Deconstruction takes viewers everywhere from a home construction site in various stages of development to official testing and manufacturing facilities where full-scale tests of a variety of materials are performed.  Engaging host Steve Hanneman uses humor to demystify and explain the technology and science behind the materials that go into constructing a house -- everything fromwhy concrete is used in foundations and what rebar is, to why houses are framed with wood, how builders design homes to withstand earthquakes and tornados, and how modern lumber is milled. Steve delves inside the structure, too, explaining the ins and outs of plumbing, electrical wiring, drywall, insulation and more.

Viewers learn about the science that makes a house into a comfortable home, including such facts as why double-paned windows are filled with gas and how wallboard is constructed and why it is used in most new construction today – one of the reasons being fire safety.  The heat of a fire releases water in wallboard’s core in the form of steam, helping to retard the transfer of heat.