Eric G is diving deep into the world of innovative construction products with Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block, just in time for Women in Construction Week! We kick things off by exploring how Hydro Block is revolutionizing the way contractors handle waterproofing and insulation, making it a breeze for both pros and DIY enthusiasts alike. Lisa shares her journey into the construction industry, highlighting the importance of hard work and the power of collaboration—because let’s face it, teamwork makes the dream work, right? We also chat about the challenges of breaking into a traditionally male-dominated field and how women are paving the way for future generations in trades. So grab your tool belt (or a cozy chair) and tune in for some great insights that’ll inspire you to tackle your next project with confidence and creativity! A vibrant conversation unfolds as Eric G and Lisa Nelson from HydroBlock come together to celebrate Women in Construction Week. Their chat dives deep into the innovative realm of construction materials, specifically focusing on HydroBlock's revolutionary tile backer board. With an impressive track record of over 200,000 installations and zero warranty claims, Lisa shares her journey in the building materials industry, revealing the challenges and triumphs of bringing their product into the U.S. market. The duo exchanges witty banter while dissecting the importance of education for contractors and homeowners, shedding light on the common pitfalls of outdated waterproofing methods. They tackle the alarming persistence of using traditional methods like green board drywall in shower installations and how HydroBlock is changing the game with its efficient, durable solutions. As they explore the future of construction and the impact of new technologies, the conversation highlights the critical need for innovation in building practices, especially as building codes evolve to ensure better performance and safety in homes.

Takeaways:

1. Eric G and Lisa Nelson from HydroBlok dive deep into innovative building materials that are changing the game for contractors and homeowners alike.
2. Women in Construction Week shines a spotlight on the contributions of women like Lisa, proving that diversity leads to better solutions in construction.
3. HydroBlok's exterior backer board combines insulation and waterproofing, simplifying installation while enhancing building performance.
4. With over 200,000 successful installations and no warranty claims, HydroBlok has set a high standard in the industry for durable waterproofing solutions.
5. The conversation highlights the importance of education in construction, emphasizing the need for continuous learning among contractors and builders.
6. As climate demands change, innovative products like HydroBlok are essential for adapting building methods to meet new building codes and efficiency standards.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. HydroBlox
2. Delta
3. Rockwool

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You're tuned to around the House, the nation's number one home improvement radio show and podcast with expert advice that's helped millions tackle everything from remodels to repairs.

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Now let's get this hour started.

Welcome to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.

Thanks for joining us today.

John Dudley is off on assignment today, but we have a great guest here in the studio.

And what I love, it's Women in Construction Week this weekend as well.

So we've got Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block, who I just met down at Design and Construction Week.

Lisa, welcome to around the House Show.

Thank you so much for having me.

This is going to be a lot of fun because what we're going to talk about with you today is something I think so many contractors and homeowners lack.

An education from everything to inside, maybe a shower to the exterior house.

And you guys are really doing so much innovation out there, and it's a lot of fun.

What got you started with Hydro Block?

Well, it's kind of, it was an interesting journey to get to Hydro Block.

So I've been in sales.

Oh, gosh, it's embarrassing to admit how long.

So decades has been my experience and in the building material space, probably a little over a decade.

So I was in interior, so cabinets, countertops, flooring, learned how to design.

Yeah, it was awesome.

I really loved it.

It was a great space.

And because of that experience, we got connected through some travel back overseas, just looking at different manufacturing facilities.

Happened to meet one of the owners of Hydro Block and got to know what he was doing in terms of distribution for the backer board in the shower space.

And it's actually, it's really impressive what that team has done over the last 10, 11 years.

So they have installed over 200,000 shower installations with our tile backer board without a single warranty claim.

And so when we met this partner, he said, you know, I really would like to scale this in the US Is that something that you could potentially help with?

So we started looking at just where it was offered.

Did contractors know about it?

What was the opportunity and what we found every single time we talked to a contractor just to get some feedback and kind of feel it out what that opportunity would look like.

Every single one of them, they appreciated how we protected that interior wet wall.

Space.

But they said, there's a bigger problem that we face, and that's on the exterior wall, so can it.

It was conversation after conversation where they wanted to know, where else can we use it?

So from the very beginning, from those introductions is kind of how we have built to where we are today.

Was just basically listening to what the contractor needed.

That is awesome.

And I tell you what, with shower systems, it is a game changer, and I can't believe how many times.

And I'm on so many different.

Like, I'm an expert in so many different Facebook groups for homeowners out there.

You know, I come in and check it out, and the people, the administrators are like, oh, you want to be the expert?

I'm like, I don't know if I want to be, but I'll jump in when I can, you know?

And, oh, my gosh, how many people out there are building showers?

Hardy backers.

Sorry, Hardy backer, but you're throwing it up in there.

And I'm just like, well, yeah, you're gonna be doing that in three years, whether you want to or not.

Yeah, well, I mean, this is a couple years ago.

I knew nothing about waterproofing a shower.

Literally nothing.

And so we just kind of dove in, and I talked to anybody that I could, and I still, admittedly, I know very little about how to waterproof a shower, because we've got a great team that does a phenomenal job and provides phenomenal service.

But finding out that they're still hot mopping in California, I mean, at the.

I didn't even know what hot mopping was.

Now that I know what it is, it's insanity.

You know, it's so dangerous.

Such a terrible way to do.

To do a shower.

But, you know, our team found a really great way to get it, gain a good reputation in the space, which was helpful for us to be able to obviously, launch into different applications.

And how they did that was in the hospital hospitality space, like I mentioned, all of the installs.

So we have several hundred rooms in Vegas as an example.

So you think about 7, 800 pounds of, like, a traditional mortar bed system for a shower, right?

Yep.

You have to remod that entire hotel.

Think about that service elevator.

Like, how do you even line up and stack people up to be able to use the elevator to get that amount of material up to renovate those rooms?

And so that is really where we gained a foothold and really established that reputation that we could mobilize super quick, we could get the jobs done super fast with better material, with better warranty, better warranty services as well.

And, you know, not a single warranty claim in all of that time kind of proves itself out.

It does.

And you think about it, that's the ultimate test.

Because one, you have to work clean.

It's Vegas.

You're in there, you know, some of those hotel rooms, it costs them a million dollars per room to build those places out.

Yeah.

So they got to have rent in that thing fast.

They got to have that booked.

Yeah, you're not gonna.

You're exactly right.

I'm gonna do a liner and.

No, you're not.

You need to get in there with your system.

Get in there, get out.

And it's so efficient and quite frankly, just a way better sealed system when it comes down to it.

Yep.

You are 100% right.

And you got a high rise that's always moving.

Yes, high rises move.

If you've ever worked in high rises, they move.

You've got to have something in there that's going to have a little bit of give to it.

Because windstorms, earthquakes, all those kind of things, those buildings move around a little bit.

I've done some high rise projects before, and it's like that building moves more than you think it does.

You are exactly right about that.

Yeah.

So we.

Yeah, they've done a really phenomenal job.

So, you know what was interesting and what has been so fun for us over the last.

The last couple of years is finding people that look at building materials in a different way.

Because like you said, you know, we started looking into this business as a potential to scale the shower systems.

Sure.

Well, we had someone on the shower team who literally was sitting in his house, I think in, you know, his home office was watching out the window and saw his neighbor house getting the stucco redone.

And it was like a light bulb moment for him because our tile backer board is.

It can be 100% waterproof and it is direct bond application.

So he, you know, looked at the traditional way that they were doing it, all of the layers that they were doing.

And he started kind of like looking into that as a potential.

So what we were able to do, my business partner and I, when we came in, was to give him, you know, the resources to kind of build that out.

Meanwhile, we were getting all of this validation from contractors that said there's a better, bigger place for this product to be used.

Well, in building code for all the people out there that don't really know what we're talking about.

Building code now is, is requiring or going to require, depending where you're at and who's taking what end.

But building code is now going to require an insulation product on the outside of the structure.

So if you're putting down, for instance, you know, you've got your.

Your framing, you've got your sheathing on the outside, they want to have another insulation barrier on the outside of that, because unfortunately, studs are not insulation.

They take up spot, and that's where the weak point is.

So they want to put some insulation on the outside of that.

So building code is now requiring that in a lot of places in the country.

This is the perfect application for that, because one, you've got an insulating value.

Two, you've got waterproofing.

Yep.

Yeah, you're exactly right.

So our backer board for the exterior, it's actually, it's a four in one product.

And all of our technology that we innovate at Hydro Block is all based on HB1, as, you know, the threshold.

So we believe that you can combine multiple layers, put them into one product, so that you're simplifying your labor, you're simplifying materials, you're getting your jobs done faster, you're taking out complexity, you know, for crews on the job site.

So with our exterior backer board, to your point, it is a continuous insulation board, but it also replaces your last coat, your lath, your scratch coat, and it gives you also that second WRB as well.

So we're four products in one solution.

That is great, because that you just took like, four days of work off the list.

Yeah.

Because, yeah, all that stuff takes time, and it's thick, too.

So that's the other part is it changes how things go, because if you have to put on that exterior insulation, maybe you're putting in, sorry, Rockwell, I'm going to mention you guys, you got to put in 2 inches of rockwool on there.

Now, how is your windows going to look?

How is all this stuff going to play together?

And when you can take half or three quarters of an inch out of this mixture or more, it really changes the overall look and the architectural look of the house, especially if you're doing a remodel on something older.

Yep, yep, you're absolutely right.

So, I mean, it's.

What's also really great about it is that there's not a big learning curve for this.

You know, it's a tried and true product in the Industry.

So we already know that it performs phenomenally well.

But it also, there's not a learning curve for the installation of it.

So people are already accustomed to using continuous insulation boards for all of the points that you just made.

But we're just adding in some additional layers on top of that, that R5XPS foam so that it cuts down on all of the finishing processes that come after that.

Well, you think with stucco, so many years you've seen that, you know, the, the non durable white foam board go up that, touch it and it falls apart.

We will see if Eric's voice will hold up and make it through this episode.

Around the House.

We'll be right back with Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block.

Around the House.

We'll be right back.

The kids these days will never understand

what it's like to play an instrument, to be in a band.

What's up?

This is Sticks it in you and Satchel from Steel Panther and you are

listening to around the House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G. And you should too.

1987.

Welcome back to the around the House show with Eric G. Eric is fighting a cold, so he is attempting to power through this great discussion with Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block.

I told Eric six and a half hours on a plane was going to make him sick and it happened right on schedule.

Let's get back to the conversation.

Well, you think with stucco, so many years you've seen that, you know, the, the non durable white foam board go up that.

Yeah.

Touch it and it falls apart.

Yeah.

And now you're putting up something that is gonna, and it's not waterproof.

It's just kind of there as a, as a filler basically.

And wow, that's a game changer because now you're putting up something that's way more durable underneath.

Yeah.

And with that extra wrb.

So which is for you guys out there that don't know what we're talking about, that's our weather resistant barrier.

That is what's going to keep that water from going inside the house.

It makes a lot of sense, especially when you're talking like I'm in the Pacific Northwest.

So wind driven rain is huge.

If you're on the, in the Gulf coast states where you're getting hurricanes, that's a big deal.

Yeah.

Yep, it absolutely is.

So, yeah, with we've traveled the country finding out, you know, how every different stucco system is done and so it's different in every corner of the country.

So we're located in Salt Lake.

That's where Our headquarters are.

So we do a lot of traditional three coat systems.

So it's a massive ordeal to put that stucco on a home.

So you've got between seven and eight different layers.

This winter has been a little bit of an anomaly.

We're not very cold and we're not very snowy this year.

But most of the time, yeah, most of the time, you know, we've got those houses in those buildings tented and heated and now there's a fight between the installer and the building owner who's going to pay for the tenting, who's going to take the liability.

It just is not, it's not a sustainable solution.

So this speeds the process up tremendously because you don't have as much product that has to cure on top of our board.

It's already pre cured with that scratch coat on it.

So helps simplify that wall a whole lot.

Well, and then of course it's designed as a shower system.

So when you think about it, every fastener that goes through there, you're dealing with it correctly.

Yeah.

Yep.

Well, we've been in the place where it rains and floods every day for a decade.

So we kind of know what we're talking about.

That's the key right there.

So I think it's super smart.

And now you guys are building or wrapping up your building in Utah so you can produce stuff locally.

I love that.

Well, thank you.

I mean, this is where I get to brag on our team a little bit.

So we have, we've produced our product, like I mentioned, for over a decade and it's been produced in Asia and they have produced a phenomenal product.

Obviously, you know, we've got the history to prove that.

But what we obviously were dealing with, this is no different than anyone else is the fluctuation in freight.

You know, we had, gosh, anywhere from $3,000 a container up to $20,000 a container during COVID And sometimes we were paying more for the freight, you know, than we would get the landed cost of our product.

So we started looking at that actually.

Goodness, let me look back on my timeline.

Probably a year and a.

Just how do we onshore that, how do we bring that all to the US so that we have better controls over the product itself?

And we're, yeah, we're holding our grand opening here in the next few weeks.

So that's been, it's been a very big lift for our team.

We've had some huge challenges to overcome.

It's not an easy thing to do, but we're really proud of it.

Well, that's awesome.

And, you know, with.

With everything from, you know, and did tariffs play any part in that?

I mean, of course, it's got to be interesting coming spring and stuff over there.

And you guys probably.

You don't just go, hey, tomorrow we're building a factory.

So you've had to probably have that plan in for years.

Yeah.

I'm sure the whole tariff situation, whether.

I'm sure that made it an easier, you know, easier time.

Yeah.

Okay.

We have.

We need to have more control.

We were already well down the path, so what it did for us was just validate that we had made the right choice.

So tariffs actually didn't play a part in us making that initial decision.

Just helped us hurry it along a little bit quicker.

But we had some really interesting challenges.

It took a lot longer than we anticipated, because all of the.

All of the equipment that we ordered was to replicate the process that we were doing overseas.

Sure.

Well, we got 17 containers worth of equipment.

Wow.

Not one single piece of it was UL certified for the United States, of course.

Yeah.

So.

Oh, my gosh.

Y.

That makes sense.

Yeah.

You order it, it's like, let's go.

Yeah.

Oh, I can't plug into this anything in the electrical Systems.

You are 100% right.

So we had.

I think it was 110 motors on our first line that had to be replaced.

We had to completely redo every single electrical wire in all of that machinery to make it work.

So we.

We have a.

We have a team that is just committed like no other.

It was daunting, but they have done a phenomenal job.

And what they did was actually really cool, because, you know, our team, we just.

We always have innovation at heart.

And this was the perfect challenge.

Instead of saying, you know, throwing our hands up in the air and, you know, what do we do?

They said, okay, well, this gives us an opportunity to actually change our product and make it better.

And the way that they did that was originally.

Our line, I think, was about 600ft long.

It took up a pretty big footprint.

Yeah.

So on top of the challenges of not having everything UL certified, we also got a really nice surprise with our first lease agreement that that building could not provide the power for us, so they canceled our lease.

We had to go look for another location.

Crazy.

Yes.

Meanwhile, you know, finding out exactly what power was going to be required to run the line here in the US Versus, you know, in Asia, where it's not a problem to get utility.

Yeah.

We had to reformulate the Cementitious coating that's on our board so that it would take less power.

So we actually could operate here in the state of Utah with the power, you know, the power amount that we could get.

We, we engaged with one of the top cement scientists.

He's got, he's like a double PhD.

He works on, you know, when a bridge gets damaged or something, you know, he's the guy that goes in and knows the, the formulation to get it repaired quickly.

So we started working with him on how do we cure our cement coating on our board, how do we cure that faster so that we don't have to have as long of a line and draw so much power.

So I think we shortened it by, I think we're only about a fifth of the length of the line that it originally was going to be, which is pretty phenomenal.

And not only that we, we have a stronger compressive strength.

Our board is already really strong.

But now being here in the, what we're doing here in the US with that new formulation, we've got a higher compressive strength as well.

And the other thing that we're really proud of is that we are sourcing all of our raw materials for our board from the US and actually a lot of them come from Utah as well, which is pretty cool.

Well, that's awesome.

Yeah, yeah.

So it's a good story.

You guys had just everything thrown at you.

And I don't think people realize out there if you don't have those UL listings, a building inspector just walks in and goes, no.

Walks right back out.

Hey, let's figure it out.

It's a no.

And then you're standing there with manuals going, oh gosh, what do we have to do?

And you have to figure it out.

Yeah.

Manufacturers going, hey, we sold you the equipment and you're in the middle.

So yeah, I mean, the money's already been spent so we had to figure it out.

And it was like, it was like getting the most complicated piece of furniture at Ikea with no instructions.

It was.

So it was a really, really big challenge.

But we had the right team to figure it out.

And the cement part two is big because you gotta have a, you gotta find that really thin fine line of workability and curate.

So it's not, you know, setting up in the machine, right?

Oh, gosh.

Oh.

We went through a lot of iterations, like, you know, full scale panic on the line when it set too fast.

And we had to hurry up and get, get everything cleane out and save the pipes and save the machines.

And so it was a madhouse for a minute.

I can only imagine.

So that's, that's super cool, but that's really going to give you guys that flexibility.

And the cool thing too is as you guys innovate, because you guys never stand still.

So as you innovate, it's so much easier having the building in.

It's in your backyard right there.

So you can walk down and change those.

Yeah.

It's like 10 minutes from the Salt Lake airport.

So we're, we are just right around the corner.

And we will be right back with more from Lisa Nelson and Hydro Block after Around the House returns.

Don't change that dial.

Welcome back to the around the House show with Eric G. Eric is fighting a cold, so he is attempting to power through this great discussion with Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block.

So far, so good.

A special thanks to Eric's Hot Toddy for doing the brunt of the work in this episode.

Hmm.

We might need a sponsor for that.

Let's get back to the conversation.

You know, we'll go down, we'll go down every lane.

That is a viable, you know, solution to help the contractor out.

But it takes a lot of testing.

It takes a lot of time, takes a lot of, a lot of cash for all of those testing facilities, you know, to get certified for other applications.

So we're really excited that we are, we're, you know, our facility here is ICC certified.

We've got that all off, off our plate now, where you have our ICC certification for the exterior backer board.

And then we've got some other things up our sleeves that are going to be pretty exciting innovations that will come in the next coming months.

That's cool.

And it's got to be interesting from taking that interior product to the outside because all of a sudden people are like, okay, worked great inside.

How's it outside with the weather, uv, all those different things.

Yeah.

And trying to navigate that.

Yeah.

And we had most of that testing was already done for our ICC listing for the interior.

We just had to add in a few extra to your point for the exterior for exposure rating.

So we got all of that done.

And yeah, we're just, we're excited to be, to be on houses all across the country.

We've spent, you know, the better part of the last two years doing pilot projects to test that out.

So we've done projects in northern Canada where, you know, I don't even know how many freeze thaw cycles they have, but it's, it's a lot so we tested in northern Canada with some stucco systems.

We've done some in Arizona and southern Utah with the really hot desert climates.

We've got some on the coasts that are starting soon.

So we've had really, really great feedback.

And the thing for me, you know, that's most important for me because I run all of our strategic relationships, is it's important to me that if a contractor tries it out, they come back and they ask for it again.

So that's the biggest piece of validation.

And that's what we're always working for.

Of course.

Yeah.

I mean, and it's so interesting.

Like you, like you just brought up, I mean, there's so many different climates, climate zones in the US of how things react from where we were, you know, just a few weeks ago and in Florida to getting up into the corners of the, of the US just here.

And even in my area where we've got, you know, the Oregon coast, for instance, beach house out there, that takes a beating out there.

Yeah.

And everything you do out there has to be so well thought out.

Yeah.

But I love this for that because, you know, it's just one of those things that we've really, finally, I think we're getting into where science is getting into the exterior of the house.

It's been a battle here, you know, across the country.

And with building code changing, I'm so happy to start seeing these things working together.

And I think we're finally getting to a point.

You know, in the 80s, we built houses that were, that were just rotting from the inside out.

So I think this is going to be a great part of that.

Yeah, we're getting a little, we're getting closer day by day.

I think, you know, looking at the history of the exterior wall and why this is such a great solution.

You know, you're talking about building codes.

We had the EFS or EFIs.

Who knows how you say it?

We had that system that had so many failures because it was so complex installation.

So there was water intrusion and, you know, litigation that happened for years and years and years.

And that's still a four letter word in the industry to even bring that up.

It's gotten better for sure.

And there's a lot of commercial projects that are using it again.

But that was born out of the necessity to help with energy demands.

So that was one thing.

And then we saw the influx of cement Board.

So trying to get a direct to board finished so that you could solve for labor problems, well, that was great, but it is really, really, really heavy and it's really brittle, and a lot of it is lost in transport because of breakage.

So it.

Both of those work to solve a problem that we get to kind of come in and deliver on the promises of both.

So we provide that continuous insulation, but we also help with the labor because we're a direct to board finish.

And we do it at about 60 to 70% of the weight.

So we're our 4 by 8 half inch board, it's 23 pounds.

So crews love it because they can carry it around no problem.

They can carry multiple of.

Multiple of them around.

And we find more and more with builders that we meet how much more committed they're becoming to taking care of their crews and making sure that their crews are not breaking their bodies to go to work every day.

So we're.

We're happy to play a little part of that as well.

That is so smart because, yeah, I mean, as I'm sitting here with a cold and my.

My arm and a sling, I get that.

Taking care of yourself, it's been a battle out there for people.

And with.

Especially with people in construction out there that are working, it's one of those things that, you know, we've got a whole other generation getting ready to, you know, getting ready to retire.

And when you've got people out there that have been doing it for 30, 35, 40 years, safety 40 years ago wasn't what it is now.

And even then, we've got people at that point that are hitting their 40s and stuff are going, I want to go in the office because I can't do stuff that I could do back then.

And I think it's really smart, you know, with women in construct week.

I love seeing women coming into the trades as, you know, as much as we're seeing, you know, when we were sitting there by your booth and I got to see my really great friend Kayleen McCabe.

Yeah.

You know, come in.

That was awesome.

Her and I go way back, and that's one of the fun things about that show is it's just, you know, you get to see all your friends that you don't get to see all year round.

Yeah.

And, yeah, it's so fun, you know, and I love what she does of just getting people into the trades and getting that younger generation going.

And so anytime I can help her, lift her up and go, hey, let's let's do something together.

It's great.

Yeah.

She's a rock star out there with the kids in high schools that are going to trade.

I love to see her working with stuff, but this is one of those things that it's just working smarter.

Yeah.

Well, and I think, you know, we know that kids are not, that they're not leaving high school looking to work harder.

We know that.

Yeah.

And I can say that because I've got, I have four kids of my own, but three of them are out of the house and figuring out adulthood and you.

They're faced with so many challenges right now.

Number one is AI going to take my job.

So that's why I love people that are working to help kids, show them how, how successful they can be in the trades.

Number two is how can they ever afford a house?

So that is a consistent message that we hear.

And I'm feeling it in my own home right now as well too.

You know, how are we ever going to be able to launch on our own and be able to provide for ourselves?

So we've worked with a lot of people, we met with a lot of people at the show, we've met with a lot of contractors that are working in Utah with our governor's initiative to be able to help builders find a way to build more affordable homes.

I think everybody agrees that it shouldn't be the burden only of the builder to do it, but in whatever ways we can find to help the builder, you know, provide number one, better performing products for their, for their homes that they build.

But also if there's a way that they can save on their, on their labor and materials to help bring the cost of those, the housing down, maybe we make some kind of an impact for these kids.

We'll see.

Yeah.

I mean, and it's smart because, you know, every time that somebody gets hurt on a job site that costs that builder a lot of money.

It's just a lot.

Yeah.

And if you can give them a lighter, more durable product, that's a win all around.

Yeah.

There's a lot to tackle.

But I'm so appreciative of everybody in our, in our industry that is trying to find ways to make an impact.

So we had several conversations at the show about different creative mortgage lending.

Right.

If you're using greener materials and if you're, you know, building a home that's going to be more energy efficient, how you can maybe get lower mortgage rates, I think you, if it's a collective conversation that we can, we can find some Solutions, if everybody's willing to work on it.

Yeah.

Here in our area, I've been really fighting to get, to get kind of government out of the way because we had a problem here.

They finally have done something this last, I think it was in August, like City of Portland, for instance.

And I've railed on them a lot on this show because they were adding $100,000 in fees to a house construction.

And I'm like, for what?

So what they would do is.

So let's say we had a great example.

So now you've got an extra 30,000, $40,000 to have people come in with hammers and saws and literally take this thing down.

But then you had to have the lead pain abated, the asbestos taken out.

So all of a sudden you could have a bunch of money in that.

Then they had all these development fees.

It would be $18,000 to the urban forestry, $12,000 to transit, this much to the zoo and the parks department.

And it was just, yeah, there was a house there.

The utilities were already there.

And yeah, it was like, that's not how we're going to get affordable housing if we have to throw an extra hundred thousand dollars on it.

We will be right back with more from Lisa Nelson and Hydro Block after Around the House returns.

Don't change that dial.

Welcome back to the around the House show.

It looks like Eric G. Is going to make it though, with this cold he is fighting.

Let's get back and wrap up the discussion with Lisa Nelson from Hydro Block.

It has been as archaic as it gets forever.

Well, and you know, somebody come up with the new next level of drywall because I'm sick of the stuff we have so messy.

It's so time consuming.

And I'm like, okay, that's a step.

It's true.

No, we get asked that all the time.

I'll tell you, we've had some, we've had some real interesting requests for our board.

So one of them has been, you know, a drywall replacement.

The challenge is that drywall is so, so cheap.

And as long as that cheap.

It's going to be really hard to disrupt that one.

But it is.

You know, we have some ideas we've had.

People want to use it for pools, for hot tubs, for, you know, koi ponds outside.

We've had someone say that it's a phenomenal board for.

I'll get this one, Eric.

For making caskets.

Oh, we've had to tell them.

I know, exactly.

Yeah.

So we've had to.

We've had to tell them.

We don't have a listing for that for our board.

That's an interesting test.

I don't know how we would do that one, but.

Yeah, so it's.

Yeah, it is pretty funny.

There's a lot of people that want to find better ways to do things, so we're happy and proud to be part of that group.

Yeah, that is awesome.

But, yeah, it's one of those things, and I'm happy to see products coming out.

And again, this show this year was so great for that to go through and see.

All right, you guys were what?

Again, one of the bright spots, I thought, okay, there is an innovative product that is filling a needle that literally no one else is tackling.

Yeah.

No, you're 100% right.

Every show that we attend, we always come away with just more and more people that come out of the woodworks that are interested in what we're doing, and we feel very confident in the direction that we're going and the impact that we're going to make.

And we've had some really, really great partners along the way that have wanted to move the industry forward as well.

So we're happy to partner with the people that we have that'll help with both in our product development and in distribution.

And it's been.

We've collected a really great group around us.

That is awesome, because.

Yeah.

And the other thing is that you guys have to battle as well is on the construction side of things.

People get so Brandy.

It's like the Ford and the Chevy and the Dodge truck guys standing around of who's better.

Oh, they do.

Yeah, they really do.

Wild.

We're in a really unique place right now because we are the only product right now that has a listing for that use case with a composite board like ours.

So we've got some good Runway, but we, you know, we really do believe that a rising tide lists all shifts.

We know that ships.

We know that we can't.

We can't cover every home and every building across the country.

And then, you know, especially when we have these Big trade shows.

We have people from all corners of the world that want access to the product as well.

So it's always, never fails.

We've got Central South America, the Caribbean, you know, because of all the mold and water issues in those areas.

So they want access to the product.

We get it from a lot of Canadians.

I don't know if you ran into a lot of Canadians at the show there as well.

Yeah, they need a lot of insulation in their areas, so we're a great fit for that as well.

So we've got plenty of reach, and it'll be, you know, we'll.

We'll take help along the way to be able to meet demand.

Yeah.

And it gets interesting, Lisa, when you get into these kind of things with.

When you get overseas, even into Canada, where certifications, it's like, okay, what's your certification need?

And, yeah, Caribbean, like Columbia, and some of those places down there where they're like.

Like you don't need any.

Get it here.

You can use it, you know.

Yep.

You're 100% right.

But we have so much demand.

You know, we're really excited.

We.

We provide the most labor and material savings in stucco and stone applications.

And so we've got a lot of demand in the Southwest that we're.

That we'll be meeting.

Your area is really great for direct applied stone.

Obviously, you know, we've got a lot of opportunity up there in your area, and we've got a great team forming for Pacific Northwest to help out with those efforts.

So we'll.

We'll do the best we can to provide as much product wherever it's wanted.

Yeah.

And it's so cool because you can really start to use some of these newer materials out here for the exterior.

Like, if you had this amazing facade coming up to the front door, and you wanted to wrap.

Let's say you wanted to wrap columns with.

With slab porcelain, for instance.

Right.

It's perfect for that.

It's meant for that.

You know, you are exactly right.

Goes up there.

It's not coming off there.

Yeah, it's.

Yeah, it's done.

Yeah.

I mean, this is 10 years in the shower space where you're tile ready in a couple of hours.

There's no additional waterproofing that needs to be done on top of it.

So you just get your mortar ready and pick out your fancy tiles.

You're ready to go.

Ready to go.

Yeah.

And.

And that's the fun part, too, is we're seeing so many, you know, technology and tile didn't change Forever.

And over the last, like, 10 years, we've really seen, you know, this technology gets so much better as far as what, you know, some of the stuff that they're making look like wood.

For instance, on the outside, isn't that cool?

It looks like wood until you touch it and go, oh, wow, wow.

But now you put something out there that's fireproof, because I tell you what, you're not hurting that porcelain when you put flame to it.

Nope, nope, not at all.

And we love being a part of those kind of stories where we're environmentally friendly.

For that reason, we're not chopping down trees, and we're doing something that is higher, better performing and is going to protect your home.

I mean, that's what everybody.

They work their whole lives to be able to have a home of their own.

And so you might as well use the right products that are going to take care of it.

Amen.

So, Lisa, how do people find your product out there?

So if there's contractors, whether they're interior, exterior, whatever they're working on, how do people find your stuff?

Well, a couple different ways.

You can go to our website.

You can submit a form.

If we don't have product right in your area, we're setting up new distributors every single day, so we would love to put them in the place that you love to buy from.

So we'll start those relationships as soon as possible.

You can get them readily available through a lot of tile shops.

Delta is one of our biggest carriers.

We've got tile shop as well, a lot of independent dealers as well that carry our shower products for the exterior.

We are finalizing those distribution agreements right now, but will be available nationwide.

You can just submit a form, and we'll make sure that it gets to the closest location to you.

Nice.

Yeah, it's got to be different going from the dowel tile to, oh, we got to be in a lumberyard now.

It's different conversations for sure.

And we.

We spent a lot of time making sure that we picked the right.

The right partners in the.

The right channels to get the product to downstream to the contractor.

That's like speaking English in the tile stores and.

Okay, going to the lumberyards now.

We're going to speak French today.

Yep, you're 100% right.

And the person at the lumber counter is going, tell me why I need this.

You know?

Yep, there's a lot of that.

There's a lot of that.

But that's awesome.

And you know, that distribution, Dow Tile, we just had them on the show last week.

You know, I broadcast from their booth every year at Design and Construction Week.

I work a lot with them, which is fun.

And talk about a one stop shop for people out there that can jump in there and go, hey, yeah, I wanna, I need two slabs of this.

I need this.

And then they can get your product as well, which is very cool.

Everything.

Once they've been a phenomenal partner.

We love working with them.

Yeah.

And they've got all those distribution kind of warehouses.

They've got that dialed in where they've got good warehouses around in most major markets.

So it's nice.

Yeah, we agree.

Well, we don't think it's necessary to reinvent the wheel.

So we love those kind of partners that can provide that kind of service for, for the contractor.

That is awesome, Lisa.

So one more question before we go because we are running out of time, but I wanted to make sure we hit on this since it is, you know, women in Construction Week.

What advice could you give people, you know, women that are coming up, whether it's in construction, whether it's in business, what insight?

What have you learned over the years of the path that you've gone to get there?

Oh, gosh, that is a, that's a great question.

A couple of things that I would say.

Don't be afraid to work really hard and show your value because I think, you know, I've been really lucky to be on the team where I am, where my voice as a woman is respected.

They want to hear what I have to say.

They want to hear my point of view.

And we all get better when we are willing to listen to some outside feedback.

I've never wanted anyone to outwork me.

You know, being a mom of four kids, you know, my time has always been limited.

There were a lot of my years in sales where it was commission based only.

So I had to work my tail off to make the money that I needed to make.

And that's what helped me, help me move forward in my career.

So don't be afraid to work really hard.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I'm in an industry that, you know, I've had to learn everything from scratch.

But I just asked all of the questions.

I had to get uncomfortable being in rooms where I was the only woman.

And that's not uncomfortable anymore.

But it sure started out that way.

Just don't be afraid to speak up.

Just show up.

It's needed.

Amen.

And I think the other thing is, is something I learned in my design skills when I was younger.

When you don't know, say you don't know and go find out.

Yep, yep.

I 100% agree with that.

That's one of those things.

Nobody knows everything.

So if you're new to the job site, if you're new getting into this industry, I tell you what.

Just that, yeah, you know, I don't know, but let's find out together and go find it in today's age, it's so much easier than it was 30 years ago.

That's great advice.

You know, the other thing I think I will say is that oftentimes the things that you've had to deal with in your life and, you know, day to day or big challenges, they're all a great contribution for how you can benefit this industry.

So, I mean, you could be great at project management because you're.

You've been used to dealing with a household full of kids and managing schedules and messes and, you know, surprises.

Don't shortcut all of the things that you have done in your life that can be beneficiary towards this industry and help lift it up, up.

You know, that is a great one because some people have had really hard roads to get to where they are today.

Yeah, some people have had it a lot easier.

Everybody has their own challenges.

But the ones that have had more challenges, if you can sit there and twist that into going, all right, I've had the hard road, but I know how to deal with it.

I figured it out.

Yep.

That's where you get really get to shine because you've already learned those hard skills and you're already 10 steps ahead of somebody else.

You are absolutely right, Lisa.

This is great.

How do people find you guys?

What's the best website to go?

Www.hydroblock.com?

that's H Y-R-O B L O K.com.

there we go.

Lisa, thanks for coming on today.

This has been great.

It was great seeing you at the show and seeing what you guys had in there.

And I know it had to have been a lot of people walking by and go, whoa, wait a minute.

What is this?

We get that all the time.

Well, thank you so much for your time.

It was really fun to visit with you.

You.

Oh, it was great.

Thanks for the time.

I'm Eric G, guys, and you've been listening to around the House.