Homebuilders show undaunted by economy

PALMER — There was no sign of a housing slump at the state fairgrounds this weekend, as more than 100 vendors, caterers and demonstrators were optimistic about their products at the 2009 Spring Home Show.

Put on by the Mat-Su Homebuilders Association, builders, buyers and retrofitters wandered the isles at the Raven Hall looking for that next great spring project.

While all the normal players were there displaying water treatment systems, prefabricated homes and low-interest-rate home mortgages, a few booths attracted more than the usual attention.

• Polar Supply Co. built its booth out of the product they were advertising. A division of Spenard Builders Supply, Polar Supply is an authorized dealer of Amvic insulated concrete forms. ICFs are two pieces of foam attached by a plastic spacer.

The pieces lock together like Legos to form the outside of a new building. Concrete is then poured into the spaces between the foam creating a solid structure.

The structure is not only ecofriendly, but highly insulated and strong. No trees are cut down for framing, and the foam is made without chemicals. Siding can be attached directly to the ICFs, and they are almost impervious to fires.

Kentucky mandated all their government buildings be created using ICFs, and the military is currently testing the structures against missile attacks.

• Custom Home and Business Solutions is an authorized dealer of Phantom Screens. When not in use, Phantom Screens roll up into a housing at the edge of the window. When used, the screen pulls out and magnetically attaches to the other side to keep the mosquitoes out. This system suits Alaska when windows are more often closed than open, as the Phantom Screens are hidden from view and protected from the elements. The company also makes larger version that run on a remote control for screening garages or porches.

• Heat Source Mechanical sells the new Navien tankless water heater. The company claims it’s 98 percent efficient. Using PVC pipes, the exhaust can be channeled anywhere allowing for installation in any room in the house. With an integrated buffer tank, Navien eliminates the burst of cold water that come with some tankless heaters, and the output is high enough to run two showers and another appliance at the same time.

• To heat the house, Advanced Energy Systems installs Econar GeoSource heat pumps. The heat pump systems use coils buried underground to transfer heat from the earth into the home. For every kilowatt hour put in, the system returns 2.5 to 3.5 more energy, the company says. There is a 30 percent tax right-off for the system, and it can be adapted into a forced air or in-floor radiant heating system. Compared to the cost of natural gas, the system pays for itself in 15 years, according to the company. Compared to the cost of heating oil, the investment will be returned in seven years.

• For ideas in the home, Spenard Builders Supply built a house in the Raven Hall. The kitchen is compete with mahogany European-style cabinets by DeWils and LG HI-MAC countertops. The new Brazilian wood flooring is easier to install than tounge-and-groove planks and just as durable.

• Valley Community for Recycling Services had on display a wood model and preliminary drawings of their new recycling plant. The new building will be located near the existing plant, but it will be much larger and a certified-green building. The new facility is scheduled to open in just over a year, but VCRS is still accepting recyclable materials.

• Poly Seal Insulation uses a spray-on soy bean foam for home insulation. The foam expands to 100-times its size seven seconds after it makes contact with a surface. The end result seals the house against air and will never shrink or settle, the company says. Instead of pooling water underneath a roof leak like synthetic foam insulation, the open-cell organic compound lets water through. This allows homeowners to recognize the leak and fix it, then the insulation wicks the water away.

Today is the last day of the Home Show. Raven Hall will be open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Contact Todd Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or (907) 352-2252.