Styrofoam homes building steam

Monday, June 2, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

If the Three Little Pigs had a fourth choice of materials -- reinforced polystyrene -- with which to build their homes, the one in the brick house wouldn't have been the only victor over the Big Bad Wolf.

Houses constructed out of plastic foam -- commonly called Styrofoam, which actually is a brand name -- may be the wave of the future as lumber prices remain unstable. Also, technology has resulted in the manufacturing of forms that provide greater insulation and more structural integrity.

"Not only would the Wolf huff and puff his brains out, PolySteel homes are so well insulated, the pig wouldn't even hear him wasting his breath," said Richard Baines, owner of RJB Construction of Las Vegas.

He notes that while homes no longer are built of straw (too flimsy) or bricks (too expensive), sticks (wood-frame) remains the most popular of modern materials. But, Baines reckons that one day, polystyrene will rival it.

The longtime local general contractor is building what is purported to be Las Vegas' first luxury homes made of concrete-filled, steel-reinforced polystyrene forms.

The Roses custom homes are in the 2800 block of Maverick Street, west of Jones Boulevard and north of Smoke Ranch Road.

They also are believed to be the first Las Vegas structures made of that material that are being sold on speculation -- a make-or-break risk for any developer. They will retail for between $273,500 and $289,500.

Baines was contracted to build a small apartment complex at Charleston and Rainbow boulevards and the Salvation Army's Pathways building on Owens Avenue out of interlocking polystyrene forms last year. On the heels of those successes, he secured the 2 1/2 acres for his four-home cul-de-sac project.

"I believe in the quality of this product, which has a structural integrity six to 10 times greater than a two-by-six wood frame structure," said Baines, who has been in construction for 25 years.

He has operated RJB for four years and has built more than 150 homes, a half-dozen commercial buildings and two churches.

"If there ever is a 7.5 or greater earthquake, these PolySteel-constructed homes will be standing while many wood-frame homes will not," he said.

Still, Baines admits his project is a gamble as, like two of the three porkers in the popular children's story, there are a lot of folks not willing to pay extra -- it costs about $2,500 more per home to use PolySteel instead of wood -- for a superior product.

He is banking on home buyers who are not afraid to shell out a few extra dollars -- about $35 a month more in mortgage payments -- in exchange for significantly reduced heating and cooling bills and a quieter atmosphere. There are also no know health problems associated with the homes.

And, there are some heavy-hitters who support what Baines and developers like him are doing.

"This (polystyrene) has proved to be a viable product that is marketable," said Ralph Smith, spokesman for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center in Washington, D.C.

"It has a very high insulation value. Also, with lumber prices more than doubling since 1990, it is not all that more expensive than wood-frame construction."

Smith noted that lumber has risen from $200 per 1,000 board feet to $476 in seven years. And, wood prices periodically have shot up and down, making it difficult for developers of long-term projects to crunch numbers on costs, especially for the final lumber purchases three or four years down the road.

"As a result, the industry is looking for alternatives, and it appears the cost of polystyrene forms will remain stable," Smith said. "Because of extensive testing in the '90s, the product could be a wave of the future."

Raul Barreneche, a senior editor at Architecture Magazine, an 85-year-old Washington-based publication, indicated that the use of polystyrene materials in construction is gaining popularity.

An article in the January 1994 issue noted that the product "assumes structural strength once concrete and steel are placed within it ... is thermally and acoustically insulated and achieves a four-hour fire rating."

The magazine also noted that insulation of the interlocking, lightweight forms "requires only a minimal level of skill to assemble."

However, one fault with polystyrene forms is that there is no effective way to check for errors because removing the foam wall is impractical, the article said.

But the magazine is quick to add that the fault with that is not in the foam forms, but rather in the mixing of the concrete. "Such problems usually stem from mixtures that are too dry or too wet."

Bad concrete mixing can cause problems in the construction of any home.

Baines is building his foam homes on half-acre lots. The Roses' homes range in size from 3-bedroom, 3-bath to 5-bedroom, 3-bath single-story structures. Interior space ranges from 2,800 to 3,000 square feet.

Because the development is on a so-called Clark County island within the city of Las Vegas, home buyers will receive some city services without paying city taxes.

"In the coming years, I believe more local builders will be using polystyrene forms," Baines said. "But, the people will have to demand it. I think that will happen as word gets around."