HOUSING: More for Less

The U.S. housing industry last week demonstrated how better homes can be built for less money. In Knoxville, Tenn., the National Association of Home Builders opened a three-bedroom, 1,051 sq. ft. model aimed at showing builders how new materials and new uses for old materials can turn the trick. Price: $13,500, achieved mainly by preassembled hardboard components. Top features:

¶ Masonite wall sections prefinished inside and out with built-in insulation, ready for quick raising at the site. The outside hardboard surface is wood composition, the inside plastic-coated. Soundproof ceilings also come in composition sections with insulation pre-attached. An exterior paint made by Du Pont lasts 20 years, sharply cuts maintenance costs.

¶ Aluminum roof sheets, made by Alcoa, which need no replacing, help keep the house cool. The aluminum roof, laid over plywood sheathing, is highly resistant to hurricane winds, and strong enough to support a 50ft. deep load of dry snow.

¶All-plastic plumbing to save more money, along with an aerobic sewage-disposal system (including garbage grinder) that greatly reduces water use. A newly designed toilet needs only 1 gal. of water at a time compared to 6 gal. for current models. Electrical wiring through the house comes in a preassembled package, ready for much faster installation that cuts high-cost labor.

¶ Ceiling-to-floor (8 ft.) doors and windows that simplify building. They also improve air circulation, make the house’s six rooms seem much more spacious. Another cost-cutter: African-oak floor squares laid directly on the concrete foundation slab; they are only half as thick as ordinary wood parquet flooring yet are just as durable.

The N.A.H.B.’s $13,500 house is completely air-conditioned (heating and cooling), comes with all appliances, including a dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, has an attractive fenced patio and carport. Without these features it could cost as little as $9,600. N.A.H.B. President Nels Severin likes it so well that he plans to build one in San Diego.