A new home under construction stands out along Hwy 11, a bit like a castle overlooking its domain.
The young couple building what will eventually be a 4,600-square-foot house and 1,000-square-foot two-car garage has used a new product in its construction that is thought to be both more energy-efficient and fire-resistant than standard materials. The house is being built not far from Sylvan Lake, by Range Road 20.
Instead of doing the standard framing up of walls with wood, then putting in insulation, vapour barrier and drywall, Jon and Tara Franke have used MagWall, which is a structurally insulated panel, with rigid insulation on the inside and magnesium oxide on the outside.
The house has been constructed out of a series of MagWall panels, which start out around 1.2 metres by 2.4 metres by 17 cm (four feet by eight feet by 6.5 inches) and weigh around 80 kg (180 pounds), and can be cut to fit. Around 150 panels were used in the home and garage, costing around $60,000.
Jon, 30, who is an architectural technologist by trade, became interested in the product after his cousin, who is a firefighter in Calgary, built his home using it. A video on the company’s website at www.magwallfoothills.com shows how a shed built partially using conventional means and partially using MagWall burns. The MagWall side is virtually unchanged after 30 minutes of burning, compared to the wood, insulation and drywall side, which is completely charred.
The building material has caused more than a few people to stop by the home along Hwy 11 to have a look and ask questions.
The home, which will have four bedrooms and three baths once complete, was designed by Jon.
The couple started to build in August 2009 and hope to have it enclosed soon, once the windows arrive. Then they’ll finish the inside.
Jon said it takes a little longer than the standard frame-up, but one time saver with MagWall is that once it is assembled there is no need to put in insulation, vapour barrier and drywall. All that needs to be done is mud and tape. As a result of there being fewer studs in the wall, there is also less movement of air — so a home using 17-cm thick MagWall has a rating of R-20.
Tara, 28, who works as a receptionist at an accounting firm, said the project has been a huge learning curve.
“I enjoy it despite the weather we’ve had. That is probably the worst thing, I think,” said Tara, who was wearing around five layers of clothes on this day, as snow fluttered down around her.
The couple, who have been married for six years, have had lots of help from family on the project. Jon said the first questions many of their family and friends asked them when they heard about their plan to build was, “Are you sure you want to take that on?”
He said it has been a lot of work but worth it.
“We’re lucky because we have so many family members who are in the trades,” he said.
sobrien@www.reddeeradvocate.com