30/09/2019
Company in Cleveland invents a sustainable building system that will absolutely change how people build homes and buildings for the future.
Small Spaces CLE, creators of TurboShell has been building technologically advanced tiny homes for the past 6 years. They have been featured on HGTV, DIY network, and in publications and articles surrounding the Tiny House Movement and beyond. This past spring Carl Baldesare, the company’s founder was asked to speak at the National Hardware Show’s Small build and construction technology conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was at that show the company revealed it’s newest innovation.
TurboShell is a completely new building system that has taken the construction industry to a new level of sustainability. The patent pending system is 100% recyclable and can be wood free. TurboShell is made from a high R-Value (the insulation measurement) recyclable foam from BASF, and galvanized steel for structure. The entire system is designed to fully integrate with existing building products, so the learning curve is extremely short and requires no special tools. Contractors have raved about the ease of use and workability of the product.
Building a nearly wood free home is the first step in taking back our O-Zone. Traditional wood structures uses lots and lots of wood for the framing. In fact, according to Home Preservation Manual, it takes an estimated 16380 board feet of lumber or 22 large mature trees to build a house frame. According to census.gov there are currently 1.4 million houses under construction in the United States right now, that equates to nearly 30,800,000 trees needed, just for the framing. Deforestation is one of the biggest contributors to our current climate crisis, and one of the main sources for that need is construction.
There is another contributing factor to high cost and high levels of deforestation. The R-Value, or measured insulative properties of a structure has increasingly been a topic of discussion in terms of energy efficiency. The rule of thumb, higher R-Value = more efficiency. This however comes with a cost, as R-value requirements continue to rise, so does the cost of building. Why? Quite simply, because to obtain a higher R-Value, you need a thicker wall. To obtain a thicker wall, you have to use thicker lumber. Common past building practices utilize 2x4 lumber to construct most of the structure of a house, pink fiberglass insulation would then be used to fill the cavity between the studs to complete the insulation envelope. New building practices use 2x6 lumber to increase the space for insulation. This drives costs up and increases the number of trees needed to construct a new building.
TurboShell eliminates the need for trees in the framing of a home, because it is constructed entirely of steel and foam. The system is easily workable without the need for special tools and can be easily adopted by construction crews. TurboShell is resistant to mold, mildew, pests and does not off gas. It will never rot and will maintain structural integrity when wet. When properly clad, it is extremely fire resistant. Because the system is modular, it can be assembled faster and will cut down on build time and expense significantly. Costs for the system are similar to wood and standard insulation options. Due to the ease of use and speed of construction, the system could save up to 15% of the cost to frame a house.
Homeowners will enjoy a quiet, comfortable home, free from worry about rot, mold, or pests. They will also enjoy significant savings on their utility bills and maintenance costs. Buying a home is the American Dream. Buying a home that will last a lifetime, and not having to worry about the environmental impact, mold, rot, mildew, pests or other factors people are concerned about is the ultimate peace of mind. TurboShell is the solution for the future of building. Green Living Magazine’s editor told the group in Vegas, this was the biggest innovation in construction technology he has seen in 30 years.
TurboShell is currently available to contractors via direct purchase from Small Spaces CLE.
