Better Builder Magazine Issue 17 Spring 2016

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In thIs Issuemodular Steel Structuresthe House that amvic builtlandmark Homesbuilding better with eiFSman of Steelis Wood Good? Part ii

iSSue 17 | SPrinG 2016

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BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 17 | SPRING 2016 1

PubliSHer’S note

2Alternative Building Systems

and The Three Little Pigs

by John Godden

tHe baDa teSt

3Why Panelization Is Residential

Construction’s Answer to Uber

by Lou Bada

inDuStry exPert

4The GTA Housing Market Is

Complex

by Bryan Tuckey

6Landmark Homes – Factory

Built and Net Zero Ready

by Gord Cooke

16Spotlight on Leaders:

Menkes Developments

by Michael Lio

inDuStry neWS

10Stronger Walls, Stronger

Structures

by Cory McCambridge

25BONEing Up on Modular Steel

Structures

by Alex Newman

Site SPeciFic

14Jamie Parton – Graduate of

the School of Hard Knocks

by Alex Newman

builDer neWS

18Building Better with Exterior

Insulation and Finish Systems

(EIFS)

by Michael Lio

28Man of Steel

by Rob Blackstien

From tHe GrounD uP

31Is Wood Good? Part II

by Doug Tarry

Feature Story

20The House that Amvic Built

When Victor Amend PhD couldn’t find the ingredients to build the house he

wanted, he decided to engineer them himself.

by Alex Newman

6

20

24

31

Issue 17 | sPRInG 2016

On our cover: BONE infrastructure of North York prefab steel house. Photo by Eric Johnson

BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 17 | SPRING 20162

In the story of The Three Little Pigs, we can all agree the brick

house provided the most safety and durability. The Big Bad

Wolf blows down the first two houses made of straw and sticks.

What’s helpful for us in this fable are the metaphors for the

building industry. The cost of infrastructure, land, labour and

building materials is causing us to rethink what we build and how

we build it. The third pig is an innovator who invested time and

resources to build a more resilient structure. The first and second

pigs did not take enough time to think about the what and how,

and we all know what happened to their structures.

The trend in residential housing is to build “up” rather than

“out.” Ten years ago 75% of new homes in the GTA were low rise

and 25% were high rise. In 2011 these numbers flipped. Today

fewer large square-footage homes are built and new midrise

multifamily buildings are emerging.

Wood frame construction has limitations for midrise because

of structural stability (shrinkage) and combustibility issues.

Wood has been the first choice for residential construction

because of its availability and versatility. Steel as an alternative is

explored in our article on Joe Vella. He helped Fifthshire Homes

create an R-2000-certified steel frame residential building.

Über is a German word meaning above or better. If we

want to continue using wood for structure, we need to rethink

or devise a better way. Lou Bada in his column talks about

an über way of doing this – panelization. In this issue Gord

Cooke profiles Landmark Homes, who are leading a revolution

in industrializing factory-built wood homes. Michael Lio

discusses the importance of builder mentoring. Michael’s

other article examines the application of alternative exterior

insulation and finish systems (EIFS).

Doug Tarry discusses some limitations of six-storey wood

frame construction in his column “Is Wood Good?” The third

pig used brick, which really suggests something totally different

from straw or sticks. The feature article captures the brick

metaphor completely – a strong, stackable building system

perfectly suited for attached or multiunit midrise buildings. Dr.

Victor Amend embodies the moral of The Three Little Pigs story.

Not every story has a happy ending, but The Three Little

Pigs does. After the first two pigs were saved from the wolf, they

felt sorry for being lazy. They both built brick houses and lived

happily ever after. If the wolf were to come to town, the three

pigs might be bunking at the house that Amvic built. bb

Alternative Building systems

and the three little Pigs

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FEATURE WRITERStracy hanes, Alex newman

PROOFREADINGJanet Dimond

CREATIVEWallflower Design www.wallflowerdesign.com

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PUBLICATION NUMBER42408014

Copyright by Better Builder Magazine. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission. the opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and assumed to be original work. Better Builder

Magazine cannot be held liable for any damage as a result of publishing such works.

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMERAll company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

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publisher’snote / JOhn GODDen

John Godden

Alex Newman

Gord Cooke

Michael Lio

Lou Bada

Doug Tarry

CONTRIBUTORS


This kind of innovation has been

inspiring for residential construction,

including a prominent GTA-based

builders’ association. The Residential

Construction Council of Ontario

(RESCON) has created its own

Building Innovation Group (BIG) to

bring together builders and industry

stakeholders to educate and build

capacity around panelized housing

construction – the next big game

changer for new housing. It will

answer many of our industry’s needs

and help address our challenges on

climate change. Panelization has

not been an immediately disruptive

technology. It has been introduced

gradually and gone through a process

of evolution. It has evolved to an even

higher level with the use of another

technological innovation – building

information modelling (BIM), a form

of 3-D architecture and design. The

members of the BIG group should be

commended for being creative and

courageous.

Panelization reduces energy

consumption, waste and emissions

during construction while improving

quality and productivity. A 2014

Construction Research Congress

report calculates there is almost

a 43% reduction in greenhouse

gas (GHG) emissions compared to

conventional stick framing. Taking the

framing off the building site and into

a factory setting is addressing a skills

gap that has plagued our industry

for many years. Much of the heavier,

labour-intensive and at times back-

breaking work has become automated

and mechanized. The workmanship on

wood floors and walls is impeccable.

Our customers, building officials and

warranty program (Tarion) will have

greater peace of mind with a panelized

home. The three Rs (reduce, reuse and

recycle) have become an art form in a

panel plant.

Innovation for our industry

doesn’t end there. Advanced (or

inline) framing methods are made

much easier and likely using BIM

and panelization. That would mean

even more reductions in material

use and GHG emissions. Six-storey

wood framing, now recognized in the

Ontario Building Code (OBC), is made

much more achievable with panelized

floors and walls. Six-storey wood

buildings address many planning and

municipal concerns.

It’s also not difficult to see a day

when even more work is brought into

a warm and dry panel plant and off

the site.

I am excited about this innovation

in our business. Innovation is one of

the few tools in our toolbox in con-

fronting the onslaught of regulation,

bureaucracy and other requirements.

Our industry has stepped up to the

plate and hit a home run. No one is

protesting at City Hall. This is all done

without one new government regula-

tion or ongoing government subsidy

adding to the cost of your new home or

condo, your taxes or utility bill.

It’s amazing how a little innovation

can provide so much momentum for

an industry’s future. bb

Lou Bada is an executive with the starlane

home Corporation in Vaughan as well as

a member of ResCOn’s technical council.

Why Panelization is residential construction’s answer to uber

thebadatest / LOu BADA

When someone mentions disruptive technologies, we often

think about a new app like Uber, a gadget like a 3-D printer,

or a digital product like music and video streaming.

Disruption can turn industries on their heads and often produces winners and

losers in the marketplace. It can adversely affect people’s livelihoods.

Rather than use this term, I prefer “innovation.” Innovation in industry

translates into productivity – greater output per unit of input. Every so often

a technology and process come along that produce benefits that permeate an

industry with little downside, and great potential for the environment and

consumers alike. I would say that’s a big idea.

Panelized housing

construction will

answer many of

our needs and help

address challenges

on climate change.


The GTA is fast growing. It grows

by nearly 100,000 people each year

and all those people need homes. The

land development and homebuilding

industries build new homes to meet

the housing needs growth creates.

While the number of homes built has

remained pretty constant – about

35,000 new homes per year – what has

shifted in the past ten years are the

types of homes being built.

A decade ago about 75% of the

new homes sold in the GTA were low

rise and 25% were high rise. By 2011

the markets had flipped. Of the new

homes purchased that year, 75% were

in high rise condominiums. Since then

the two markets have levelled out.

Ten years ago the provincial gov-

ernment introduced policies intended

to protect significant agricultural

land and green space, and shape how

and where our region grows. These

policies require more development to

occur within established areas such

as downtowns, and they mandate

new developments use less land to

accommodate more people and jobs.

The new home industry has met the

challenges of these provincial pol icies

and is building up instead of out.

Today the industry is building more

high rise condominiums and fewer low

rise homes than it did ten years ago.

However, the demand for townhomes,

detached and semidetached homes

has not diminished and is outpacing

supply.

In 2015 there were 41,295 new homes

purchased in the GTA according to

RealNet Canada Inc., BILD’s official

source for new home market intelli-

gence. That is a 2% increase from

2014 when 40,324 new homes were

purchased.

Of those purchased last year, 21,658

were high rise homes and 19,637 were

low rise.

Total new home sales in 2015 were

up 13% from the ten-year average of

36,543. Over the last decade only 2011

and 2007 recorded more new home

sales. In 2011 there were 46,304 new

homes purchased and in 2007 there

were 43,391.

Prices of new homes in the GTA

the Gta Housing market is complex

industryexpert / BRYAn tuCKe Y

the GTA housing market is complex and dynamic, and it really is a tale of

two markets – the low rise and the high rise. Both markets are robust in the

GTA, but over the last decade they have been affected by provincial land

use policy in different ways.

45,000

40,000

10-YEAR AVERAGE = 36,543

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

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Yearly New Home Sales by Year and Project Type – Greater Toronto Area High Rise Low Rise

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15


reached new heights in 2015.

The average price per square foot

of new high rise homes hit a record-

breaking high of $584 at the end of

2015, a 5% increase from December

2014 when the average was $557

per sq ft.

The average price of a new

high rise condo unit in the GTA

was $453,083 at the end of 2015,

down from $454,476 the year prior.

However, the slight price decrease

was due to the size of units getting

smaller. In December 2015 the average

size of a new condo suite was 775 sq

ft, compared to the December 2014

average of 816 sq ft.

The growth of prices for town-

homes, detached and semidetached

homes is a simple case of supply and

demand. There is consumer demand

for these types of homes, but supply

is limited, which is driving up prices.

The constraint in supply is due to a

lack of serviced land designated for

development.

The industry continues to innovate

and provide consumers with afford-

able choices. Developers building

condominiums in the GTA have been

finding creative ways to maximize

living space and reduce the suite size

to make them more affordable for new

homebuyers. bb

Bryan Tuckey is

president and CeO

of the Building

Industry and Land

Development

Association (BILD), and is a land use

planner who has worked for municipal,

regional and provincial governments.

he can be found on twitter and Facebook

(/bildgta) and at www.bildblogs.ca.

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While the number of homes built has remained

pretty constant … what has shifted in the past ten

years are the types of homes being built.


industryexpert / GORD COOKe

One outstanding example is the

Landmark Group of Companies based

in Edmonton, Alta. Landmark has

built one of North America’s most

successful homebuilding companies.

Since 1977 they have built over 15,000

homes and now build upwards of

a thousand homes per year. Their

corporate vision embraces the two

trends noted earlier: “To be a major

North American housing solutions

provider recognized for sustainability

and for leading a revolution in

the industrialization of housing

construction.” The corporate goal is

for all homes to be net zero ready as of

2016–2017. Landmark has partnered

in a manufacturing facility called

ACQBUILT Inc. since 2004 to build

pre-engineered wall and structural

components. Every process and

product is developed and applied using

rigorous lean thinking, the end goal

being to deliver the most cost-effective,

durable, healthy and efficient homes in

North America.

Moreover, Landmark has a unique

characteristic whereby they openly

share their successes, failures,

practices and vision with anyone who

landmark Homes

It’s a healthy practice for any professional to take time to look out across the

next three, five and ten years in their related industry. In the homebuilding

industry you might agree there are two compelling trends to consider – the

drive to zero energy homes and the integration of manufacturing processes to our

traditional site building practices. An explosion of new materials, processes and

building codes, carbon emission concerns, energy security, and most importantly

purchaser expectations will drive our industry forward. It is incredible to see and

learn from how some of our industry members are embracing the coming changes.


asks. This gracious and open trait

runs deep in Landmark, starting with

CEO Reza Nasseri. From a history

of local philanthropy to supporting

the Canadian Home Builders’

Association’s (CHBA) Net Zero

Energy Housing Council (NZC), Reza

and his team dedicate their time,

vision, knowledge and resources to

improving our industry.

Recently working with the

Landmark team, we had a chance

to ask a few questions as to where

Landmark sees the industry headed.

They shared with us that while

they continue to see Edmonton and

Calgary homebuilding as important

markets for their manufactured

components, they are seeing an

appetite from commercial clients

as well. For example, manufactured

components are already being used

in their high rise construction.

Moreover they are building homes

in the Phoenix area and see great

opportunities for manufacturing

there. And while Ontario hasn’t been

on their immediate radar, Toronto

builders have expressed interest in

exploring the opportunities nearby.

The ACQBUILT manufacturing facility

is accessible to the building industry as

a whole and not just Landmark Homes.

Similarly, Landmark sees a bright

Landmark sees a bright future for the net zero

energy program. They feel that with a little

help from the federal and provincial governments,

it’s quite possible for net zero to be the norm.

Factory Built and net Zero Ready

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future for the net zero energy

program. They feel that with a little

help from the federal and provincial

governments, it’s quite possible for

net zero to be the norm by the end

of 2017, and certainly by 2020. It

should be no surprise they feel the

strengths of a manufacturing process

to optimize costs and implement new

technologies more easily than site

building allows will really help the

numbers for net zero make economic

sense for homeowners. Reza

suggested, “The technology and the

know-how are here. We just need that

little push. With a little government

support, net zero will cross the

tipping point and become the norm.”

Like many regular readers of this

magazine, Landmark feels there’s an

appetite among builders to push the

boundaries of energy efficiency, and

if the economics support it, which

they will with a little support, we’ll

see a rapid shift in the efficiency of

new homes. Implementing more of a

manufacturing process in our industry

can only stretch and accelerate

us along that path of continual

improvement. bb

Gord Cooke is president of Building

Knowledge Canada.

Foamed-in-place walls have high R-value and structural stability. s

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industrynews / CORY McC AMBRIDGe

Typical wind forces exert lateral

forces on structures which can’t be

resisted by framing alone. Wood

structural panels are commonly added

to the framing to help resist these

racking forces. During a high wind

event, a building’s walls and roof bear

the brunt of the storm’s fury. High

winds can exert significant lateral

force on structures. When wind speeds

exceed design-level wind forces,

damages can run the gamut from just

superficial to long-term performance

difficulties – or in the worst case

scenario, total structural failure.

Walls continuously sheathed

with wood structural panels, and

properly connected to the foundation

below and roof above, form a strong

barrier that resists the persistent

forces of wind and earthquakes.

Wood sheathing is a critical aspect

of a building’s structural integrity.

Laboratory tests and field evaluations

show sheathing with plywood

or oriented strand board (OSB)

significantly increases the structure’s

ability to withstand high winds and

earthquakes. Used with or without

exterior continuous insulation, wood

structural panels add shear (racking)

strength that helps resist natural forces.

Continuous wood structural sheathing

also functions as an excellent nail base

for attaching siding and trim.

Wind-Resistant ConstructionA structure functions best as a cohesive

system. Connections are especially

important. Poor connections are

one of the most common reasons for

failure during extreme wind events.

Building a wind-resistant structure

does not require significant labour

or cost increase over conventional

construction. Load path continuity is

critical – using fasteners in the right

places and lapping structural wall

sheathing over joints and other critical

framing components goes a long way

toward improving wind resistance.

Ten Techniques for Wind Resistance1. Nail wall sheathing with 8d common

(0.131 in x 2½ in) nails at 4 in (100

mm) on centre at all edges of plywood

or OSB wall sheathing, and at 6 in

(150 mm) on centre in intermediate

framing for enhanced resistance to

negative wind pressure.

Stronger Walls, Stronger Structures

While energy efficiency is an important consideration in building

design, structural resiliency is most critical. What makes for a strong

building? A building’s resilience and strength depends on its structural

soundness. While strong foundations, floors, walls and roofs are essential, these

components don’t stand alone. The strength of a structure is contingent on how

well these components are integrated to form a cohesive unit.

Wood sheathing provides superior racking strength.

AP

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2. Avoid staples because they offer

less resistance to blow-off than

nails. A larger number of staples is

required to achieve a level of wind

resistance offered by using nails.

3. Use deformed shank nails

to improve the resistance of

sheathing to negative pressure.

4. Sheath gable end walls with

plywood or OSB. Tie gable end

walls back to the structure.

5. For roof framing-to-wall connec-

tion, use a light gauge metal uplift

connector attached on the exterior

(sheathing side) of the exterior walls.

6. Nail roof sheathing with 8d ring

shank or deformed shank (0.131 in

x 2½ in) nails at 4 in (100 mm) on

centre along the edges of plywood

or OSB roof sheathing, and 6 in

(150 mm) on centre along the

intermediate roof framing.

7. Nail upper and lower storey sheath-

ing into common wood structural

panel Rim Board. The most

effective way to provide lateral

and, in some cases, uplift load

continuity is to attach adjacent

wall sheathing panels to one

another over common framing.

8. Continuously sheath all walls with

plywood or OSB, including areas

around openings for windows and

doors.

9. Extend wood structural sheathing

at the bottom of the wall to lap the

sill plate. The connection of the

wall sheathing to the sill plate is

important because this is where the

uplift forces are transferred into

the sill plate and the foundation

through the anchor bolts.

10. Space ½ in anchor bolts 32 to 48 in

(800 to 1200 mm) on centre with

0.229 in x 3 in x 3 in (5.8 mm x 75

mm x 75 mm) slotted square plate

washers at the wall-to-sill-plate

intersection.

For more information on wind-

resistant design, consult Building for

High Wind Resistance in Light-Frame

Wood Construction, Form M310,

available from www.apawood.org/

resource-library.

Sheathing as a Nail Base for Siding and TrimIn addition to adding strength and

resilience to the building envelope,

using wood structural panel sheathing

creates a convenient and continuous

base which allows for the attachment

of siding and trim in scenarios where

framing members are not conveniently

situated, such as advanced framing

where studs are placed at 24 in (600

mm) on centre.

When the correct number and type

of fasteners are used, full-scale wind

tunnel tests at the Insurance Institute

for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

show that siding attached directly to

continuously sheathed plywood or OSB

walls is able to withstand the same

wind forces as siding attached directly

to framing, even when attached through

a layer of continuous insulation.

Please see the recommended fastening

schedule on p. 6 of Nail-Base Sheathing

for Siding and Trim Attachment, Form

Q250, available from www.apawood.

org/resource-library.

Continuous wood structural

panel sheathing lends structural

integrity to the complete building

system and boasts not only strength,

but sustainability. Wood has the

highest life cycle assessment ratings

for any structural building material.

Continuously sheathed wood walls

simplify siding attachment and result

in a strong, resilient structure using

a renewable, sustainable and readily

available resource. bb

Cory McCambridge

is an engineered

wood specialist at

APA – the engineered

Wood Association,

www.apawood.org


sitespecific / ALe X ne WMAn

“You could say I went to the school

of hard knocks,” laughs the 35-year-

old, now a vice-president at Menkes.

“But it was great. I worked my way

through the ranks, and had the

pleasure of working for some great

builders before coming to Menkes

almost nine years ago.”

Parton started out at Menkes as

site superintendent, quickly moved

up to general superintendent, then

construction manager, general

manager, and eventually VP of low

rise/midrise construction. He says

his specialty is “multitasking” as well

as design and constructability of low

and midrise housing.

Many of the companies Parton

worked for in the past – Mattamy,

Coscorp, Great Gulf and Daniels – built

green, but he wasn’t involved in those

projects. But since coming to Menkes,

which he says is “big on lessening its

carbon footprint and being innovative

with green initiatives,” he’s been

involved in green building. And this

most recent project in the town of

Halton Hills – The Enclaves of Upper

Canada – has raised the green stakes

considerably.

“As we know the current codes

change all the time and so does

ENERGY STAR,” Parton says. “The

margin for leakage in these homes

was almost zero and all parties

(builder/trades) had to be vigilant

in order for us to achieve a positive

door blower test and receive ENERGY

STAR certification. We keep on top

of the ENERGY STAR programs by

working with reputable people like

John Godden to keep us up to speed on

upcoming code changes.”

Partly the building code bar is

continually being raised, but a large

part is builders starting to see the

long-term benefits of reducing energy

consumption, especially since

purchasers are starting to ask. Menkes,

Parton says, has built ENERGY STAR

before – about four years ago – but this

initiative was a “big leap forward.”

At The Enclaves, all 200 or so homes

are ENERGY STAR, which is an energy

efficiency distinction. There is also a

Leadership in Energy and Environ-

mental Design (LEED) Silver-certified

home at the site called the Discovery

Home. This is a sustainability distinc-

tion and its energy component is better

than ENERGY STAR.

In the 200 or so ENERGY STAR

homes, they’ve used Excel, an exterior

structural insulated sheathing, which

has an R-value of about 2. When

coupled with standard R22 fibreglass

insulation batts, the exterior walls have

an R-value of 24, bumping them into

ENERGY STAR territory. Excel also acts

as an exterior air barrier system,

eliminating the need for interior air

barrier detailing. The result is an

airtight envelope that is more cost

effective and structurally sound.

They also spent more effort on

“sealing penetrations to ensure the

envelope had no air penetration,”

Parton says. ENERGY STAR has

rigorous requirements for airtightness.

For example, attics are insulated to

Jamie PartonGraduate of the school of hard Knocks

Jamie Parton is one of those rare exceptions to the rule – after high school,

instead of going to university as he’d intended and dreamed about, he took

a summer job in construction, loved it and decided to stay.

Jamie Parton points out this Menkes house is 26% BTC (Better Than Code).

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Menkes LEED Silver home.


R50 with cellulose insulation. Spray foam insulation

is used above the garage and porch to improve the

comfort of these living areas. Basements are insulated

with an R20 blanket that comes within 10 in of the

floor, basement ductwork is sealed and windows are

ENERGY STAR as well.

Inside, the heating, ventilating and air conditioning

(HVAC) also works to improve performance and

comfort, Parton says. The house provides continuous

ventilation with a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) for air

exchange. In addition, a drainwater heat recovery

system transfers heat from the outgoing greywater to

help heat incoming municipal water, which actually

saves 25% on hot water heating.

The furnace is high efficiency, forced air gas, but

more importantly it’s been right sized, Parton says. It

has a two-stage burner with an electronically commu-

tated motor (ECM). This keeps the house more comfort-

able as the furnace is running longer on its first stage.

Clearsphere spent a lot of time helping design and

test the HVAC system in the ENERGY STAR homes as

well as fully commissioning the Discovery Home’s

HVAC, says Parton. “We opted for a 96% efficient

Polaris hot water tank, which performs better than a

tankless hot water heater.”

Water conservation is led by low flow toilets and

faucets, the reuse of greywater to help heat incoming

municipal water, and rainbarrels outside for landscape

use.

The LEED Silver Discovery Home is a major feature

of the project, built on-site as a model for purchasers to

see what can be done. It’s the first LEED Silver-certified

home in Halton Hills, and has higher efficiency air

conditioning and an energy recovery ventilator (ERV)

instead of an HRV, which controls and retains humidity

in the home when needed.

Parton says the Discovery Home was an informa-

tional tool for prospective purchasers. “We wanted to

push the bar on energy efficiency and sustainability.

We built the LEED Silver [Discovery Home] to gauge

what the response would be to future projects. We’re

using the Discovery Home as a marketing platform, to

test the market and see how well it will be received in

future. It gives purchasers yet another opportunity to

be as efficient as they want.” bb

Alex Newman is a writer, editor and researcher at

www.alexnewmanwriter.com.

Roof truss and woodsill connection.

Simpson Strong TieMGT system shown

Drywall screwedinto amvicpolypropylene webs as per building code

Electricaloutlet

Wood sub-floorinstalled as perlocal building

Simpson strong tieICFLC and wood floorjoists connection

Amvic insulatingconcrete forms

Amdeck floor &roof system

Exterior woodsiding installed

as per localbuilding code

Amvic highimpact

polypropylenewebs

Acrylic,standard

ptucco or eifsapplied to

exterior faceof Amvic ICF

Brick veneer

Parge face ofexposed

brick ledge

Grade

Peel-and-stickwaterproofingmembrane (or

equivalent)as per local

building code

Perforatedweeping tile

INSULATEDCONCRETE FORMS

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

AMVIC.COM


industryexpert / M IChAeL L IO

unlike other industries the hous -

ing market can take decades to

adopt new building practices.

The structure of the new housing

market impedes the uptake of inno-

vation. To drive innovation a forward-

thinking builder needs to have a

strategy to lower the barriers to change.

buildABILITY Corporation and

Clearsphere worked with Menkes

Developments to bring a change

strategy to its Georgetown new home

site. The strategy addresses key

impediments to change including:

• revisingdesignsanddrawingsto

incorporate new methods

• buildingtradecapacitytoadopt

new practices and deliver a defect-

free home

• workingwithmunicipalitiesto

ensure changes are well under-

stood to prevent approval delays.

Menkes Developments enrolled

in the Union Gas Optimum Home

Program and committed to build

its entire Georgetown site to meet

the ENERGY STAR for New Homes

specification. The company is

currently building 184 semilinks and

fully detached ENERGY STAR homes

in The Enclaves of Upper Canada, a

new subdivision in Halton Hills.

The Optimum Home Program

involves top builders designing and

building high performance homes

that exceed the energy efficiency

requirements of the Ontario Building

Code (OBC). Optimum Homes are

independently verified by a third

party to be at least 20% more energy

efficient than the 2012 OBC. The

Optimum Home process included

benchmarking construction, devel-

oping a construction specification

tailored to the builder’s goals, building

a Discovery House and Discovery Site.

Menkes chose to use a new exterior

sheathing as their air barrier. They

used BP’s Excel board, a structural

wood fibre insulation panel that has a

nonwoven polypropylene air barrier.

Excel sheathing allows a builder to

move the air barrier to the exterior

of the building. For the builder this

means the poly on the interior no

longer has to be sealed, saving time

and money. In some cases the builder

might also be able to exclude builder

paper, saving more time and money.

A number of details were developed

and considered to simplify construct-

ing the exterior air barrier system.

These were reviewed and revised by

construction personnel to ensure they

could be easily built and inspected.

spotlight on Leaders: menkes Developments

Trades were able to experience the

new construction on a discovery house

and were able to provide feedback to

the builder. Without the buy-in and

participation from trades, it becomes

very difficult if not impossible to suc-

cessfully achieve all the ENERGY STAR

requirements. The construction was

reviewed by Clearsphere to identify any

deficiencies. Trades were informed of

the issues and adjustments were made

to ensure deficiencies did not reoccur.

Menkes created a culture on-site with

the trades to work toward the goals.

Homeowner outreach was also an

important part of the change strategy

that allowed Menkes to differentiate

itself as a builder. Menkes held a very

successful homeowner orientation

session for homebuyers. They had an

industry expert walk their customers

through the benefits of their homes.

The implementation of the change

strategy allowed Menkes to success-

fully build Canada’s newest LEED

Silver home in the same development.

The LEED home includes a balanced

energy recovery ventilator (ERV) with

an electronically commutated motor

(ECM) fan. The furnace in the LEED

home has 95% efficiency and a two-

stage motor. The house achieved an

airtightness level of less than 2 ACH (air

changes per hour). The garage included

a 150 cfm exhaust fan with motion

sensor. The LEED Canada certification

identifies this home as a pioneering

example of sustainable design and

demonstrates Menkes’ leadership in

transforming the building industry. bb

Michael Lio is president of buildABILItY

Corporation. [email protected]

Left to right : Mayor Rick Bonnette, Town of Halton Hills; Steven Menkes, president of Menkes Developments; Adam Menkes, development manager, Menkes Developments.

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Many confuse EIFS and stucco,

where in reality the only similarity is

that they are both trowel applied to

the exterior wall. Stucco is a cladding

traditionally made from Portland

cement-based plaster applied to a wall

in multiple coats over mechanically

attached (thermally bridging)

reinforcing lath. Stucco cladding is

difficult to install over continuous

insulation. Unlike stucco EIFS is

more than a cladding. Aside from

its insulating properties, EIFS also

provides air leakage control. EIFS

is an engineered system designed,

produced and installed in a highly

prescribed fashion.

EIFS was first introduced in

North America in 1969 with the first

installations in Canada taking place

in 1972. Today, there are three EIFS

standards in Canada developed by

the Underwriters’ Laboratories of

Canada (UL) that describe materials,

installation and design.

buildernews / M IChAeL L IO

EIFS includes a continuous insu-

lation layer that can help the assembly

comply with the most demanding

energy codes anywhere in Canada.

EIFS cladding includes a fluid-

applied, water-resistive air barrier

that protects the rough openings and

sheathing from outside water.

Flashings are easily integrated with

the protection. The continuous

insulation layer – up to 6 in (R24) – is

bonded adhesively to the water

barrier without thermal bridging (as

shown in Figure 1). A reinforced base

coat and finish are applied over the

insulation.

EIFS come in a wide variety of

architectural finishes that can be

applied in an infinite range of colours.

Today’s EIFS can replicate almost any

other cladding such as brick masonry,

limestone, granite and other natural

rock, metal and tile. Decorative

accents such as cornices, arches,

columns and keystones are available.

They are produced by computer-

controlled cutting equipment to

create precise finishes (see Figure 2).

EIFS is recognized within the

Ontario Building Code (OBC) in both

Part 5.10 and Part 9. For Part 9, Section

9.27 covers requirements for EIFS

including enhanced drainage profiles.

The drainage cavity can have a variety

of patterns (see Figure 3).

In Canada the EIFS Council of

Canada (ECC) represents all EIFS

manufacturers. The EIFS Practice

Manual, published by the ECC, is

available at no cost to all builders and

EIFS installers from the ECC website:

www.eifscouncil.org/eifs-practice-

manual. It is a complete design and

installation manual that, coupled

with the system manufacturer’s

instructions, covers all the require-

ments for compliance with the

standards in the OBC.

The ECC is in the process of unveil-

ing two new courses – one tailored to

architects, designers and builders, and

the other to building officials. For more

information on the building officials’

course, check out the Ontario Building

Officials Association (OBOA) website at

www.oboa.on.ca. For more information

on the architect, designer and builder

course, check out buildABILITY’s web-

site at www.buildability.ca or contact

Edith Yu at [email protected]. bb

building better with exterior insulation and Finish Systems (eiFS)

Buyers of premium homes today expect their houses to express their

personal aesthetic and deliver high levels of energy efficiency.

Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) provide both high

levels of energy efficiency and the flexibility to give the homebuyer the specific

aesthetic they might want.

Figure 2

Figure 1

Sum of groove width≥ 13%

Width of EIFS panel

groove width groove width

eIFs panel width

Figure 3

Decorative accents are produced by computer-controlled cutting equipment.

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22 BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 17 | SPRING 2016

The House that

Dr. Victor Amend PhD has been actively involved in the construction industry since getting his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in 1981. For several years, he worked as a project manager for a large construction company where he oversaw the development of multifamily, industrial and commercial structures. Following this

he decided to return to school to get his PhD in building science and become a lecturer. After a couple of years, he decided to enter the construction industry again after discovering an energy-efficient homebuilding process using insulated concrete forms (ICF), and started his own environmentally friendly, green building material manufacturing facility, the Amvic Building System.

featurestory / ALe X ne WMAn

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When Amend couldn’t find the

ingredients to build the house he

wanted, he decided to engineer

them himself. Amend, who left his

native Russia for Canada in 1998, had

become familiar with concrete as a

building material from seeing it at

trade shows, and also in European

homes built with concrete. He was

sold on its energy efficiency and

structural strength.

At the time he was a university

lecturer with a degree in civil

engineering, and a PhD in building

science. But when he immigrated

to Canada, and his search to buy

a concrete home yielded nothing,

he decided to leave academia and

return to the construction industry to

manufacture the components.

Since then he has supplied “thous-

ands of homes” with energy-efficient

ICF. And now he’s building his own.

“They’re energy efficient, sustain-

able and very strong. Concrete won’t

weaken with time. In fact, it gets

stronger and also provides a very

airtight envelope,” he says.

What he discovered after research-

ing the North American building

industry, and specifically the ICF

market, was that ICF wasn’t popular,

in spite of its obvious advantages,

because no system offered easy

assembly and construction.

So Amend set out to resolve this by

designing a concrete form that could

be assembled quickly and easily on

site, was less wasteful, yet still ensured

excellent performance. And so Amvic

was born, a system that offers ICF

block for walls and AmDeck ICF blocks

for floors and roofs.

An Amvic ICF block combines

expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation

and concrete thermal mass, thus

minimizing temperature fluctuations

by absorbing and storing heat – and

can effectively reduce energy con-

sumption for heating and cooling by

up to 30%. As well, its manufacturing

methods are clean. Using steam and

cold water to produce the forms means

no chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydro-

chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), formal-

dehyde or other chemicals, and thus

no off-gassing.

One of ICF’s biggest benefits, Amend

says, is concrete’s thermal mass, which

offers all sorts of energy efficiencies

from strength and durability to being

impervious to moisture and leaking

air. Another benefit is soundproofing.

ICF has a sound transmission class

(STC) rating of 51, whereas a standard

single-family home is perhaps half that

rating, Amend says. A higher STC is

used in all semidetached and town-

homes, but in single-family homes it’s

not required. However, it is appreciated

in any home when you live near an

airport or busy main street with buses

and streetcars rumbling past because

the masonry shields from noise

pollution and sound vibration.

The ProcessBuilding with ICF is a little like

“building with blocks,” Amend says.

“You put your footings in first, then

start placing blocks on top of each

other, then pour concrete.”

Imagine stacking up the 4x16 blocks

like LEGO. ICF are stay-in-place blocks

with two panels of EPS held together

with 100% recycled plastic webs.

Once the walls have been placed with

concrete, the AmDeck floor blocks

can be installed. The AmDeck floor

system sits on 10 in steel C-channels

spanning one side of the ICF wall to

the other. When many channels are

placed side by side, they become a

reinforced beam form for the concrete

slab poured on top.

The concrete floor requires seven

days to dry fully and strengthen (or

cure). (Concrete has 75% of its strength

amvic built

ICF wasn’t popular, in spite of its obvious advantages,

because no system offered easy construction.


after seven days. After 28 days it has

100%.) This is the same procedure as

an ICF form, but is horizontal rather

than vertical.

The Canadian Construction

Materials Centre (CCMC) deems

Amvic the strongest ICF block form

on the market (Forming Capacity

Strength Test, Technical Guide 03131,

at 865 lbs/sq ft). It has the highest-

forming ICF capacity in the industry,

and is easier to install because of the

unique patented FormLock interlock

design. Coupled with the EPS and its

web connectors, there’s less taping,

tying or gluing during installation,

saving on labour compared to other

systems (see photo, top left).

The wall blocks are fully reversible,

so there’s less than 1% waste on the

forming system. The system can

withstand internal vibration, which

ensures a superior wall for wind and

earthquake resistance.

The system is being used in the

North York home Amend is now

building for himself, which he calls

the High-Performing Insulated

Concrete Home. Walls are ICF block

and floors are AmDeck, and triple-

glazed windows boast an R-value

of just over 5. The home’s ventilation

system is provided by an ECOAIR

ground air heat exchange system and

an energy recovery ventilator (ERV).

An earth tube draws in fresh air, which

is prewarmed with ground heat in

the winter (up to 16°F or 9°C). In the

summer this air is precooled by the

soil temperature. The ECOAIR’s intake

tube draws air from outside down 6 ft

into the earth using an 8 in pipe

coated with silver ion lining (silver is

antimicrobial and will not allow any

mould or mildew to form). This air is

then drawn into the home through an

ERV where it’s distributed through an

air distribution system (see below).

Because the ICF walls have insu-

lated forms and EPS on either side

of the ICF block, this provides the

insulation. The only spaces requiring

extra insulation are the attic and under

the basement floor slab. In the attic

Amend has used spray foam on top of

the traditional wood floor trusses, and

silver board rigid sheet insulation (see

photo, top right).

Under the basement slab Amend

used his own creation – the PEX

Panel, which is a real time and money

saver. It’s not only insulation, but also

a tracking system for installing the

radiant floor tubing.

Normally for radiant floors instal-

ling requires light gauge steel mesh,

and lots of labour, to tie down the

tubing. This just snaps into place

(see photo, facing page).

As expected ICF is not less expen-

sive than traditional wood framing,

but demand is starting to drive costs

down, says Gary Brown, Amvic’s VP

of marketing. “ICF used to cost 8 to

10% more than traditional 2x6 and

fibreglass construction. Because

building codes are now requiring more

outboard insulation on walls, and

catching up to Amvic, the cost

Heat Exchange in Winter

Intake Air

Temperature

14ºF (-10ºC)

Output Air

Temperature

30ºF (-1ºC)

Soil

Temperature

50ºF (10ºC)

Pouring Amvic ICF walls. AmDeck floor system for radiant heat distribution.


difference is now more in the neigh bourhood of 3

to 5%. The other benefit to Amvic is a tighter, more

efficient home, which allows for reducing the size of

the mechanical system.”

For the heating, ventilating and air conditioning

(HVAC), Amend had initially thought to use solar

photovoltaic (PV) roof panels in his aim for a net zero

home, but decided instead to use cheap, clean natural

gas with a central boiler and radiant floor heating.

Electricity costs ten times that of natural gas and can’t

heat houses from what electric panels generate. The

condensing boiler sends water through the basement

and main concrete floors, and radiates heat to every

surface instead of blowing hot air around, so the whole

room is warm.

With the view onto parkland, the large high

performance windows at the rear of the house and

radiant floor heating were the best approaches to

maximize comfort.

The radiant floors are installed over the AmDeck

insulated floor system. Concrete floors allow for mass,

which holds the heat and radiates it throughout the

house, keeping it very comfortable. Typically in new

homes the room over the garage is a challenge to keep

comfortable. The AmDeck floor at R18 has additional

silver board insulation added to the underside to bring

it to R40.

It’s not often that someone – out of frustration – will

actually design and create the elements to build their

own home. What’s better is when they manufacture

the elements so others can benefit too. bb

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PEX floor panels save time on basement floor installations with radiant tubing.

26 BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 17 | SPRING 2016

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“We’ve created pitch roofs, even.

It really comes down to choice of

material put on the outside,” says

Johnson. “Many of the traditional

styles we’re familiar with had their

roots in some sort of system. Frank

Lloyd Wright and others built with a

sort of interior logic, and developed a

system for circulation and construc-

tion. It pretty much comes down to

stylizing and choice of materials.”

Enviro-friendlyThe steel structure is environmentally

friendly for a few reasons, Johnson

says. “Steel is mostly recycled and

lasts a long time, probably about 200

years. Because it’s galvanized it’s

protected from the elements, so

there’s no worry about rust. This is

important especially if you’re build-

ing in an ocean region where salt is

carried in the air and corrodes steel.”

The other thing is the system is

“extremely robust, and has a balloon-

frame structure so it can accommo-

date multiple layers of insulation.”

And yes, the steel frame is more

costly. Johnson figures it could be 30

to 40% more costly. “But the market

paying these kinds of prices isn’t the

suburban tract house, but custom

builders. It’s not a drop in the bucket,

but in the overall budget with all the

custom finishes of a luxury home, it

actually is.

“You can’t compete with wood

frame,” Johnson says, “which is the de

facto standard and the least expensive

form of building.”

In Canada, we keep building in

wood because it’s relatively available

since we have timber resources. In

many other parts of the world, Johnson

says, they’re building with more

permanent materials. Wood has its

virtues, but also its problems, such as

its reliability and durability.

The BONE structure works well in

any setting – for urban infill as long as

the 5 ft spans are considered, although

Johnson says it would sometimes

require “some shoehorning or some

wasted space. It’s fine in suburban

settings because the lots are so large,

and you’re not likely to exceed the

maximum gross floor area (GFA) or get

too close to property lines.”

But the sweet spot, Johnson says,

is rural properties. “It’s really taken

off, and a majority of these projects

were rural, usually second homes or

vacation properties. One reason is

you don’t have so many restrictions

in these areas, and fewer regulations,

so it makes it easier to build with and

get approvals for. Plus these rural

properties are ones that people are

inclined to live in for a long time, and

not move after five years, so they’re

invested in spending for a durable

long-lasting structure.

In North York the lots are generally

large enough to accommodate a

standard BONE structure. At the

Tottenham home they designed, where

they also used the steel framework,

BONE was able to manufacture to a

half-module (30 in instead of 60 in)

to address a few unique conditions.

Since then, they have gone further

and will size specific components

to 1 or 2 in increments allowing for

their system to be used on narrower

urban (or downtown) lots. They’ve

also developed their own series of

homes called the Infill Collection

(www.bonestructure.ca/en/models/

collections/infill-collection/).

BONE will adapt their system to

your design using mostly standard

components on a 60 in grid, then

snapping together like a giant LEGO set, the BONE prefab steel house frame

is quick to assemble – five days for a 4,000 sq ft house – is environmentally

friendly and lasts about 200 years. You can even add onto it easily long after

the house is built.

In fact, there’s no real downside, says Eric Johnson, architect for E2, the firm that

recently designed a North York house using the BONE infrastructure. Mostly the

system is well suited to a modern style, but he says it’s possible to create any style.

industrynews / ALe X ne WMAn

boneing up on Modular steel structures

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customize only those (few) com-

ponents necessary to suit the design,

Johnson adds.

The 11 gauge galvanized steel

components used in a BONE structure

home can be anchored to any type of

foundation – concrete slab, insulated

concrete forms (ICF) or pillars using

BONE’s Ankle System. Exterior

columns placed at 5 ft intervals

allow for spans of up to 25 ft without

having to break up the space with

intermediate columns or load-bearing

walls. The structure is reinforced

by steel bracings, and then metal

supports are added for interior and

exterior furring. The roof is made of

structural insulated panels (SIP) and

ZBARs are used for attaching exterior

finishes.

Because the home is designed

before the steel system is ordered,

windows and doors are easy to install.

Type II expanded polystyrene (EPS)

insulation boards fit snugly with the

steel frame, and 2.5 in soy-based

polyurethane foam sprayed in creates

a thermal envelope that helps keep

a house warm in winter and cool in

summer. It makes for R-values in the

wall of R28.5 minimum, and in the

At the North York house, Johnson

says the ceramic panel exterior

cladding worked well with the BONE

structure. “We saw it as a brick

alternative. We’re trying to eliminate

wet trades, those that rely on water,

such as mixing mortar for bricks, so

that we can build in the winter as well.”

The ceramic panels are thin and

durable, like vitrified clay, Johnson

says. “They have fairly unique

properties, like being self-cleaning,

with coatings that absorb nitrates.

Rain then washes away the pollutants.”

For insulation, Johnson says they’ve

used spray foam for its high R-value

and airtightness. Joist panels in

recycled polystyrene are designed to fit

between the steel columns, and

exterior cladding support is a ZBAR

that attaches to the columns by a

thermal brig or clip, which has a plastic

spacer to break thermal conductance.

To thermally protect the steel, foam is

on the outside. Once the rigid panels

are installed, spray foam insulation

applied on the exterior will bring walls

up to the required R-value. If you

wanted to increase the insulation,

Johnson says, you could add to the

inside because there is a 2 in space that

roof R56 or higher.

The only challenge is once the steel

frame is fabricated and delivered,

there’s no way to make alterations

unless you’re prepared to reorder some-

thing and that takes time, Johnson

says. Wood has a certain amount of

flexibility. If something isn’t quite

working, you take a saw and cut it.

And because we’re not familiar with

the material there’s a learning curve,

but Johnson figures by the third house

built this way, it becomes very easy and

you’ll be “sold on all its virtues.”

One of those virtues is that

openings can be ordered with exact

dimensions, so windows and doors can

be onsite waiting for the frame, which

makes assembly very fast.

Also, the precision means “The

house comes exactly as we envisioned

it. It’s also ideally suitable where

the architect wants to eliminate all

trim,” Johnson says. “Trim can hide

a multitude of imperfections. With

this system we run drywall right into

the window, which you can’t do with

wood. When it’s very cold out, or the

materials have issues, these are things

that can’t be resolved easily without

using precise materials.”

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Left to right: Walls erected on 60 in grid. Exterior cladding attached to ZBAR, which carries an additional R15 insulation from soy-based foam.


would allow this. Otherwise, the

builder could request that BONE

provide a deeper ZBAR construction,

and maybe even a deeper rigid panel,

which would allow for more insula-

tion on the outside of the panels.

The final R-values of R50 for the

roof and R30 for the walls of a typical

BONE structure are achieved using

three products, Johnson explains.

The first are the SIPs installed on

top of the roof joists. Then recycled

EPS panels designed specifically for

BONE structures are fitted between

the columns and in all other wall

openings. Finally, 2 lb spray foam is

applied over the EPS wall panels from

the outside and to the underside of the

roof SIPs from the inside.

Johnson says they coupled the

insulation with an effective heating,

ventilating and air conditioning

(HVAC) system – radiant floor heat

and an air handler for forced air. The

reason radiant heat is good, Johnson

explains, is that BONE doesn’t have a

lot of thermal mass. There’s a column

every 5 ft and the rest is steel BONE.

And the more insulation you put, the

better it performs, he adds.

Because the BONE system is essen-

tially a shell without interior divisions,

you are “getting an open box,” Johnson

says. “So it’s easy to create any kind of

interior design and layout that you

want. Because the system supplies a

vertical bar with a cutout every 16 in

that matches the profile of a furring

channel used to attach drywall, you

can create the layout you want.

“Because the joists have large pene-

trations, it’s possible to run all ductwork

and electrical without having to cut

anything, which speeds up the process

as well,” Johnson points out. bb

vanee.ca

All these products meet ENERGY STAR’s higher standards

For more information or to order, contact your local distributor.

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Because we’re not familiar with the material

there’s a learning curve, but … it becomes very

easy and you’ll be “sold on all its virtues.”


buildernews / ROB BL ACKstIen

As a 16-year-old boy, Vella was

“into hot muscle cars of the late ’60s,”

which led to studying mechanics, but

he soon decided that wasn’t where his

future lay. So when his brother-in-law

– who had begun Fifthshire in 1977

– asked him to come work with him,

Vella jumped at the opportunity.

Vella connected to homebuilding in

a way he never did with auto mechanics.

“I got very interested, very quickly,”

he says. He sucked up knowledge

like a sponge, taking courses to

learn how to read building plans and

architectural drawings. It was the

start of a lifelong passion that saw the

certified construction superintendent

take many accredited courses over

the years from schools like George

Brown, Seneca and Humber including

project management, architecture and

building science.

In addition to residential construc-

tion, Vella’s path took him into com-

mercial building, helping to craft mall

stores, offices, restaurants, and even

a 26,000 sq ft head office for a food

company.

“I pretty well do everything, so I’ve

got my expertise in just about every

part of construction,” he says.

man of Steel

Joe Vella has been blazing a trail in the Ontario homebuilding

industry for nearly three and a half decades.

However, if not for a fateful phone call in 1982 from his

brother-in-law, Vella might have been making his mark in the world of auto

mechanics instead of pioneering residential steel frame construction in

Canada as the vice-president of Concord, Ont.-based Fifthshire Homes Ltd.

Joe Vella helped Fifthshire homes develop a cutting-edge reputation as the first

Canadian builder to create an R-2000-certified steel frame residential building.

Precut steel components minimize waste.


In fact, it was Vella’s commercial

construction experience that first

made him wonder if steel framing

could be applied in a residential

environment.

“I was tired of hearing the

carpenters complain about how the

wood was crooked and warped, or

complaining about the difficulty in

cutting the studs when drywall was

put in and trying to straighten the

walls, put the drywall on, and then the

walls were crooked again,” he says.

At this time Fifthshire was

building more high end custom

homes, originally in Nobleton,

ultimately working in Schomberg,

Maple, Richmond Hill and Sharon.

“I was thinking to myself, How can

we build this for a clientele when we’re

supposed to be building a high quality

product with an inferior product?”

Vella then approached a metal

manufacturer and got an engineer

involved, because by using a steel

frame he had to build homes under

Part 9 instead of Part 4 of the building

code.

“And then we said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

Among the concerns at the outset

was that steel has thermal bridges.

However, Vella says that was a simple

obstacle to overcome as the building

code calls for insulated sheathing

on the outside of a steel stud wall – a

minimum of 25% of the cavity.

“So I said, ‘Well, we’ll put more.

We’ll put 50 or 100%.’”

Fifthshire built its inaugural steel-

framed home in 1991 – the first such

R-2000-certified house in Canadian

history. They’ve now built around

80 R-2000 all-steel houses and, more

recently, several others that are

ENERGY STAR certified.

Yes, steel adds about 15 to 20% to

the framing costs, Vella estimates, but

when you factor in the waste reduction,

it’s probably only 1 or 2% more.

There is also a learning curve invol-

ved here, and he speculates this is likely

a barrier to entry for most builders.

But the advantages of steel framing

far outweigh the disadvantages, Vella

assures.

Higher cavity insulation and non-

combustibility are huge bonuses. “But

the biggest one is that you don’t get nail

pops, you don’t get shrinkage, therefore

the corner beads don’t move,” he says.

That will really cut into a builder’s

callbacks.

The eco-friendly factor of steel can’t

be overstated.

Vella estimates 99% of the house is

precut, which means there is low waste.

“Any waste we have doesn’t go to

landfill – 100% goes back to recycling.”

Considering waste factors in wood

homes are around 25% whereas it’s

less than 2% in their homes, that’s a

massive advantage which helps offset

the higher costs.

In fact, the steel Fifthshire uses is

so green (an average of 87% recycled

material in Ontario) that “We actually

get LEED points for our steel studs,” he

says.

Walls tend to be much straighter

with steel framing and because steel is

inert, it’s mould-free, he adds.

There are also myriad geographic-

specific benefits – it’s termite-free;

in high wind zones, steel framing is

less of a risk because it’s stronger;

and Vella says his frames are “much,

Ph

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Steel floor joists have webs which house mechanicals and eliminate bulkheads.


much better” in higher seismic zones

because steel is ductile and tends to

move more without breaking.

One of the reasons steel framing

has not caught on more – besides the

cost and learning curve – is that there

are many negative preconceptions

about this building technique.

Some of these myths about steel

frames include:

• Noisier: “The less mass you have,

the less vibration you have. So steel

studs are actually quieter,” Vella

refutes, as evidenced by sound

transmission class testing.

• More likely to be struck by

lightning: Vella discounts this,

but adds that because the entire

steel frame is grounded with

straps into the foundation, even

if struck, there’s no fire, whereas

wood frames are prone to igniting

if electrical wires burst and cause

sparks.

• Will contract and expand with

temperature changes: He says

that happens sometimes, but is no

different than with wood trusses.

• Will interfere with radio, TV and

Wi-Fi signals: This is not an issue,

Vella maintains. “Between the studs

it’s the same thing.”

• Will rust: Not true, he says. It’s fully

galvanized aluminium with a zinc

coating, so when you cut the steel,

it’s self-healing and no rust forms.

Despite all the advantages steel

framing offers, Vella doesn’t see

this trend becoming widespread

anytime soon because of the

misconceived stumbling blocks. Still,

Fifthshire forges ahead with steely

determination.

“Not only are we pioneers, but we

still continue to sell our homes in steel.

We are very proud of the product and

all of our customers have been very

happy with it.” bb

Rob Blackstien is

a toronto-based

freelance writer.

Pen-ultimate.ca


The City of Hamilton was the first

municipality in Ontario to issue a

building permit for a six-storey wood

frame building in March of 2015.

Interestingly enough, this project was

a 209-unit Sandman Hotel property

and includes an indoor pool and two

restaurants. Since then there has been

a great deal of activity throughout the

province, with more buildings being

designed and built.

Within the OBC requirements, there

are some additional safety measures

needed for six-storey wood frame

construction v. four storey, including:

• enhancedautomaticsprinkler

systems

• allbalconiesover610mm(2ft)

deep must also have sprinklers

• exitstairwellsmusthavea1.5hour

fire resistance rating and be of

noncombustible construction

• thebuildingheightislimitedtothe

top floor being no more than 18 m

above the first floor and 20 m above

the required fire access route

• allexteriorcladdingandroof

coverings must be noncombustible

is Wood Good? Part II

fromthegroundup / DOuG tARRY

In a previous article I wrote about six-storey wood frame construction coming to

a community near you. As most readers will know, the Ontario Building Code

(OBC) was revised as of January 1, 2015 to allow wood frame residential and

office building construction up to six storeys, with additional fire safeguards such

as noncombustible stairwell materials and combustion-resistant roofs. Prior to

January 1, 2015, the limit was four storeys.

Six-storey wood frame construction requires extra safety measures.

WW

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or combustion resistant

• largeconcealedspacessuch

as attics must have additional

compartmentalization, even when

sprinklers are installed

• plumbingmustbecombustion

resistant

• atleast10%ofthebuilding

perimeter must have a fire access

route within 15 m of the building

exterior.

So there are some serious consi-

derations for fire protection to protect

the occupants of these buildings.

However, there are also some

challenges to the processes of con-

structing midrise buildings. So I

thought it would be of interest to share

a few of our experiences so far.

As a Part 9 low rise residential

builder, I have to admit that going in

I did not have a lot of experience with

everything involved in constructing

a midrise building. For this reason

we sought to put together a strong

team of professionals including an

architect, engineer, site engineer, legal,

marketing and general contractor,

so we could reduce the size of our

learning curve.

I have to be honest. It has still been

a pretty big learning curve. While we

settled on the overall building concept

fairly early, there is a great deal of back

and forthing over a variety of details

that a year later we are still finalizing.

In addition, we had no idea

going in how challenging the legal

documentation would be, let alone the

Tarion requirements. One particularly

daunting issue is not being able to

presell units without having a site plan

agreement in place. Now there may be

other builders out there who don’t wait

for a site plan agreement, and it would

not appear to be an issue if you were

building a rental residential building.

However, our legal representation

strongly recommended against this.

We did find the inability to do presales

a major challenge to momentum, and

if we had known this issue going in,

we would have likely marketed the

building as a rental residence.

Another major issue was getting

the site plan agreement completed. We

were amazed this process took more

than a year. So site plan preparation

and process is definitely an area we

will be looking at moving forward.

Even bringing a sales trailer on-site

turned into a monthlong adventure.

Ultimately to get approvals, we were

required to get a building permit that

required engineering costing thous-

ands of dollars for how we were going

to support the trailer on-site. I don’t

know what other builders’ experiences

have been, but I have not yet found any

that had to meet this level of require-

ment for a prefabricated building.

Nonetheless, we now have our sales

trailer about to open and our site plan

in place, our legal paperwork appears

in order and after a year and a half of

work, we are finally in a position to sell

units in our building, so we can actu-

ally build it. I’ll keep you posted. bb

Doug Tarry Jr is director of marketing at

Doug tarry homes in st. thomas, Ont.

MORE THAN A ROCK

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Vapour permeable, it dries easily even if the framing gets wet, guarding against mould and mildew all while delivering an extra layer of thermal protection.

roxul.com

Find comfort in a world of change.

Thank you for helping us build a more energy efficient Ontario.

We look forward to building the future with you in 2016.

From early design to construction, Enbridge is here to support and reward you with performance incentives for constructing energy efficient, healthy and sustainable

homes beyond code requirements.

Learn more at build.savingsbydesign.ca

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Better Builder Magazine Issue 17 Spring 2016