ElectriPlast: Economical, Efficient and Green

Introducing

the House

that

Tom Built...



By Vince S.
ElectriPlast Blog Editor



ElectriPlast House: Futuristic Building Materials At Work Today...

It goes without saying that home construction consumes large quantities of resources. Wood, steel, copper, aluminum, plastics, rubber and other materials are harvested or produced in increasing amounts to satisfy growing building projects. As environmental concerns increase on the individual, governmental, and scientific level, Integral Technologies, with 120 patents and patents pending, is positioning itself to play an important role in the home construction sector.

Among the major contributors to the declining health of our planet are deforestation, carbon-belching smoke stacks and auto emissions. Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated, however, that the energy needed to run the average home ejects twice as many emissions into the atmosphere than auto tailpipes. Given that sobering revelation, EB reviewed the growing family of ElectriPlast patents to see how many of these low cost applications pertain to the housing sector and are eco-friendly. We also looked to a native son for inspiration to design ElectriPlast House. (NB: This article does not represent a plan for a home; rather, it is intended to show the many ways in which ElectriPlast can be used in the home construction sector.)


Fallingwater: Forever Modern

Arguably the most brilliant American architect of the last century, Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique museums, office buildings and houses are not just architectural masterpieces, they are works of art that have withstood the scrutiny of the demanding critic that resides deep in each of us. His place in the pantheon of architects was fixed when the US Institute of Architects voted Wright’s Fallingwater "the best all-time work of American architecture."

Fallingwater, built in 1939 in Western Pennsylvania, is a four-level cantilevered house that overhangs a thirty-foot waterfall on Bear Run Creek. While the architect ensured that the house was in harmony with its natural setting, it is unlikely that many of the materials used to build Fallingwater would meet modern energy and eco-friendly requirements. So, let’s imagine that we’ve engaged a Wright disciple to build a 3,000 square foot house (2500 is the US average) using low cost ElectriPlast materials wherever possible.


ElectriPlast House: Green from the Foundation Up

Absent specific names for ElectriPlast formulas, an “E” preceding a metal, plastic, vinyl, rubber, etc., refers to that ElectriPlast product: E/Aluminum, E/Copper or E/Vinyl. The sill-plate will be built on block walls over a crawl space and supported by E/A beams. While joists, headers, framing, flooring and walls are generally constructed of wood, a strong, lightweight composite that mimics wood (can be sawn, gouged, nailed, painted, etc.) is available, so can PlastiWood be far behind? Several E/Laminates already hint at a PlastiWood composite. (Stay tuned.)


Exterior and Interior Walls

Load-bearing walls must be strong, so E/A, wood and/or PlastiWood will be used for the joists, headers, floors, walls, studs and ceilings. E/A metal studs, with openings to thread E/Copper wiring through them, will provide that strength. Door and window frames will be made of E/A; stairs of lightweight, low combustible, high strength PlastiWood. HVAC ducts will be E/A sheeting. We’ll use standard insulation (with E/A backing) for walls and ceilings; however, the vapor barrier will be fire retardant, waterproof PlastiWrap. “Vinyl is final,” as it is said in the trade, so the exterior of ElectriPlast House will be protected by low cost E/A or E/Vinyl siding; gutters, leaders and drainpipes will be vinyl-coated E/A.


The Roof

Roofs come in many different shapes, including gable, hipped, mansard, gambrel, flat and shed roofs. Regardless of roof type, we will use low cost, E/A, which is as strong as aluminum but weighs 40% less. PlastiWood or Polyboard will serve as the basic roofing cover. E/A backed attic insulation will be standard. Low cost ElectriPlast roll roofing, shingles and tiles shed water, reflect heat to keep the house cool, resist fires, dissipate electrical charges, and prevent oxidation and corrosion. Any of them will protect the roof of ElectriPlast House.


Clean Energy from the Sun

ElectriPlast is a fine silicon substitute for the photovoltaic cells in rooftop solar panels. While expensive (as Kermit the Frog lamented, “It ain’t easy being green.”), solar panels can supply all the energy a home needs, depending on the number of panels and the orientation of the house to the sun. The expense might be offset by subsidies and tax breaks, and the energy savings could be significant. Also, excess power can be sold to the power company. Sweet, huh?


Internal Fixtures and Fittings

ElectriPlast floor tiles will provide radiant heating for all tiled rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens, while other rooms will be made comfortable by ElectriPlast conductive carpeting. One version, called “intelligent" carpeting, can be equipped with tiny light-emitting diodes (E/LED) to serve as motion sensors to control burglar alarms, fire alarms or HVAC, a truly eco-friendly touch. Conductive E/Vinyl and E/Copper pipes will keep water at the right temperature as it channels to the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room.

Brilliant ElectriLight fixtures, in all their many designs, will illuminate the ElectriPlast House. The kitchen range, microwave and cookware will have ElectriPlast components. Countertops will be made from recycled paper bonded with E/Polymers. Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry will be made of E/A; plumbing courtesy of ElectriPlast conductive pipes and E/Copper.

Throughout ElectriPlast House, E/Acoustical devices, molded of conductive loaded resins will reflect, focus, absorb or diffuse sound and dissipate vibrations, a necessary function due to a robust satellite music system, thanks to strategically placed WiFi-based Plastennas. E/Copper wiring will be used where possible.

Using Computer Assisted Design, many ElectriPlast building materials can be precut, which reduces the average amount of home construction waste from 18 tons to three tons per building site.


Fallingwater II?

No, it isn’t, and it isn’t 1939. ElectriPlast House will be better, more eco-friendly and less expensive to build than other green homes. And more and more federal agencies, states and municipalities require buildings to meet local green standards or those set by the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit group.

And the neighbors? Once they see ElectriPlast House, they will be “green” with envy.