Page 45 - Green Builder July-August 2018 Issue

Protecting Occupants, Helping Builders

HE ALIGN PROJECT demonstration house showcases products
and materials that contribute to beauty, efficiency and
functionality. Some also help protect occupants in the event
T of fire. These include a PureFlow residential fire sprinkler
system from Viega and a fire-resistant building envelope insulated with Easy does it. The proprietary brackets used in
COMFORTBATT, COMFORTBOARD and AFB mineral fiber products from Viega’s fire sprinkler systems can be rotated to PHOTO COURTESY OF VIEGA
Rockwool. These products are also easy for builders to work with and accommodate the most common types of pendants
facilitate quick construction, saving time and money. and sprinkler configurations.
The 13D-rated fire sprinkler system from Viega uses polymer fittings
and flexible PEX tubing.
“In contrast to the metal fittings that most of our competitors use,
polymer fittings reduce cost, which is a big barrier to entry for residential
customers,” says Seth Larson, product manager for Viega LLC.
Because the system uses PEX rather than rigid pipe, installers can
mount the sprinklers before running the PEX tubing, saving time and labor.
The system also includes a special mounting bracket with “mounting
reference designators,” which accommodate different pendant styles
and ensure they are installed at the right depth.
Exterior and cavity mineral wool insulation from Rockwool will Forceful fiber. Rockwool works
contribute to energy efficiency, acoustics and fire resistance to The directly with modular builders and
Align Project demonstration home. also offers a suite of a building
Mineral wool insulation is naturally non-combustible. With a melting science services, including PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCKWOOL
point of 2,150 °F, the material can help contain a fire and keep it from thermal bridging modeling and
spreading to other rooms. It also has a smoke developed index of 0— R-value calculations.
the lowest possible, meaning it will not contribute significantly to toxic
emissions. WHAT IS 13D?
Rockwool products also offer benefits to the builder or installer.
The high-density material is dimensionally stable and friction fits into NFPA 13D is an installation standard developed by the National Fire
cavities without sagging. This is a plus for modular homes, which are Protection Association (NFPA) for residential fire sprinkler systems
often transported to the site mostly or fully constructed. Rockwool for one- and two-family dwellings and manufactured homes. The
also works directly with modular home builders, streamlining the sales intent of the standard is “to provide an affordable sprinkler system
process and ensuring good detailing. in homes while maintaining a high level of life safety.”

Living ‘large.’ Despite
Size Done Right the tight accomodations,
Kasita CEO Jeff Wilson
was all smiles during his
W HEN JEFF WILSON moved into a 33-square-foot dumpster on year-long residence in a
former trash dumpster.
Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, he had to confront
Wilson wanted to prove
something big: his stuff.
that it’s possible to be
Wilson decided to go cold turkey. He posted a notice on
Facebook announcing he was selling almost everything he owned for $1 an COURTESY OF JEFF WILSON happy without a lot of
square footage and
item. It was all gone in one hour. He used the standard, “Does it spark joy?”— possessions at home.
made famous by the wildly popular book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying
Up—to vet his remaining few possessions. “What you own comes into sharp Wilson and his girlfriend of eight weeks embarked on a 21-day, eight-country
focus when you downsize this radically,” he says. tour with no plans and no baggage. Wilson continues to live a radically downsized
He’s not unhappy one bit. “My life and time became a lot richer,” says Wilson, life—proving his year in the dumpster wasn’t just a gimmick—and he claims
who became known as “Professor Dumpster” during his year-long stint. “The freedom as the payoff.
things I had, I absolutely loved, and I didn’t miss the things I had lost.” “These things we own have weight beyond their gravitational mass,” he says.
After the Dumpster Experiment came the “craziest OkCupid date ever,” when “They weigh on your pocketbook; they weigh on your soul.”

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