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| Please enjoy some articles from various media regarding the use of our precast concrete Quick Wall product....Thank You. |
| Please click on the link below to view the "Storm Busters" article. |
| ~ ~ ~ |
SCOTT WHEELER/THE LEDGER
Kincart Construction is building a two-story, 4,500-square-foot home at 5920 Hendricks Road in Southwest
Lakeland out of precast concrete.
Published Saturday, May 6, 2006
NEW IDEA, FASTER RESULTS
Precast Panels are Starting to be Used Locally
By JEREMY MAREADY
The Ledger
LAKELAND
Precast concrete paneling won't make your home hurricane proof. But it will withstand a Category 4 storm. It
isn't a new technology in building, but precast is making an impact on Polk County's real estate market.
Kincart Construction, based in Bartow, is currently building one of Lakeland's first homes with the process.
"It isn't new," said Brent Snyder, project manager for Kincart Construction. "But this is new for Lakeland. This is
the real deal."
The two-story, 4,500 square-foot home is located at 5920 Hendricks Road in Southwest Lakeland.
"It looks like a fortress," he said. "You can't miss it."
The advantage of having the precast concrete walls is the time difference between it and traditional block
homes. Kincart has partnered with Jacksonville-based Manning Building Supplies to produce the panels. But
Manning's Quick Wall production facility is based in Lakeland.
"The biggest advantage to the customer is the time factor," said John Blanchard, general manager for Manning
Building Supplies. "The whole idea was to provide the customer with the entire shell package.
Each of the home's 5- or 6-inch-thick panels are delivered to the site, lifted into place by a crane and connected
-- all in a day.
"We can set a 2,000-square-foot house in four hours," said Blanchard.
Block homes typically take about two weeks to set, depending on weather and the curing time for the concrete
mixture. And finding a quality mason in today's busy home building market can be difficult for builders.
"For a long time (precast construction) wasn't popular because it was more cost effective to go the traditional
masonry route," Snyder said.
While the cost for precast isn't quite equal to traditional block construction, it is typically about a 10 percent
increase in the home's price. But the larger the home, the lower the price difference becomes, Snyder said.
"It really cuts down on construction time and saves on labor," said Scott Coulombe, executive director for the
Polk County Builders Association. "It is a good, strong product."
And the precast construction can be made to fit just about any home design. Manning Building Supplies works
with other builders, including Reed Construction in Winter Haven, and has built about 700 tract homes in the
Poinciana area.
Kincart offers its customers the choice of a traditional block home or the precast panel home.
Once a floor plan is selected, the designs are submitted to Manning Building Supplies where the molds are
created. About a week before the home panel installation is scheduled the concrete panels are poured.
The new five-bedroom, four-bathroom Lakeland home consisted of 40 different custom-fit panels that weigh
between 3,000 and 10,000 pounds each. The panels are rated to wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour
and can resist winds up to 200 mph, Blanchard said. That rating exceeds state building codes of 110 mph for
traditional homes.
"It's quick, easy and simple," said Snyder. "In my opinion, it is a much simpler system."
But although the technology has been around for a while, and its use is prevalent in other counties, it has been
slow to catch on in Polk.
"I suspect it could be because of consumer awareness," said Coulombe. "Then there are some builders who
are unaware of it and others who aren't set up for that. Some have made a conscious effort not to use that."
"Change is hard around here," said Blanchard. "If a builder is conscious of what their construction cost is, and
that's not normal, then they understand the value of our product. Time is money."
| ~ ~ ~ |
| Related Articles |
| Quick Wall PRECAST HOMES...BUILT TO LAST |
| Please click on the link below to view the "Concrete-Wall Homes Billed as Safer in Storms" article. |
| ~ ~ ~ |
| Please click on the link below to view the "PREFABULOUS" article. |