"After looking for houses for 6 months, we decided that the only way we could afford what we wanted was to build it ourselves. To this end we took a class taught by Marly and Bob Hunton. It was from this class that I heard about Polysteel construction.
At first I didn't understand the concept, but after looking at a couple that are under construction and understanding what the concept was, we decided that it was worth investigating.
The lot we purchased was a difficult one to design for: sloped and on
the back of a flag lot. Polysteel appeared to offer some economies for the
basement which was not that much more than using traditional concrete. The
other advantages of strength in the event of earthquake, quietness and energy
reduction caused us to consider doing the entire house with Polysteel..we
are hoping to move-in in November and should be able to start enjoying the
energy savings immediately".
Joe & Elena Bell, Portland, OR
"As you were aware our carpenter was opposed to using POLYSTEEL.
I understand he asked you how much it would cost to replace the basement
under his house with your block....made a believer of him".
Linda Mines, Hot Springs, SD
"This project was built by my 70 year old father (who started in
the building business in 1954) and myself. Dad had some heart trouble several
years ago and one thing the doctor said was a 'NO-NO' was heavy lifting.
Your forms made it possible for Dad to continue working with me. He is still
going strong at age 72."
Tom S. Nickel, Billings, MI
"This has been my first experience as a construction worker. Tom and I have built a cabin and remodeled our building, but I have never been this involved. You said that these went up easy, but I never figured we would put them up as fast as we did.
My girl friend Joyce and I put the basement up in two days. The neighbors went away for the weekend on Friday evening and were they surprised when they came home 'Sunday evening and there was a basement. The second floor Joyce and I put up the POLYSTEEL in a day and a half. Our carpenter Monty had the window bucks already made and helped with the bracing. Joyce and I installed the rebar and the block. Our little concept of 1,200 square feet has grown to over 3,000 square feet of livable floor space on two floors.
...If you need someone to confer with on how easy the Polysteel is to
install, give Joyce or me a call".
Linda Mines, Hot Springs, SD
"My wife and I just love the quietness and peaceful feeling we have
with our home. There is absolutely no wind noise or traffic noise, and this
is important to us because we live off of a main highway. In our old home
we could hear traffic go by all the time and this was one of the reasons
we decided to go with this type of construction."
Rue Johnson, Osceola, NE
"Not only have I already experienced the advantages of Polysteel
during hot weather, but I can already tell that the house is much quieter
than normal wood construction. With 4 children in the house, 7, 9, 11, 13,
the noise level can become deafening-but when I go to my bedroom, I can
no longer hear the activity in the basement-and we do not yet have carpeting
or doors!.....Now THAT is efficient absorption of sound! What a terrific
benefit! ! "
The Ebacker Family, Camas, WA
"Speaking of energy savings, compare the following bills:
| BlLLING PERIOD | RESIDENCE | CONSTRUCTION | SO. FT. | HEAT | TOTAL COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January - May | 2619 Golden Blvd. | Standard Frame | 1765 | F/A | $367.72 |
| January - May | 647 Calypso | Polysteel | 3600 | F/A | $164.35 |
| A difference of | $203.37 |
As you can see for a house 1/2 the size of our Polysteel house, they
are paying over double in natural gas bills. "
Tom S. Nickel, Billings, MT
"Our average Bill for the first year heating and cooling was $45.43.
The small town that we buy our electricity from even has higher rates than
we could get direct from the local major utility....If we ever have to build
another house it will definitely be of the same construction."
Quez & Debbie Littel, Morganton, NC
"The heating bills are less than half of what other people pay.
In the summer it is much cooler. We don't need the air conditioning very
often. Our cooling bills are almost nonexistent".
Billie Gardner, Kearney, NE
"A typical building of this size would require 20 to 30 tons of air conditioning. However, this building has only a total of 11 tons air conditioning, and most of this is to remove the heat generated by lighting, appliances, and 75 or more active children. According to a Georgia Power Energy Survey the total cost of heating this building will be $131.00 per year."
"The results of the Blower Door test made by Southface Energy Institute indicate that at 50 pascals (this is equal to a 15-20 mph wind blowing on all 4 sides, the roof and the floor all at once) your building has air infiltration of 3.48 air changes per hour. Industry standards indicate 6 is excellent and anything under 5 is extraordinary.
Air infiltration can amount to as much as 50% of the cost of heating and/or cooling. A typical newly constructed 6,000 square foot building will have air infiltration of 30,000 cubic feet per hour. If the outside air temperature is 30 degrees F and the inside temperature is maintained at 75 degrees F, the heating system must add some 21,850 btu's per hour just of heat the air that is coming through the cracks.
This building will have air infiltration of approximately 9,000 cu. ft.
per hour. Using the same conditions as above, the heating system must add
only around 6,550 btu's per hour which is 70% less heat loss from infiltration."
Cope, Inc., Toccoa, GA
"Great for allergenic kids -- keeps the pollen out."
Tom & Carol Masters, Lincoln, NE
"There is not as much dust and dirt. We have never needed a humidifier since living here. My sister, who has many allergies, can't believe how easy she can breathe while visiting.
I have never lived in a house before where there were no, not one mouse.
To me that is amazing, I love it".
Billie Gardner, Kearney, NE
It is hard to describe in words, but there is such a feeling of coziness,
peacefulness and serene feeling we have with living in this home.
Rue Johnson, Osceola, NE
"As we began to show this home, one thing became clear. Even though this house looked like ordinary construction, it had a solid quietness that we call a "sanctuary environment". This one aspect of Polysteel has sold more projects than even the energy savings".
"We sincerely THANK YOU for giving us a product that is good not
only for the builder but also for the home owner. "
Tom S. Nickel, Billings, MT
"People in Polysteel buildings often experience a feeling of serene
comfort and a sense of well being. There are several reasons for this: The
massive concrete walls are many times stronger than conventional walls.
They are encapsulated within polystyrene, which is an excellent sound barrier
and creates unsurpassed quietness. The Polysteel walls in this building
weigh nearly 200,000 pounds and create a tremendous heat sink; which is
to say, once these walls are heated or cooled to the desired temperature
and the heating or cooling system shuts off, these walls radiate heat in
the winter and absorb heat in the summer 14 times better than conventional
walls. Also temperature range between the floor and ceiling is typically
less than 2 degrees as compared to 5 to 10 degrees for conventional construction".
Cope, lnc., Toccoa, GA
"I don't think I could bear living in a wood frame built house again.
The reasons are for the low utility bills, less sound from outside, less
dirt and most important to me is no mice, no ants, no termites, in fact
very few bugs at all".
Billie Gardner, Kearney, NE
| What is Polysteel®? | Why should I use it? | What do people say? |
| What does it look like? | The Technical Stuff! | Where do I get it? |