ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9610010037
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Cut your utility bill
SOURCE: JAMES DULLEY
Q: I'd like to build a conventional-looking 2,000 square foot house. I'm on a limited budget and want to help some myself. Are stress-skin and other panel houses very energy efficient and easy to build?
A: A stress-skin panel house would be ideal for you. It is one of the most energy efficient building methods available. Construction is so simple that several inexperienced workers can totally enclose a house in one weekend.
A properly built stress-skin panel home should have utility bills less than half a conventional 2x4 framed stick-built house. This is a result of the super high insulation values and extreme airtightness.
The airtightness not only reduces utility bills, but it nearly eliminates dust, dirt, noise and outdoor allergens. Some stress-skin wall panels are as large as 24 feet by 8 feet, so there are few joints to create air leaks.
The term "stress-skins panel refers to the fact that the wall and roof panels carry all the load themselves. They need no framing or other supporting structure. This makes construction simple for do-it-yourselfers.
A typical stress-skin panel (sizes vary based on floor plan) consists of thick rigid foam insulation sandwiched between oriented strand board (OSB). OSB uses fast-growing small trees and wood scrap, so it is earth friendly.
Insulation values are as high as R-50 for the panels. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) or urethane foam are usually used. Urethane (now made without ozone-damaging CFC's) has the highest insulation per inch thickness. Urethane is foamed directly between the OSB skins. EPS is bonded to the OSB skins.
Most stress-skin panels attach together with some type of wood spline at the edges. This creates a strong house with no settling or cracks. One unique do-it-yourself design uses built-in plastic cams to draw the panels together for assembly. Tongue and groove edges actually support the wall.
Future remodeling is simple. You literally saw a hole for a window or door. Frame the opening and install the window or door. Electrical wiring chases are built into all the foam panels to facilitate wiring.
The indoor OSB surface can be prefinished with hardwood veneers, paneling, drywall any standard finish. With a numbered paneled house kit, once the walls and roof are up, it is basically complete.
Other panelized house kits use post and beam or timber framing for support. The walls and roof can be covered with less expensive foam core panels. The skins on these foam panels are not strong enough to be self-supporting.
For a listing of 44 manufacturers of stress-skin and other foam core panels and complete house kits, construction methods, panel descriptions and three floor plan layouts and exterior diagrams, write James Dulley, The Roanoke Times, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. Ask for Update Bulletin No. 686. Please include $2 and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope.
Q: My old range vent hood is getting noisier, and it doesn't draw out cooking odors and grease well. Are there new, more contemporary-looking designs that are quiet and efficient?
A: There are many recent advances in the design, safety and efficiency of range hoods. The best range hoods draw out odors and grease without sucking out excessive heated or cooled air. This saves energy and reduces noise.
The range of contemporary designs of range hoods is nearly endless. Many of the newer hi-tech-looking models use clear plastic or glass formed into attractive flowing contours. These shapes are also computer designed to produce the most efficient exhaust air flow patterns.
New hide-away designs of range hoods are popular now in contemporary kitchens. These include telescopic downdraft, pull-out, and tilt-out.
A stylish telescopic downdraft vent design is only 2 inches thick and mounts behind the range. When it is not in use, it retracts flush with the range top so you cannot see it. Touch a button and it automatically comes up and the blower starts.
Telescopic downdraft models have powerful motors to suck the odors down and out. These designs have air flows as high as 900 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for effective venting. Some models have electronic speed memory.
Even with the high air flow, they are quiet because the blower motors are behind the range. For light cooking, they are extremely effective because they suck out the odors before they dissipate into the air. Many times they can be run on a low, energy efficient speed.
New ultra-slim slide-out range hoods slide out horizontally from under the cabinets above the range. The section that slides out is very thin and made of glass. This allows for more light on the cooking surface.
A tilt-out range hood design is mounted in the cabinets over the range. A matching cabinet front is attached to the hinged tilt-out portion. When it is closed, it looks like a cabinet. Tilt out the bottom and it starts.
For the greatest convenience, efficiency and quiet, choose a range hood with full variable speed controls. Some models have electronic cooking heat sensors to automatically adjust the blower speed to the proper level. They also have high-heat alarms to alert you if you forget and food burns.
One convenient feature is infrared warming lights built in under the hood. Fold-out trays flip down to hold the foods under the warming lights. Easy-clean filters, cleaning time alert and extra soundproofing are pluses.
Write for Update Bulletin No. 663 showing a buyer's guide of 16 manufacturers of hi-tech, contemporary range hoods listing designs, speed controls, max. cfm, colors and prices. Please include $2 and a business sized self-addressed stamped envelope.
James Dulley, Newspaper Name, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Stress-skin panel houses are easy to build.by CNB