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Clearstory

Clearstory

This Old House

From This Old House, Clearstory is a window that sheds light on the surprising stories behind our homes. Host Kevin O'Connor digs into the systems, structures and materials in our homes from unexpected angles. Will future skyscrapers be built out of wood? Why is the American Chestnut heralded as “the perfect tree”? Did the Romans have a better recipe for concrete than what we use today? How will we build on Mars? You’ll hear from industry leaders, historians, and builders. Clearstory – your home in a new light.
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Top 10 Clearstory Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Clearstory episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Clearstory for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Clearstory episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Clearstory - Construction Waste: A Dumpster Dive
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01/09/20 • 32 min

We’ve all seen a dumpster full of debris on a job site, but do you know anything about where that construction waste ends up? We generate about 570 million tons of construction waste every year... and that number is growing. Listen as This Old House Contractor Charlie Silva sorts through what we can reuse or recycle, the EPA’s Nicole Villamizar runs the numbers, and Professor Debbie Reinhart looks to smarter technology.

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In the future, you might have wireless electricity powering virtually everything in your home fed by transparent solar cells planted in your window glass. Alex Gruzen of WiTricity and Professor Vladimir Bulovic of MIT.nano explain the electric futures they are working on. And in the meantime, This Old House electrician Heath Eastman shares what he’s wiring up these days.

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Clearstory - Toilets: Humanity’s Greatest Invention?
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12/12/19 • 38 min

Not everyone wants to talk about it, but the toilet is responsible for saving countless lives throughout human history. Hodding Carter, author of “Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization” takes us on a journey through the toilet’s development, and This Old House’s Richard Trethewey tours the Plumbing Museum with an eye to the past before looking to the future.

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Clearstory - Roofs: Coming Out On Top
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11/26/19 • 33 min

The design, the materials, the maintenance. Let’s face it, most of us don’t really know what’s up there protecting us. It’s battered by the wind, the rain, snow, and the sun and it’s supposed to take it all without any complaints or leaks. In this episode, Duo Dickinson, architect and author of “A Home Called New England” tells us what the perfect roof has to deal with, while Anne Cope, Chief Engineer of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety shares how roofs are tested. You’ll also hear tips from This Old House’s Charlie Silva and Jeff Sweenor on how to keep roofs in tip-top shape and what to do when you need a new one.

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Clearstory - Windows: No Pane, No Gain
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11/07/19 • 27 min

We go to great lengths to make our walls airtight and well-insulated, and then we turn around and put big holes in them. Windows. They look simple, but they are highly-engineered machines... pulleys and weights, argon gas, solar coatings and more. Architect Don Powers helps us decode R-value, U-factors and the typical window label, architectural historian Elizabeth Milnarik traces the history of the window, and This Old House general contractor Tom Silva reminds us that old windows are sometimes worth saving.

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It may look hard to frame a house, but it used to be a lot harder. Kevin O’Connor explores the incredible evolution of timber to stick framing. The 2x4 helped America spread out across the plains, but it reduced Chicago to ashes along the way. History professor Dr. Dennis Cremin traces the flames, and This Old House’s Jeff Sweenor helps snuff them out. Great innovation paired with massive tragedy set the stage for modern-day homebuilding.

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Clearstory - Water: The Ultimate Recyclable
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10/24/19 • 33 min

We use it day in and day out in our homes, but how much do we really know about water? Are we really running out? Kevin O’Connor speaks with author Charles Fishman (“The Big Thirst”), uncovering surprising facts about all things water. Las Vegas and Orlando show us who’s boss in the water conservation game, and This Old House plumber Richard Trethewey solves a water mystery. Water is too cheap and it’s the ultimate recyclable in need of a revolution.

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Clearstory will be back for season 2, but in the meantime, we’re excited to announce the debut of the Ask This Old House Podcast. Just like the Emmy-Award winning TV show on PBS, the podcast features the Ask This Old House experts, who answer home improvement questions from homeowners around the country. In the first episode, This Old House editor Chris Ermides sits down with master electrician Heath Eastman to help a homeowner with a ceiling fan in a loft space, and a bathroom chandelier.

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We are ending 2020 with some good news: Clearstory will be back for its second season in spring 2021! In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode of “The Walk-In,” a podcast from our friends at America’s Test Kitchen. In this episode, podcast host and chef Elle Simone Scott sits down with Mashama Bailey, executive chef and co-founder of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia, to chat about cooking with intention, developing confidence in the kitchen, and balancing creative energy with business savvy.

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Clearstory - Rebuilding Paradise: Holding onto Home
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01/16/20 • 42 min

After major natural disasters, like Superstorm Sandy and the Paradise, California fires, why do some homeowners choose to rebuild, often in the very same spot, while others opt to move and start fresh elsewhere? We hear stories from people who’ve made these tough decisions. Then, psychology professor Susan Clayton and This Old House’s Richard Trethewey talk about what “home” really means.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Clearstory have?

Clearstory currently has 26 episodes available.

What topics does Clearstory cover?

The podcast is about Leisure, Home & Garden, History and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Clearstory?

The episode title 'Construction Waste: A Dumpster Dive' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Clearstory?

The average episode length on Clearstory is 32 minutes.

How often are episodes of Clearstory released?

Episodes of Clearstory are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Clearstory?

The first episode of Clearstory was released on Oct 3, 2019.

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