Published in the SUN Port Charlotte By Pat Obley Staff writer

There is a school gymnasium in Texas on Sabine Outlet that was in the direct path of Hurricane Laura. David Simmons, its builder, knew it would still be there after the storm passed.

Simmons spoke of that confidence on Wednesday afternoon while leaning against the wall of a garage in an unfinished home at 155 Chelsea Court NW in Port Charlotte. The home is being built in much the same manner as that gymnasium, the only way Simmons has been building for the past 16 years.

It’s called steel structural insulated panel construction, or SIP for short. Two sheets of steel sandwich a four-inch layer of foam insulation to form lightweight panels that snap together like puzzle pieces. The result is a virtually air-tight and water-tight home with no need for a moisture barrier that can go from an empty concrete slab to a fully enclosed structure in 10 days.

Simmons snapped and bolted together the house on Chelsea Court with a crew of four men and no heavy equipment. The three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage home features 1,661 square feet and impact resistant windows that, along with its metal gable roof, can withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

Since the interior framing is also steel, there is not a scrap of wood to be found, and there is no fear of termite infestation. The panels are also fire-resistant for up to two hours, produce almost no smoke and do not allow a fire to spread.

“I’ve been building these 16 years, exclusively,” said Simmons, a fourth-generation builder originally from Ohio. “Florida has two types of homes — those that have termites and those that don’t — these are totally termite-free.”

Initially, Simmons experimented with steel frames, but they were not cost-effective. Then he saw a SIP home built from start to finish.

“And that’s it. That’s all we build,” Simmons said. “It’s like going to a Ford dealership and the guy sells you the best car you’ll ever own. You sign the papers and then you see him drive off in his Chevy. That’s not me. We build SIPs and only SIPs. I can’t sell what I don’t believe in.”

The homes are energy efficient to a degree few building methods can rival. Electricity bills are generally 50-60% below other homes of similar size. With solar cells on the roof, energy costs can actually zero out. Air conditioning units for SIP homes also are generally half the size typically required and therefore cheaper to install or replace.

Dave Krieger, managing member of DK Consultants, sponsored the build on Chelsea Court as something of a proof of concept to draw interest from local contractors and builders. Currently, Charlotte County is home to just three SIP homes. One, located in Burnt Store Isles, was the only home in its neighborhood to survive Hurricane Charley unscathed in 2004. The other two are in the Babcock Ranch area.

Krieger said he believes the construction method is a perfect match for the region due to the low inventory of affordable homes, which are in high demand. Due to the lack of such homes, buyers have been caught in the trap of buying outside their price range and subsequently falling behind on the mortgages.

“I’ve been looking for green building and affordable building for the last 12 years,” Krieger said. “At the same time, I’ve been dealing in foreclosure issues and I decided we have to make a change. A majority of the problem was consumers who bought more house than they could afford.”

The region’s growing population is driving up the price tags on existing homes and new builds. A SIP home’s rapid construction time can help the area’s builders alleviate the crunch.

“With the amount of new homes we’re looking at needing in Charlotte County — we’re looking at 11,000 in the next few years — I don’t see the general contractors being able to sustain what the task forces say we’ll need. SIP homes fit that well,” Krieger said.

The homes are not generally any cheaper to build than traditional homes, but Simmons and Krieger believe a SIP home’s extreme energy efficiency, durable construction and, eventually, lower insurance premiums will make them long-term winners.

“All that ever has to be done with these houses if they flood is to tear out the dry wall and replace it,” Krieger said. “When the insurance companies realize that, the rates will come down.”

As he looked out at the other houses in the neighborhood, Simmons said there is no way to put a price tag on the peace of mind an owner of a SIP home will have when facing the Charleys and Lauras of hurricane season.

“I might only have a degree in engineering, but I have a PhD in common sense,” Simmons said. “If there is a negative, the only negative about a SIP home is not a lot of people know about them. When they come and see one, they all say the same thing — why aren’t all houses built like this?”

The new home going up at 155 Chelsea Place Court NW in Port Charlotte is of a new breed that DK Consulting hopes will catch on among the area's general contractors. Called a steel SIP home, it goes up quickly, is energy efficient and can withstand Category 5 hurricane. Photo by Pat Obley

David Simmons of Steel SIP Systems, talks with a local builder about the advantages of building a steel SIP home. Photo by Pat Obley