@KJSvitko]

Quality lasts longer and is more comfortable. Saving energy saves money.

[@Austin-fc5gs]

23:00 newton ma represent

[@Z71hosestretcher]

How does an extra pane of glass help with air leakage?

[@willmanion7753]

Do NOT add 1" of ZipR to a 2x6 R19/21 wall assembly. Dew point inside the sheathing will generate liquid moisture like crazy. Continuous exterior insulation should be at least 1/3 of the total R value. ASHRAE 160.

[@willmanion7753]

in a heating climate...

[@hanko5750]

Building to code = building the worse house that is allowed

[@shadeiland]

One thing people don’t pay attention to is that code is minimum standards for home building. In no way is it a well built home, just a good enough home.

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

I get what you guys are saying, but do you know how hard it is to justify a 2000 square foot house costing $700k to build. Does a price tag like that really sound reasonable to anyone here?

[@tonycortez8556]

I agree, I think 2000sqf should be anywhere from 200k to 250k

[@charlesviner1565]

👍📐🔨Davenport Iowa here

[@goham5481]

So a minimum standard home would be pretty expensive from one of these guys.

[@leestebbins5051]

I can load shed with a magic NO/FFO device.

[@Steven-zx7uo]

I would love to see a short video, maybe 5 minutes that I could show my production developer that would be a better house than what he is building now. Is it possible to make airtight house with Zip and spray foam on inside and maybe Rockwool inside also, without putting in mechanicals to move air? This would be better than what production developers are doing now. I wish this video actually laid out a minimum better house in detail for say a production developer, which we can actually afford. I’m having a house built in Payson, Arizona. Thanks.

[@sethwilliams3203]

The risk of building to tight without mechanical ventilation is creating a sick house. ...Easy to grow mold...better to make leaky house than toxic environment.

[@WilsonColter]

video starts at 2:55

[@jimr4566]

Didn't get any real minimum standards here, just customer should pay more!

[@whitenite007]

Jake seems like a great builder but pretty condescending 😂

[@7-Oaks-Custom-Corey]

Love the content and all of the info. Great stuff. Really surprised and offput by Steve describing the conversation as "retarded" in such a professional environment. Not a descriptor that should be used in substitute for something you think is dumb these days. The Build Show has higher standards for speaking than that.

[@JeremeyHowlett]

I think all this focus on green energy and monitoring energy use in your own homes is a waste of time. Electricity has been pretty consistent ever since the grid was built. If it does go down, its usually back up within hours. If every home was allotted a certain amount of electricity that was free, you would see electricity consumption drop drastically.

[@newfinish5995]

Podcasting tip sir, DO NOT START YOUR SHOW BY ADVERTISING ANOTHER COMPANY'S PRODUCT.

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

$1k for a shower valve 🤨

[@daverohner271]

I say now No I can’t build it cheaper and I can’t build it faster, but I guarantee I ca build it better

[@JamesG1126]

Spray foam is this generation's asbestos.

[@charlesrodriguez7984]

Truth. I don’t want it anywhere near me

[@fox156]

??? Doesn't make any sense

[@morgan3688]

​@@fox156People are using it as a do-it-all building product. It has alot of neat features, but when used poorly it creates alot of problems including mold, cancer, and fire.

[@JamesG1126]

If there is OSB, wood chips and glue, it's not a well built home. Use solid real building materials. Concrete, solid wood, steel. Modern building materials don't last and the outgassing can make you sick.

[@imtheonevanhalen1557]

ummmm plywood is glued together?

[@charlesrodriguez7984]

@@imtheonevanhalen1557concrete is a chemical too? 🤔

[@JeremyBell]

Love you guys but the big guy is putting off too much of a "get lost poors!" Vibe. I have a humble 250k house and just watch the show for ideas i can implement as money allows. But this is like the third show now where it feels like you guys are saying if your a poor kick rocks

[@careysmoak5478]

Where in Texas can I get the poly iso board to go under my metal roof. I’m in rockport

[@bradmason8334]

Steve / Matt - 🙏 - how would you insulate a cinderblock home for Sarasota Florida? I can only find wood homes on your site. Thanks in advance - Semper Fi