Frank LaCrosse and Jib Turner are two very different men.
LaCrosse has 50 years’ experience building everything from residential
projects to hotels, and Turner is the PR side of their business.
Coming together in 2009, they share a passion to create full-featured
homes in the 600- to 1,000-square-foot size. Easy to heat, easy to maintain and
easy to afford are what they think a sizable number of Canadians want but can’t
find. That’s why they started Northern Metal Framing and Affordablehousingcanada.com.
But few new ventures are simple, especially when that venture is innovative.
“Banks insist that you own a chicken before they’ll consider
loaning you an egg,” laments Turner. “Finding the capital we need for expansion
has been one of the biggest hurdles we face.”
“Part of this reluctance is because we make homes of a size
that haven’t been built in this country in meaningful numbers since the early
1950s. We’re also building in an entirely different way than most other
builders, using modular methods and wood-free frames.”
LaCrosse began his building career with wood, but he’s been
sold on the virtues of building with steel for decades. Most commercial
buildings these days are made with steel frames, and that’s the way LaCrosse
and Turner build small homes in their 10,000-square-foot plant in Little
Current, on Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay .
“Strong, mold-free, efficient and fully recyclable. These
are some of the reasons we build with light-gauge steel frames,” explains
LaCrosse. “The end result looks the same as a wood-frame house, but the cost
and efficiency advantages are better. We pass these savings on to our
customers.”
So how do LaCrosse and Turner make a steel-frame home energy
efficient in our cold Canadian climate? By using all the best insulation
technologies.
Safe spray foam is applied to wall cavities between steel
studs before drywall goes on, with an additional layer of rigid foam insulation
added to the outside of the frame as part of the exterior insulation finishing
system. This high-performance stucco-like treatment is generically known as
EIFS in the construction industry, and it’s one of the longest-lasting, most
maintenance-free options for building exteriors. LaCrosse and Turner are the
only builders I’ve seen using EIFS on small homes.
Finding labor is another challenge Turner and LaCrosse
face. “Lack of skills isn’t the main problem because skills can be taught,”
says LaCrosse. “The real problem is that too few people are willing to deliver
eight hours of work for eight hours of pay.” All this said, passion is the one
enduring thing that keeps these men going.
“I’ve listened to retired people in tears because they’re
stuck in a much bigger home than they can afford, but can’t find a small,
decent, efficient modern house at a reasonable cost,” says Turner. “I want to
change this.”
1 comment:
I wish them luck. I am a consumer and have been trying to find a module (what many in my very expensive area would probably use as a kitchen) to use as an art studio. I need higher than standard walls for ceiling height (11+), and something probably around 18x40'. I feel their pain about not getting 8 hrs out of workers. My hangup comes much sooner; it's simply getting people to email me back. I hope they get the money to proceed. After that, 1950's customer service would set them apart from everyone else.
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