By: Patrick Tivy

Watching a new home grow from the ground up can be an entertaining experience. There's real drama involved, starting from the moment the surveyors stake out the building site. It doesn't matter whether it's for a veritable village of single-family bungalows, the process is the same - every day something new is added.

Most home buyers might not realize it, but there is even more excitement in distant factories, warehouses and building supply centres. Armies of engineers, systems analysts, and other creative experts are constantly coming up with new ways to build homes. Some of the armies are competing with each other, and each side will declare that their product is best. In the end, though, they're all working toward a common goal - to build better homes more efficiently and more economically.



DURABLE COUNTERTOPS

While the Corian countertop was developed by DuPont many years ago, it has earned a new surge of popularity this year with a new range of colours. The strong synthetic countertops were first included as standard features by Townwood Homes at two communities, Aurora Grove on Bayview, and Forest Hill on Bayview. The idea caught on quickly and is now offered by several other prominent builders.

"We've had resounding and approving response from our customers," says Guglietti. "While we aren't the only builder now using Corian countertops, Townwood was certainly the first to introduce Corian countertops as a standard feature in low-rise homes."

"The durability, quality and beauty of the counters, the backing of the DuPont name, and an unprecedented warranty make it irresistable."

Corian counters are more durable because the countertops are solid, not laminated, so there's no "top layer" that can be cracked or chipped. Scratches can be wiped away with a quick scrub with a household cleaner. Corian is also ideal for use as shower surrounds, sills and thresholds.

A beautiful countertop is a feature that every home owner would be proud to point out to all visiting friends, but many advances in home construction are invisible. They can be seen during the construction process, but get quickly covered up and disappear from view before the home buyer moves in.



SOUNDS OF SILENCE

Great progress has been made in the lumber industry, for instance, but in most cases, the only thing a house-proud home owner can do about it is maintain a dignified silence. That's because silence is one of the most-appreciated benefits of advances in wood construction. Floors made with the new laminated joist systems are much quieter than floors made the old way. Sturdy sheets of plywood or other floor material are screwed, not nailed, into place atop the laminated joists. The result is a stronger floor that will never creak or squeak.

The Canadian Wood Council points out that new timber technologies make better use of all parts of a tree, greatly reducing waste, and resulting in stronger building components. Parallam beams, for example, are made from long, thin strands of wood that have been bonded together in a patented microwave curing process. The Parallam beams are more uniform and have more consistent strength ratings, making them ideal for beams, columns and posts. Best of all, Parallam beams and other engineered wood products are stable: there's no shrinking, warping or twisting like ordinary lumber.

The problems of structural lumber have prompted many engineers to search for solutions using light steel. The Steel Alliance, an industry-wide association based in Washington, D.C., points out that steel not only can create a healthier home because steel won't support moulds, mildew or dust mites - and it won't emit chemical vapours after construction because no chemicals are used in its manufacture. To add to the equation, steel makes environmental and economical sense; the Alliance points out that the steel from six recycled cars can frame a house that would require timber from 40 trees. The advantages of steel frame construction are numerous. Steel has strength and fire resistance. Unlike wood, steel won't warp or shrink or rot - and galvanized steel won't rust. Steel has been used for years in commercial buildings and in luxury homes. Now a growing number of companies are making it available for the average homebuyer.



STEEL CATCHES ON

One of the most active builders promoting steel construction is Fifthshire Homes, winner of the 1998 Central Ontario Builder of the Year Award from the Ontario New Home Warranty Program. Fifthshire president John DiCarlo was sold on the idea from the very first steel home the company built six years ago.

"There's no comparison," says DiCarlo. "Steel is uniform, straight, doesn't change and makes for solid floors with no squeaks."

Fifthshire uses many of the traditional methods associated with timber construction, instead of ordering units of steel panels. "Our homes are all large, custom residences, so this suits are needs better," DiCarlo explains.

Four other major builders in the GTA, however, have adopted the full panel style created by KML. The builders - Aspen Ridge, Daniels, Remington and Urbancorp - order the Genesis wall panel system the same way they'd order kitchen cupboards or any other component part.


BUYER RESPONSE ENCOURAGING

The Genesis system uses an assembly line in Cambridge that works as efficiently as an automobile plant. The engineering department plots out every detail on sophisticated computers beforehand. Modifications are made to suit the needs of the homebuyer and the builder. Steel studs arrive at the factory ready for assembly. Sturdy tongue-and-groove insulation boards are mounted on the steel frame for the exterior walls. Then the completed panels are loaded onto trucks and taken to the building site. A Genesis crew sets up the panels an entire wall at a time, so the time is spent is less than conventional methods. The work goes fast. For example, openings for doors and windows are cut precisely, so the installer doesn't have to waste time making frames fit with shims. Clear channels are left in walls for pipes and wires, making it easier for the plumber and the electrician.

In the end, David Fogolin of KML, says, the completed home will have floors that are more level, walls and ceilings that are straighter, and insulation that is warmer than homes built with older construction methods. Even the basement is better. The Genesis system uses steel support beams, so there is no need for basement posts and pillars that might interfere with future finishing plans.

The response from builders and buyers is encouraging. When Remington Homes opened its show home at its Rougemount site in Markham, visitors were intrigued to see the steel framing that Remington President Matthew Bratty had left exposed in one wall.

"People would come in the model home," Bratty says, "and jump up and down on the floors to test how solid the house feels. They were impressed. Most people have never been in a steel-framed house before and they're not sure what to expect. But they like the solid feel and they like the solid look of the house."

It all goes to prove the old saying - they don't build homes like they used to. They build them better.