How Homes Have Changed Since 1976

from All About Home Construction Hosted by Terry Gunnell-Beck and Randy Blake

What would happen if you took an average American house from 1976 and compared it to one being built today? The differences are bigger than you might think. On this episode of All About Home Construction, Terry and Randy look back at 50 years of changes in the way we build and live in our homes. We'll compare home sizes, electrical service, aluminum wiring, windows, insulation, and energy efficiency. We'll also explore the evolution of building codes and construction standards—from standardizing doors, windows and building materials to creating modern requirements for structural safety, electrical systems, plumbing, energy efficiency and disaster resistance. And we'll look at some of the events that changed the way we build, including Hurricane Andrew and the lessons it taught the construction industry about roof connections, windows, doors and creating a continuous structural load path. It's part construction history, part nostalgia, and part look at just how different today's homes are from the houses many of us grew up in.

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How Homes Have Changed Since 1976

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How long is this episode of All About Home Construction?

This episode is 48 minutes long.

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This episode was published on August 15, 2026.

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