NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and WeatherThermasteel for Eco-Friendly Building

Reported by Scott Meeks
August 13, 2007 

Wood has been used to frame and build homes for thousands of years. But there is another option out there and it's a big hit with eco-builders in Charlottesville.

CW29's Scott Meeks shows us what "thermasteel" is all about in this Going Green report.

The "design" of the Chisholm Place home is "green" inside and out. From its passive solar setting to sustainably harvested wood floors, Mother Nature had her hand in all aspects of this project.

Roger Voisinet said, "I wanted to build something that was smart, that would work well, would be an example in the marketplace."

Voisinet is building the home in Charlottesville. He's been working on alternative energy and building projects since the 1970s. "Just taking traditionally framing and adding some fancy insulation...this is something way above that," shared Voisinet. 

That "something" is called "thermasteel".

Turn back the clock a few months and you can see that this isn't your typical wood framed home. "Thermasteel is made in Virginia, which is one of the factors which really appealed to me," said Voisinet. 

It's made in Radford so when it's shipped to Virginia builders, it doesn't have far to go and means no wasted gas.

"One of the beauties of this material is that there's no voids anywhere in the panel," shared architect Alan Scouten. 

The panels that make up the frame are made of steel and polystyrene, which is similar to styrofoam. The bond between the two makes it super-energy efficient. Your AC or heat doesn't have anywhere to escape.

Scouten explained, "There's no place for unwanted air to run. There's no place for vermin to run. It's basically a solid material."

When a thermasteel home is designed, each panel has a place and purpose. So when it's time to build, it's like "construction by numbers"--every panel is accounted for.

"Little to no waste. Little to no noise for the homeowners in the neighborhood," assured Voisinet. 

This is the first "thermasteel" home for Charlottesville, but Voisinet says it won't be the last.

"It takes a little more time than going to the building supply store and buying lumber and fiber glass insulation. But it's well worth it. And the homeowner who gets this home will be reaping the benefits for years to come."

Compared to traditional wood framing and insulation, thermasteel framing costs about the same. The Chisholm Place home is still a few weeks away from being finished, but Roger says once it is, he's putting it on the market.

The Chisholm Place home is about 2200 square feet. Thermasteel engineers say it will cost about $74.00 a month to heat or cool. A traditionally framed home of the same size would cost about $200.00.