ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Platinum Advanced Technologies Inc. (PAT), headquartered here, today announced the construction of the first house in Florida using its innovative Platinum Technology(TM) for walls, ceilings and roofs. The company's products, known in the construction industry as the building envelope, mean contractors can build better homes faster and less expensively. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060316/FLTH002LOGO ) PAT's patent-pending composite technology combines fiber-reinforced polyurethane and light-gage steel to make walls, ceilings and roofs stronger and more energy-efficient than either conventional cement block or stick-built construction. The technology is about 20-25 percent less expensive yet provides features and benefits beyond those of conventional building materials and methods, according to the company. PAT's building envelope withstands winds in excess of 200 M.P.H. and cuts heating and cooling costs in half, according to Ron Donnini, company president. The company's website ( http://www.platinumadvanced.com/ ) shows dramatic video of an independent laboratory's test that proves its products are hurricane-strong. As impressive as strength and safety are, the company said the energy- efficiency of its products is driving inquiries from builders and consumers. R-value measures a material's resistance to heat flow, or its insulation ability. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation ability. Generally, new homes in Florida have R-values between four and 19 for walls and between 19 and 30 for ceilings or roofs. The R-values of PAT's products are 24.5 for walls, and 38.5 for ceilings or roofs. Also, the company's products resist wood destroying organisms (WDO) that have long plagued homeowners, including termites, carpenter ants and mold. And since the walls and ceilings are steel and fiber-reinforced polyurethane, there's nothing to fuel fires. Moreover, the house is much more soundproof than most other homes. Charles Vachon Construction is building the 3,264-square-foot, three- bedroom, two-bath home in Ocala, one of the state's fastest-growing housing markets. Mr. Vachon said the technology saves about 30 days of building time and is an idea whose time has come. The homeowner, Chris Eardley, 28, a financial consultant for A.G. Edwards, agrees and believes the company's technology will change the way homes are built worldwide. "My home saved about 100 trees," explained Mr. Eardley. "The studs are formed from recycled steel, and the polyurethane requires less renewable resources to make than it saves in a couple weeks of heating or cooling. And the manufacturing process for these products doesn't affect the ozone layer or release dangerous compounds into the atmosphere." Mr. Donnini, who previously headed one of the nation's largest companies in the truss industry, Alpine Engineered Products, said he sees a clear trend toward innovation in the construction of homes and light commercial buildings. "Our sole focus is providing builders with solutions that help them combat today's challenging cost pressures," said Mr. Donnini. "Homebuyers and builders are battling spiraling price increases on virtually every front. Most materials, labor and land continue to escalate, so we intend to deliver products that mean better, faster built homes for less cost." The company just moved from research and development to full-scale production, according to Mr. Donnini, who added that the company will add manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida to meet demand for the company's products. Currently, the company operates an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Harlingen, Texas.
