ECO Making Inroads into the Modular Housing Industry

Despite the industry's best efforts, water, fire and termites conspire to damage homes and cost homebuilders money. And after damage, the homes are often rebuilt in the same way, still susceptible to the same damage. But that's changing with the growth of defensive building.

Building professionals in the northeast are learning about the value of defensive building with protected lumber from Eco Building Products.

After establishing northeastern operations in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Eco Building Products has opened marketing in New York and New Jersey, working to educate architects, realtors, builders and contractors about the benefits of defensive building products and practices.

The goal is to demonstrate to the insurance industry that it's time to lower insurance premiums for those that mitigate risk for the carrier, said Steve Conboy, president and CEO of Eco Building Products.

Conboy said that three homes in the northeast will add extra protection to the structure by using Eco Disaster Break (EDB). EDB is a coating that adds fire protection and UV resistance with an acrylic coating that forms a waterproof and seamless monolithic membrane.

"When EBD is applied to Eco Red Shield protected wood surfaces, EDB forms one of the most advanced defensive construction assembly available against water penetration, fire ignition, mold, rot and termites," Conboy said.

Pennsylvania-based modular home manufacturer Signature Building Systems (SBS), a recent graduate of Eco's Defensive Partner certification program has adopted EDB treated wood. Determined to establish a new standard in the Modular Industry, SBS is of the same mindset as ECOB in that both companies realize old building methods and materials utilized for protecting homes against moisture intrusion are no longer acceptable. "Tar paper and housewrap fabrics may protect against falling water, but these materials are not effective against rising tides," Conboy said.

Eco Building Products' Technical Support Team offers training for industry professionals in Defensive Building Practices and Materials. A current list of certified Defensive Partners is available on their website. 

"Eco Building Products, Inc. uses an educational platform to train those in the field and those specifying next year's homes as it teaches them how to defend themselves from future moisture related legal problems while defending their clients from flood waters," Conboy said.  "The real facts about the difference between Eco Red Shield advanced framing lumber verses raw lumber will be showing up all around the U.S. because it's time to raise the bar above and beyond building to code minimum."

Defensive lumber is available for recommendations and specification by architects, realtors, builders and contractors.