Menu
Styrofoam homes – energy efficient, climate friendly
Strata US and Stan Morris Construction have partnered to building leading edge technology styrofoam homes in the Bootheel region.
Morris Construction President Shawn Morris recently presented on the unique construction project.
“It’s a basic styrofoam and it’s been put together in 4 x 8 blocks,” Morris stated. “You can get it in six inch, eight inch, twelve inch, all the way up to sixteen inch.”
“It’s jut a basic styrofoam,” he added.
Morris continued, “When it is combined with SABSCRETE, that’s the important component, it gives it an 8,000 psi crush weight, compared to a concrete block that has 4,000 psi.”
SABS is a multi-patented, composite building system that utilizes Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) as the core material for all structural members, walls, roof, and floor. These pieces are assembled with adhesive, without any additional structure such as wood or steel.
The foam is covered with a composite coating made up of a precise blend of sand, cement, glass fiber and other additives that, together, create a building shell. Not only are the structures reliable, but they meet or exceed all testing protocols and load requirements of the ICC-ES.
“It will withstand 280 mile an hour winds,” informed Morris. “It’s been rated for that. It will also withstand an earthquake, on the Richter Scale, at 8.0.”
Morris shared, “We power-wash the walls and then we start applying the SABSCRETE. We put a quarter inch coating over the walls of the exterior, and then we go on the inside of the house, and we put a quarter inch on the interior.”
“On the roof we put a half inch, as well as, on the ceiling,” he added.
Morris provided he was introduced to this product and was intrigued enough to attend a training and presentation at Strata Headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I was blown away with it,” he said.
Morris, a 27 year veteran in the construction business, informed they are building many of these homes in Colorado, Utah, Phoenix, New Mexico, Texas, and California.
Morris shared on the cost of the construction.
“It is about what houses cost before the lumber market went up,” he stated. “It is much more cost effective now.”
“It’s also thirty to forty percent cheaper, more energy efficient, than a conventional home,” Morris added.
Morris stressed these are not pre-fabricated kits.
“You can design any home you want,” he shared. “We can custom cut any kind of home.”
Morris informed, “We will be partnering with STRATA and manufacturing the styrofoam panels here in Caruthersville. There are talks about also manufacturing the SABSCRETE mix.”
“We will also be manufacturing Tough Sheds,” Morris said. “We’re really excited about this. Some can be used as tiny homes. They’ve been sending them to San Francisco where people are using them as Air bnb’s, she-sheds, and pool houses.
Morris predicts an approximate six month date before the factory is operational.
“I think this is really going to catch on,” Morris concluded. “We see our government moving more and more to green products.”
“This is one step that will get them there,” he added. “It doesn’t kill tress. The carbon footprint is phenomenal compared to cutting down forests.”
“It’s a great product,” stated Morris.