Travis Builds It

Travis Builds It Making homes better using building science.

06/06/2026

One rule: Bring evidence, not insults.

What’s the strongest argument FOR or AGAINST spray foam? 👇

Spray foam might be the most controversial product in modern construction.

Some healthy home advocates believe it’s creating indoor air quality issues, trapping moisture, and setting us up for future building failures.

Meanwhile, spray foam contractors point to thousands of successful projects, lower energy bills, improved comfort, and tighter building envelopes.

So who’s right?

The truth is probably more complicated than either side wants to admit.

I’ve inspected spray foam projects that looked fantastic.

I’ve also inspected spray foam projects that created serious problems.

What I’ve learned is that building science rarely rewards absolutes.

Products don’t succeed or fail in isolation.

Design matters.
Installation matters.
Climate matters.
Ventilation matters.
Details matter.

I’m genuinely curious where you land on this.

If you’re pro-spray foam, tell me why.

If you’re anti-spray foam, tell me why.

And if you have actual testing, field experience, research, or evidence—bring it.

Let’s see if the comments can be more building science and less internet cage match.





06/04/2026

One of my favorite moments during a home diagnostic is when testing confirms what someone has been saying all along.

In this case, the homeowner kept noticing odors from the garage making their way into the house.

So we tested it.

Using zonal pressure diagnostics with the blower door running, we measured about 42 Pascals between the house and the garage.

For context, if the garage were completely outside the pressure boundary, we’d expect that number to be close to 50 Pascals.

A reading of 42 Pascals means the garage is roughly 16% connected to the house through air leaks.

That’s enough for garage air to find pathways through:
• Baseboards
• Electrical outlets
• Plumbing penetrations
• Framing gaps

The lesson isn’t that garage smells are mysterious.

The lesson is that air follows pressure and pathways.

And if you’re not testing, you’re guessing.

Save this for the next time someone says, “I swear I smell something coming from the garage.”

06/02/2026

Most people focus on relative humidity.

I get it. It’s the number we see on thermostats, weather apps, and humidity sensors.

But relative humidity is exactly that… relative.

In this attic, the air was about 93°F with 53% RH.

At first glance, that sounds pretty reasonable.

The problem?

The dew point was 74°F.

And 74°F isn’t a difficult surface temperature to reach when:
• Flex ducts are piled on top of each other and compressing insulation
• Duct insulation has gaps or voids
• Metal duct corners lose insulation coverage
• Humid attic air comes into contact with cooler surfaces

Once a surface drops below the dew point, water shows up.

That’s when you start seeing condensation, sweating ducts, wet insulation, microbial growth, and other moisture-related problems.

This is why I spend more time looking at dew point and surface temperatures than relative humidity alone.

The real question isn’t:

“What’s the humidity?”

It’s:

“Can any surface in this assembly reach the dew point?”

Because that’s where moisture problems begin.

Save this if you’ve ever wondered why a home can have “normal” humidity and still have condensation issues.

06/02/2026

I never expected youth group wisdom to apply to HVAC ductwork… but here we are.

When insulated flex ducts are piled on top of each other, the insulation gets compressed.

That matters because insulation works by maintaining thickness. Compress an R-8 duct and parts of it may no longer perform anywhere close to R-8.

The result?

The outer jacket can get colder, especially in a hot, humid attic. That increases the risk of condensation (“sweating ducts”), which can eventually lead to water stains, damaged insulation, and moisture problems.

The fix isn’t complicated:

✅ Support ducts properly
✅ Avoid stacking ducts on each other
✅ Maintain insulation thickness
✅ Leave space between runs when possible

Sometimes building science and middle school camp rules point to the same solution:

Keep your distance. 😆

Save this for the next time you’re in your attic.

06/02/2026

One of the reasons I love TPO roofing is the same reason I love building science:

You can verify the work.

With many roofing systems, a repair can feel a little like educated guesswork. Patch it. Seal it. Hope it works.

TPO is different.

Every seam is heat welded, and every seam can be tested. You can literally run a probe along the weld and verify whether it’s bonded correctly.

That’s what good systems do.

They don’t rely on assumptions.
They create opportunities for inspection.

Whether we’re talking about roofing, air sealing, ventilation, or indoor air quality, the principle is the same:

If you can test it, you can trust it.

This Austin project turned out incredible, and Andrew’s crew paid attention to the details that matter long after the photos are taken.

What part of your home do you wish was easier to inspect and verify?

06/01/2026

One of the biggest mistakes we see in retrofit spray foam attics is treating spray foam as insulation only.

When you convert a vented attic to an unvented attic, you’re not just changing the insulation strategy.

You’re moving the building’s air barrier.

That means every connection between the roofline, soffits, wall tops, attic floor, and other transitions needs to become part of a continuous air control layer.

In this attic, we tested two adjacent areas.

One cavity had been touched up and showed virtually no air leakage.

The cavity right next to it leaked significantly.

And unfortunately, most of the attic looked more like the second example.

The result? Outdoor air can still infiltrate the attic assembly, bringing heat and moisture with it.

This is why retrofit spray foam projects deserve more than an insulation mindset. They need an air barrier mindset.

The goal isn’t just adding R-value.

The goal is creating a continuous pressure boundary.

That’s why we test.

06/01/2026

Most insulation removal companies are focused on one thing: getting insulation out.

But if the attic decking stays in place, what happens underneath it?

You don’t know.

And neither do they.

On this project, we removed the decking and found major air leakage hidden below. There was no way to inspect it, seal it, or verify it without opening things up.

This is one reason blower door numbers often disappoint homeowners after an insulation project.

Insulation slows heat flow.

Air sealing controls air flow.

They’re not the same thing.

If you can’t see the leaks, you can’t seal the leaks.

That’s why we often remove attic decking, inspect what’s underneath, air seal the ceiling plane, and then rebuild the decking after the work is complete.

The goal isn’t just removing insulation.

The goal is improving the performance of the house.

Save this if you’re planning an attic project.

05/31/2026

Not every roof should be metal.

On this Austin project, we installed nearly 80 squares of standing seam metal roofing. But when we got to a small low-slope section over the front porch, we made a different recommendation.

After removing the existing modified bitumen roof, we found significant decking damage and evidence of past leaks. That’s exactly why roof design matters. Steep-slope roofs and low-slope roofs have different challenges, and the best solution isn’t always the same material across the entire home.

In this clip, Andrew explains why he often prefers a true waterproofing system on low-slope roof sections. The repairability, durability, and ability to withstand standing water can make a huge difference over the life of the roof.

Shoutout to Andrew and the team at A to Z Metals for sharing their expertise on this project.

If you’re planning a major roofing project in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, or Houston, make sure you’re working with a contractor who understands how different roof systems perform—not just how they look.

Questions about a flat roof, patio roof, standing seam metal, or a roof transition detail? Send me a message.

05/30/2026

When most people think about air sealing, they think canned spray foam.

But some of the most important leaks are too small, too hidden, or too specific for foam alone.

On this project, we’re tracking down air leakage pathways between neighboring condo units that are carrying smoke odors from one space to another. Once we identify the pathway, we need the right tool and the right sealant for the job.

The Aerofixx gun from @475.supply is one of the tools we use for precision application of Smoke & Sound sealant from .

Depending on the situation, Smoke & Sound can be applied:
• From 5-gallon buckets with a bulk gun
• From sausage tubes
• As a spray using a Graco Mark V sprayer

Different tools. Same goal.

Find the pathway.
Seal the pathway.
Verify the results.

Because when it comes to comfort, odors, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality, air moves through the holes you leave behind.

Save this if you’re interested in how air sealing is actually done in the field.

05/30/2026

At first glance, this looks air sealed.

Foam everywhere. No obvious gaps. Looks pretty convincing.

But appearances can be deceiving.

When we started doing more diagnostic testing, we found that canned foam alone often leaves hidden pathways behind framing, wiring, plumbing, and irregular surfaces. It may look sealed from one angle while air is still moving around it.

That’s why we’ve shifted toward a systems approach that includes sealants, rigid materials, membranes, and verification with testing.

Because the goal isn’t to look air sealed.

The goal is to be air sealed.

If you’re not testing, you’re guessing.

Save this for the next time someone says, “We foamed all the gaps.”

Address

Dallas, TX

Telephone

+12146007337

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Travis Builds It posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Travis Builds It:

Shortcuts

Share