By: Anne Marie Males
It all started innocently enough with a bunch of guys from the home-building industry sitting around socializing after a hard day at work.
"We were talking about service calls for nail pops and creaky floors and wishing there was some way to do away with them," recalls Arthur Rubino, contracts manager with Regal Crest Homes.
'In our industry, you hope you never get called back, because that means everything's fine'
For those outside the industry or those who have never owned a new home, nail pops are a common occurrence in new construction, where the nail literally pops out of the wood framing when the house settles, and leaves a mark that shows on the interior drywall.
Though relatively simple to fix, they are a nuisance for homeowners who have to call the builder back to fix them, and a pain for builders who have to make expensive service calls to do it.
"One of the guys mentioned that maybe there was a way to do away with them," says Rubino. That simple comment lead to a few phone calls, a visit to a factory, and next thing you know Regal Crest was one of the first builders in Ontario to try out a new method of home building known as Genesis, where steel framing arrives on site in panels, ready to erect.
'My neighbours, on both sides, have had to get nail pops fixed. I didn't even know what they were.'
That was back in 1993. Vivian Kuok, a teacher who bought the Mississauga house and has lived in it with her three children since then, says she was originally attracted to the home because she thought the steel would be more firm and stable, And no, she hasn't had any nail pops. "My neighbours on both sides have had to get nail pops fixed," recalls Kuok. "I didnít even know what they were. I eventually went next door and had a look."
The steel framing, in her opinion, has turned out to be more stable. She says relatives of hers have a house where all the upstairs floors creak, but her home is perfectly quiet. Over the years, Kuok has had a number of people from the homebuilding industry drop by to see the house.
"Whenever someone comes over that knows about constrution they're really impressed,"explains Kuok. "I had a renovator in to do some work in my basement and he said 'Wow, I'd like to have a house like this,' when he saw the steel framing.
"With our strange weather, I think the steel framing is really good," adds Kuok. "I've had no problems with the house at all."
And no one is happier about that than Rubino. "In our industry, you hope you never get called back, because that means everything's fine." says Rubino. "We're approaching five years on that home now and there's been no problems."
Back in 1993 the method of building where the steel frame panels arrived on site ready to erect was a rarity. Today, hundreds of homes are being built in the greater Toronto area using Genesis steel framing developed by Cambridge, Ontario KML Engineered Homes.
"Steel framing offers many advantages over conventional framing and building methods,"explains David Fogolin of KML. "It's lighter and stronger allowing greater design flexibility, and it's not subject to splitting, warping, nail popping or rotting."
In the past, steel framing has traditionally been an expensive option usually reserved for large custom homes. Builders using steel framing had the individual pieces shipped to the site, and these were cut and assembled in a fashion similar to conventional framing; then each home had to be inspected and certified by a professiorial engineer. The Genesis framing is pre-engineered and pre-assembled, thus eliminating many of the prohibitive costs associated with this option.
Builders who incorporate Genesis steel framing into their homes simply order the framing according to their design specification. That framing is engineered and assembled in KML's 180,000-sq.-ft. Cambridge plant, and arrives on site in large pieces, ready for assembly.
The no-problems track record of the Mississauga home and others built using Genesis steel framing is part of what convinced builder/developer Urbancorp to use Genesis steel framing at its King West Village site in downtown Toronto.
King West Village is a huge site for downtown Toronto. When completed, it will include about 1,500 housing units, including 400 townhomes in the first phase which will be built with steel framing.
"I just see the steel framing as a better product for our customers," explains Rudy Trevisan, senior vice president of Urbancorp. "There's no shrinkage, no warpage and no nail pops. And I really like the precision of the product."
"This is a fairly complex project, and it's important that everything fits. The steel leaves nothing to chance"
With Genesis steel framing, each component is designed to fit exactly with the rest. All the openings for doors, windows, electrical systems, plumbing and any other features such as central vacuums, fibre optic cables or security systems are made when the framing is put together, eliminating the need for additional drilling.
"One of the key advantages of using the Genesis engineered framing is that everything fits perfectly," says Fogolin. "The openings for doors, windows and plumbing fixtures are exact. Window installers, for example, have found that it takes them far less time to install windows in a Genesis-framed home because they don't have to make last minute adjustments.
"For our purposes, the steel works best," explains Trevisan. "This is a fairly complex project, and it's important that everything fits. The steel leaves nothing to chance." King West Village will be built on a 7.3 acre site located on King St, near Shaw, just west of Bathurst St. In recent years, King Street has become a popular residential choice. The factories and warehouses that were once the hallmark of the area are gradually being replaced by lofts, artists studios and chic restaurants.
From here, it's literally minutes to all the best the city has to offer like the theatre district, the SkyDome, downtown and the financial district.
The King West Village townhomes are available in a wide range of sizes and styles ranging from one level designs to two level, three-bedroom garden townhomes with private entries, balconies and patios. There are also two-storey, two bedroom terrace townhomes with separate entries and private rooftop decks.
The townhomes features a long list of luxurious features and finishes such as ceramic tile flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms, five appliances and European-style cabinetry. Townhomes are priced starting at $99,900 for a two bedroom design, while the three bedroom homes are priced starting at $139,900.
Since the site office opened a few months ago, about 250 homes have been sold. To celebrate and launch the last phase of townhomes, the builder is hosting a steel band celebration at the sales office on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
The King West Village sales office is located at 1005 King St. W., near Shaw. It is open noon to 5 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 11 to 5 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call (416) 343-4924.
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