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January 23, 2004 Record-Eagle/Meegan M. Reid House on Wheels builders are, from left, Ted Shaw, Max Strickland, Steve Morse, Jim Rupert and Jim Beam. House gets its greenWheeled exhibit showcases new technologiesByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - It's a little cramped as a house, but that's all right because it's intended to showcase "green building" techniques and materials. The 16-by-7-foot "house on wheels" exhibit is a project of the Home Builders Association of Grand Traverse County to demonstrate the latest in materials for decks, siding, plumbing, wiring and other aspects of home building. It was built in conjunction with the Michigan Technical Education Center of Northwestern Michigan College at M-TEC's construction technology lab with the help of a $6,000 state grant. Under the terms of the grant, the house must use materials that respond to these concerns: - Use of energy, addressed with insulated roof panels and in-wall shields to block drafts from coming through electrical outlet and switch plates. - Stress on the environment, reduced through such materials as long-lasting siding made of recycled sawdust. - Indoor air quality, improved by products that don't give off volatile organic compounds. The college provided space, tools and volunteer labor to help build it. "As an educational piece, it's going to be good for everybody to learn from," said Steve Morse, coordinator of the college's construction technology program. M-TEC plans to incorporate what builders learned in a two-story house it will put up in the construction technologies lab. The house will be a permanent fixture for students to practice new construction technologies and green methods. Morse said green materials generally cost more than conventional materials, but also may cut costs over the long run through energy conservation or longer life of the materials. "You're probably not going to find these materials in low-end homes," Morse said. Max Strickland, a project leader, became interested in green building methods after his wife, Ronnie, was diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities from materials. "We built our dream house. It made my wife so sick that after seven years, we had to move out," he said.
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