THUNDER BAY — A custom-designed panelized home is drawing attention in the Kakabeka Falls area.
The walls of Ron Rosengren's new home were erected in just five hours on Tuesday by Timber Block Custom Homes.
The Quebec-based company uses a patented building style that involves prefabricated panelized walls and more insulation than a typical house, leading to greater energy efficiency.
The technique was developed in 2004 but began to win more recognition in 2017 when it won five innovation awards at the International Builders Show.
Greg Bruce, regional operations manager based in Innisfil, Ontario, says the system reduces installation time significantly.
He said speed of assembly is important these days in particular because it can be challenging to find labour for construction
The panels are factory-assembled in a controlled environment before being trucked to the build site.
In the case of the Rosengren home, the walls are insulated to an R-30 value.
"We have a lot of stock models on our website, but nobody ever builds a stock model. Everything is custom. If somebody's got a design in mind, you can sketch it on a cocktail napkin and we can build it," Bruce said in an interview.
He said customer involvement from the outset is essential because "It's difficult to build a house. It's challenging. It's frustrating. But once everything is done... everybody sits on their deck with their beer or glass of wine and they love it, because they had the input with the design."
Rosengren said it was an exciting four weeks leading up to the installation but he's glad to see everything coming together.
"There's been a lot of stuff on the go...It's been a big experience to see what's going on here today."
He and his wife both recently left the work force, so the new house will be where they spend their retirement years.
The build site is the family's original homestead.
Rosengren assisted the crew in putting the panels together, saying he's always been hands-on, and enjoys learning on the job.
"Working with Timber Block has been great. But there's been a lot of other guys that have helped me out too. There's a lot of thanks that has to go everywhere."
According to Greg Bruce, the company's materials package typically costs three to eight per cent more than similar traditional products assembled for a custom home, but he said those materials only account for about one-third of total construction costs to complete a home.
"If labour is scarce or high-cost," Bruce said, "our assembly time savings make the total costs less expensive than a traditionally-constructed home. If labour is readily available and inexpensive, our homes might end up costing a couple of percentage points more."
Elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario, Timber Block has partnered with Bimose Tribal Council and Shoal Lake 39 First Nation to construct a new main lodge for the Shoal Lake Resort island project next month.
The company is affiliated with the Mike Holmes group.
