June 11, 1999
Home of the future made of steel and foam
By Malinda Ruble
Staff Writer
Paying less than $200 a year to heat a home may sound impossible, but Ray Steinmetz believes he has the answer.
Steinmetz, owner of Ray Steinmetz Construction, is constructing a ThermoTech home &emdash; made of steel and expanded polystyrene (foam) &emdash; at Shoco Valley Subdivision on North Water Street.
The home is the first of 14 to be built. However, it would be up to the buyer whether the home is a ThermoTech home.
Steinmetz said he studied the new homes for sometime before deciding to begin building them.
"Somebody told me about it and I watched one go up in Toledo and I was impressed by the strength and I decided it was a sellable item," he said. "It gives me something unique no one else has. I think it's a terrific idea. We put the entire shell up in two days.''
The home, according to Steinmetz, is three times stronger than a house made of wood.
"The exterior walls are 8 inches thick and the roof is 12 inches. The walls have an R-30 insulation value and the roof has an R-50. This is a 1,700-square-foot home and they should be able to heat it for about $150 per year using their gas hot water heater,'' said Steinmetz. "And a house this size would normally cost $1,200 a year to heat. The panels give it the insulation and the steel gives it the strength."
Steinmetz said the home does not need a furnace because the water heater is used to heat and cool the home. A gas water heater is usually used.
To build a ThermoTech home, Steinmetz said the cost is usually about the same as a wooden home, but could be about 5 percent higher. He said the exterior can be constructed out of any material, including brick or vinyl.
Steinmetz expects to have the home complete in about a month or two.
Anyone wishing to view the home can stop at 707 N. Water St. or call Steinmetz at 448-9613 for more information.