Episode 7: Licensed Catastrophists
Episode 7: Licensed Catastrophists  
Podcast: Abandon House! How to Survive a Home Repair Fiasco
Published On: Fri Jan 09 2026
Description: Down came the rain…and with it, a team of licensed catastrophists.When Isaac and his Planet Eden crew arrive to perform what’s been generously labeled a “discovery process,” Kenny and Shari watch their functioning kitchen get stripped to the studs in record time - no signed contract, no clear scope, and no guarantee anything will ever be put back. Cabinets vanish. Appliances hide in plain sight (right where the car is supposed to be in the garage). A plastic zipper wall turns the kitchen into a private demolition club, and the Rudolphs are not on the guest list.What began as a leaking window has now escalated into a full-blown kitchen apocalypse.As invoices multiply and reports drift dangerously close to creative fiction, the insurance pirates circle, Borg’s promises wobble, and the Castle enters its submarine era: six months without a real kitchen, a microwave in the garage, and just enough hope to keep everyone hanging on.Then, finally, our long-awaited window expert appears (no, it’s not Moby).The Rudolphs welcome Terry Adamson, Technical Director (and former President) of Fenestration Canada, the national trade association in Canada for windows, doors, and glazing. Terry brings decades of industry knowledge, plain-language explanations, and something the Castle has been missing for years: clarity. From flashing and envelope failures to real-life examples like the infamous “Vancouver leaky condo crisis,” Terry explains what went wrong, why the whatever-you-want-to-call-it sky wall likely failed after 14 years, and how homeowners can avoid ever living through this kind of fiasco.Actual answers. Real standards. No smoke. No mirrors. No Jedi moisture meters.Kenny, Shari, and Terry cover:What fenestration actually means (and why consumers never hear the word)Why flashing is non-negotiable - especially in rain-heavy climatesWhat test reports homeowners should demand before buying windowsThe importance of window and door maintenance (yes, that’s a thing)How to find real experts instead of confident guessersNext time: Borg’s excuse factory goes into overdrive, a mysterious window sensei appears, promises are broken (three times), and the Rudolphs inch closer to the moment every homeowner dreads: realizing they may need to walk away.This podcast is the official companion to the book series of the same name Abandon House: How to Survive a Home Repair Fiasco. Book 1 is available wherever you buy books, and at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Abandon-House-Survive-Repair-Fiasco/dp/B0FJYRFYKTAbandon House! is produced by Jess Schmidt: https://www.jessdoespodcasting.com/Our editor is Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/The Abandon House! theme song was produced by Jeff Gerke with music and lyrics, vocals and guitar by Kenny Rudolph: https://abandonhousepod.com/Additional music graciously provided by Eden's Journal: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28z4W9e04lGdr0GWL-DK2A