Build Science 501 Preview

Matt Risinger, founder of The Build Show, sits down with Travis Brungardt, host of the Building Consensus Podcast and contractor, for a conversation on unconventional insulation approaches. They start with insulated over-roof assemblies, discussing how continuous insulation above the roof deck supports airtight construction, conditioned attics, and better comfort in hot-humid climates. Travis describes framing methods and compares rigid board with batt insulation for the roof. The conversation then moves to lesser-used materials, including sheep’s wool, wood fiber, foam glass aggregate, denim batts, ICF, SIPs, and straw bale. They weigh availability, cost premiums, installer experience, and the environmental and indoor air quality reasons builders choose these products.

In part two of their insulation series on the Build Show podcast, Matt Risinger, Founder, The Build Show and Travis Brungardt dig into board insulation, with a focus on basements and foundations. They compare rigid foam, polyiso, and mineral wool boards, covering water management, vapor-open assemblies, and thermal continuity. The conversation weighs interior against exterior placement below grade, including pest pressure, inspection access, and drainage. They also cover insulating slabs, offsetting joints in multiple layers, and how compressibility and labor affect installation. Durability and moisture control come up throughout, tied to the BUILD HD standard.

Matt Risinger sits down with builder Travis Brungardt on the Build Show podcast to dig into fibrous insulation, meaning any non-foam product that traps air between fibers. They start with fiberglass batts and blown-in loose fill, then move to cellulose and wood fiber, and they cover how installation quality and air movement affect real-world performance. The conversation looks at attics and walls, wind washing, settling, and the difference between rated and long-term R-value. They also touch on less common options like denim batts and blown-in blanket systems. The episode works as a companion to Travis's “Builders Installation playbook series and sets up a follow-up on rigid board insulation.

In this episode of the Build Show Podcast, Matt Risinger and special guest Jake Bruton discuss lessons they’ve learned from building homes for their own families and how those experiences have influenced their approach to clients. They talk about communicating plans more clearly, using 3D models and physical mockups to help clients understand spaces, and setting realistic expectations around construction schedules. The conversation also explores HVAC design, comfort, zoning, ventilation rates, and the importance of monitoring indoor air quality in high-performance homes. Matt and Jake share experiences with tight building envelopes, air sealing, pest control, and the realities of completing work themselves.

Matt Risinger sits down with the digs.com team at Build Show Live to unpack a new partnership shaping how custom and production builders document construction. The conversation traces digs.com's evolution into an AI-powered platform that captures takeoffs, diagramming, and selections, then converts that data into a 3D digital twin for homeowners—often compared to a "Carfax for homes." Talk turns to the newly launched Build HD standard, a durability-focused building certification addressing water intrusion and construction defects, and how it integrates with an upcoming AI tool trained on years of building-science content. The discussion also touches on data ownership, homeowner privacy controls, a builder-supply partnership expanding distribution, and where artificial general intelligence might fit into future construction workflows.