Last week, Justin and Brian were at the PCBC show in San Francisco, and they wanted to get their hands on Fine Homebuilding ambassador Shawn Van Dyke. This is that episode, with the guys spending the show talking with Shawn. Scroll down for links to Shawn’s wide range of stuff online.

Shawn gave a talk at PCBC about closing the skills gap. He suggests that one part of the solution is to “solve your own skills gap” — that is, run your business right, use the right hiring process, and train the right people.

Shawn also takes an interesting look at the financials of going into the trades vs going to college. And he tackles several of the myths that plague the business.

Here’s a video of Shawn’s talk at PCBC. Enjoy!

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by our sponsors, Rockwool, BuildDirect, and Wasco Windows.

Life is loud. From noisy kids to blaring electronics, it’s a big challenge. Cut the noise with Rockwool Safe ‘n’ Sound stone wool insulation. Made from rock, it naturally blocks sound. So no matter what video game the kids are playing, the rest of the family can enjoy a quieter, more comfortable space. To learn more about Rockwool Safe ‘n’ Sound stone wool insulation, visit Rockwool.com.

Looking for quality flooring materials at wholesale prices, but also want to cut out that time consuming “looking” part? Stop driving from store to store searching for a product that might not even be in stock. Let BuildDirect PRO do it for you. For free. As a BuildDirect PRO you’ll be connected with a personal account rep that sources your products to spec, at the lowest tiered price, and manages the logistics and delivery of your order directly to your jobsite. Plus you get added perks like unlimited free samples delivered overnight, and up to $5000 credit on product purchases throughout the year. Join for free at BuildDirect.com/BDPros.

Wasco Windows produces beautiful, multi-functional European-style windows and doors right in their own Milwaukee factory, using the best components from Germany and the United States. These windows and doors offer superior thermal, air infiltration, and structural performance, making them the best choice for passive, net-zero or other high energy performance buildings. Wasco’s European windows are available as single tilt and turn windows as well in a variety of multi-pane designs. Visit www.wascowindows.com and find out why, if you have Wasco windows, you know the Wasco difference!

We hope you will take advantage of a great offer for our podcast listeners: A special 20% off discounted rate to subscribe to the Fine Homebuilding print magazine. That link goes to finehomebuilding.com/podoffer.

The show is driven by our listeners, so please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or Google Play, and if you have any questions you would like us to dig into for a future show, shoot an email our way: [email protected]. Also, be sure to follow Justin Fink, Rob Yagid, and Fine Homebuilding on Instagram — and “like” the magazine on Facebook. Note that you can watch the show above, or on YouTube at the Fine Homebuilding YouTube Channel.

The Fine Homebuilding Podcast embodies Fine Homebuilding magazine’s commitment to the preservation of craftsmanship and the advancement of home performance in residential construction. The show is an informal but vigorous conversation about the techniques and principles that allow listeners to master their design and building challenges.

Links for this episode:

• Read articles by Shawn at Fine Homebuilding.
• Podcast Episode 33 with Shawn.
• Podcast Episode 80 with Shawn.
  
• shawnvandyke.com.
• FHB Presents $70K in KCA Scholarships.
• All FHB podcast show notes: FineHomebuilding.com/podcast.
• #KeepCraftAlive tee-shirts support scholarships for building trades students. So go order some shirts at KeepCraftAlive.org.
• The direct link to the online store is here.