BY ANNE MARIE MALES SPECIAL TO THE STAR

A tornado watch was recently issued for York Region. And while severe weather systems like tornadoes are relatively rare in southern Ontario, Kirsten and Paul Hillsdon were still feeling pretty good about the new home they recently purchased in Richmond Hill.

"When you have a family, you think about these things. It's natural to think about protecting them," explains Paul. The Hillsdons' good feelings stem from the fact that their new home is being built with steel framing, and one of its claims to fame is an increased resistance to severe weather damage. The Hillsdons didn't set out to buy a home with steel framing when they began their search for a new home last year.
They needed to move out of their one-bedroom apartment following the birth of their first child, Kevin, and were interested in the Richmond Hill area because it was close to friends and Paul's office. Eventually, they made their way to Aspen Ridge sales centre at Bayview Heath, where they discovered that this collection of nearly 200 townhomes was being built with steel framing.

"I had read about the steel framing and I was convinced it was better than standard framing," explains Hillsdon. "I was really impressed that Aspen Ridge decided to use it." Aspen Ridge Homes is one of a growing number of builders in the Greater Toronto Area, which has chosen "Genesis" framing for their new homes.
Genesis is the brand name for the technology and building methods developed by Cambridge, Ont.-based KML Engineered Homes.

KML has been working on the plans for Genesis for about five years, and has only recently made its product available to Metro-area builders. Steel framing is still relatively unusual in large-scale residential developments, although it has long been used in commercial developments and by some custom home builders. While many considered it superior to standard framing in the past, the costs associated with the assembly and inspection process made it too expensive for all but the most upscale residential developments.
Because the Genesis framing is pre- engineered and pre- assembled, many of the prohibitive costs associated with this option have been eliminated.

Today, a growing number of builders, including Aspen Ridge, Remington Homes and Urbancorp, are incorporating steel framing into their developments.



Steel framing is not subject to splitting, warping and nail popping

There are a number of reasons builders choose steel framing including strength, design flexibility and fire resistance. More importantly, the steel framing is not subject to splitting, warping and nail popping, which builder Andrew De Gasperis of Aspen Ridge hopes will significantly reduce the need for after- sales service calls at Bayview Health. Builders who incorporate Genesis steel framing into their homes simply order the framing according to their own architectural designs. That framing is engineered and assembled in KML's 180,000-sq.-ft. Cambridge plant, and arrives on site ready for erection.

Each component is designed to fit on site with the rest. All the openings for doors, windows, electrical systems, plumbing and other features such as central vacuums, fibre optic cables or security systems are made when the framing is put together, eliminating the need for drilling additional openings on site.

"One of the key advantages of using Genesis engineered framing is that everything fits," explains De Gasperis, who used the framing at his last townhome development. Once the framing is completed on-site, the builder adds the electrical and plumbing systems and other components like insulation, vapour barrier, wall board, and exterior claddings, exactly as he or she would in a home built using conventional framing.
Like all new products, people had their questions about steel framing, but De Gasperis says the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

"It has been used in the past on large, custom homes, so people who knew about it saw it as a positive," explains De Gasperis. "Lots of people look at it as a stronger house, so they're happy about it.

" That strength was what impressed Kirsten Hillsdon. "I like the fact that you don't need all those support columns in the basement," explains Kirsten. "That way, when we finish the basement, we can do it the way we want and not be limited by where the columns are."

The Hillsdons' new home is part of Aspen Ridge's collection of townhomes that range in size from 1,243 to 2,108 sq. ft. and are priced starting at $169,900. Bayview Heath is located close to Yonge St. and Highways 404 and 407, as well as local amenities such as an aquatic centre, a central library or the David Dunlap Observatory. The community itself features entry gates and a school site, and the community borders a natural ravine and parks.
The traditional-style brick exteriors include features like brick-trimmed over- sized windows with keystones, steeply pitched roofs, and moulded cladwood section roll-up garage doors with decorative glass panels. Inside, these homes include a long list of standard features and finishes such as upgraded colonial trim, casings and baseboard, 40-ounce broadloom, pressure control valves in all showers, nine foot ceilings on the main floor and pre- engineered steel frame construction.
The 1,761-sq.-ft. Balmoral provides a good example of some of the design features that are typical in these homes. The full, unfinished basement includes a cold cellar, as do all the homes in the development. The main floor includes a covered front entry porch, nine-foot ceilings and a large eat-in kitchen, which is separated from the great room by a railing and half-wall. The great room includes a vaulted ceiling, a corner gas fireplace and sliding glass doors to the backyard.
Upstairs, there are three good-sized bedrooms, including a master bedroom with two walk-in closets and a luxurious ensuite with an oval soaker tub, a corner shower stall and dual vanity sinks.
To visit the Aspen Ridge sales office, take Bayview Ave. N., past Major Mackenzie Dr., and the sales office is just south of Elgin Mill Rd. on the right hand side. For more information, call (905) 780-9860.

For more information about Genesis steel framing, call 1-887-358-HOME