Construction Informer

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) just finished a study showing that residential fire sprinklers added to homes during initial construction makes economic sense. The agency placed the cost of a "wet pipe" sprinkler system at between $ .62 and $ .83 per square foot in three different types and sizes of homes. Interestingly a townhouse of 2,257 square feet had the highest cost of installation. The economists at NIST figured the net gain from sprinkler installation in 2005 dollars was between $704 and $6,048 over 30 years. The largest gain was for a ranch home of 1,171 square feet.

In other news…

It’s often given me a brain cramp trying to figure out why mobile homes, built in a controlled, factory environment, haven’t been more energy efficient. Sure, it’s supposed to be cheap housing but shouldn’t the cheapness of it be figured over the lifetime of the house? I would suspect that for many mobile homes if you added up the costs of just heating and cooling them you’d quickly surpass any savings derived from building them cheaply.

Now, Mississippi State University Professor Michael Berk has come up with a "Green Mobile." He has used "sound construction methods, as well as energy-saving concepts for lower utility costs." The units have photovoltaic options and the interior design makes better use of natural day-lighting and ventilation. But here’s the really neat thing. They are better built, will cost in the $50k range and are more affordable (lower monthly payments) than traditional single-wides.

A lot of people pop their heads in the sand when it comes to recognizing that affordable housing is the next building boom. When you consider a rapidly growing and aging population, and a growing immigrant population that wants out of apartments and it’s hard to miss the handwriting on the wall. In both cases though affordability is a key attribute. Affordability has to also be extended to the total cost of ownership of the shelter. So beyond energy efficiency another concept to incorporate would be the practice of building with materials that are maintenance-free.

It seems there may be some opportunities here for some creative thinkers and doers.