10 DUMB (and Common) Building Practices

In this Build Show, Matt is walking some job sites to look for Common (And VERY Dumb) building mistakes. These Fails lead to Mold, Rot, Bug infestations, Energy Loss, and a host of other bad things. Watch and learn from Master Builder Matt Risinger as he shares from his 25 years of Building knowledge. I guarantee you will learn some Building Science watching this episode and you’ll know how to BUILD better on your next project.

Matt's new watch in this video: (Black MultiCam color)


Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

[ziaride]

As a former landscaper: Builders burying junk on the property. Homeowner: Why does my grass always look bad in the same spot every year? Check sprinkler coverage and usual suspects, then take a probe and hit a slab of drywall, studs, nails and other trash 6 inches below the surface. Saw this everywhere.

[FrederickDunn]

The kind of workmanship and lack of attention to detail that you're showing here is exactly why I became a home inspector and did that for 10 years before constructing my own home. It was a real eye-opener when I looked at rough work. Finding a builder that seriously supervised his people and took action where needed was rare I'm sorry to say. Matt, you are someone who any inspector would enjoy visiting. It's a breath of fresh air to see someone who understands quality building practices from rafters to sill plates. Excellent video, glad I took the time to watch!!!

[joshualewis]

Haha you should do like a gordon ramsay for building lol. Hells Contractors HOUSE IS RAW

[andrewk-majordochomerepair]

Reinforces how challenging it makes to know how to trust a builder without having the building knowledge oneself and micromanaging/ overseeing every little step of the build process knowing how all those little steps make a significant impact on the end durability, efficiency, and general quality of the build. Worthwhile to see "mistakes" of others and or own too so we can all learn.

[choimdachoim]

For 2 yearsI had the title of "Superintendent in charge of customer service" for 160 houses (which was just a fancy title for "I gotta truck full of tools and I know how to use them"). My job was to take notes after people bought, moved in and discovered problems, then fix all those problems...if you want your house built correctly, ya gotta build it yerself, period. Even Matt here with all his attention-to-detail cannot know how each nail is installed by his crews unless he himself installs it. You want square rooms? Build them yourself. You want proper spacing of drywall screws? Install each one yourself. I always loved removing ceramic tile when remodeling production houses because they were barely stuck to the concrete substrate. I pity the fool who ever has to remove any tile I installed. People will say there's no reason to super-stick tile down but maybe you've never had your Baby Grand Piano punch a crack in tile that rings hollow when you tap it. Personally I love over-kill in my work. I'm retired and I look back with no regrets...except for not charging enough.

[runt]

Did he just walk into a random neighborhood and talk shit on the build quality? Because I love it.

[Bill_N_ATX]

When I was buying my last house, I used a realtor friend of mine. She’d been in the business for years but didn’t know how to really tell if a house was well built. She was great on modern finishes and knew all the cool stuff but she knew nothing about how to tell if the most recent remodel was done well or was a hack job. And we weren’t looking at cheap houses. Most were custom or semi custom when built. Sadly at least behalf of them were built poorly. I finally found one that was well built and when I talked to the owner I figured out why. He’d been a project manager for an engineering firm and while not a builder, he knew what to research and when something didn’t look right. He also gave me a carton of prints, specs, manuals, and all the change requests for his house. I’m sure he drove his builder nuts but it’s a great house. The attention to detail was there when it was built 20 years ago and it shows. Only thing that’s had to be replaced was the roof which was damaged by hail 8 years ago. It’s the details.

[bill]

You should do a "best practices" series showing problems and then detailing the solution.

[banjotramp]

I learned on a siding job many years ago to "think like a drop of water" from a much more experienced carpenter. Suddenly all those details I was getting wrong made sense! This video has that plus now I have learned to "think like an ant" as well. PS, "Think like a drop of water" would be a good episode title..

[kingofcastlechaos]

My favorite line is " How would seeing my work from 10 yrs ago make me feel". When I started forty years ago that was not an issue, we all did the same type of work. But our modern practices and constant advances make a decade seem more like a lifetime or even a different generation altogether. Keep up the good work Matt, our only hope is to educate.

[Justin-bvgi]

Mans going through the neighborhood pouring water on walls and ripping people flashing 🤣🤣

[ozzstars_cars]

I have 22 years in professional home remodeling and repair. Matt is spot on. Builders use the excuse that these type of homes are production built and that the defects are normal and should be expected. Wrong! It's called sub contractors that are paid low and produce poor quality. Some have no pride in their workmanship others lack skill and training. Good video Matt, thanks.👍 -Glen

[OldMan_PJ]

The race to build fast & cheap has resulted in a reduction of skill and quality.

[percyjen]

I purchased a new construction home recently in California last year. We visited the job site 2-4 times a week. The builder didn’t care. We got to meet the neighbors too. I like seeing the frame and mechanical systems before being covered up.

The job site is a fun place.

[stevenattaway]

Walks up to random worker at random house: "Let's watch this guy as he uses his nailgun to put in nails. Look how horrible he does this. It's just garbage. These nails could be pulled right out." Then proceeds to tear down walls and rip up material, all while the construction crew watches in amazement.

[AdmiralBob]

"Can foam not good for air sealing" Well yeah especially when you don't actually put it in many of the holes.

[guyindesert]

I like that you take much pride in your work, truly trying to build a quality homes.

[goskidmark]

Watching Matt's experience tear these builds apart makes me question my own home's build quality.

[nathanwilson]

"Matt roasts other builders for 14 minutes" love it. Needs to happen. Everyone should strive to be better. It is better for the customer and our society.

[jaedanb]

I appreciate going over the little details that someone like me would never catch or think of if I were to build something of my own. More videos like this would be awesome!