More Than A Chip Off The Ol’ Block Energy-Efficient Faswall Helps Home Stand Test Of Time

Designing a “dream house” is easy.

Building one is the tough part.

That’s because most people who set out to achieve their dream want more space and features than they can afford. And they’re too preoccupied with what the next owners might think to allow their personal priorities and imagination free rein.

Jerry and Judy Chittick are different.

When they decided to replace the worn-out cabin on their Lake Pend Oreille property, they didn’t ask architect Bruce Millard for a bargain-basement palace.

Instead, they wanted a healthy, energy-efficient, low-maintenance house, handsomely detailed but modest in size - two small bedrooms, two baths, plus a large living area.

And resale wasn’t an issue.

“We wanted a house that will stand the test of time,” Jerry says, “so when we get done with it, our girls can have it, and their children can have it after them.”

The Chitticks picked the right architect.

Millard, a pony-tailed product of the hippie ‘60s and the passive-solar ‘70s, preaches that houses should be small, energy-efficient, built to last and, above all, healthy. (Don’t get him started on the shortcomings of carpet: “Petrochemicals … glues … mold … dust mites!”)

When Millard arrived in Sandpoint a decade ago, his sermon was a hard sell. “Back then,” he recalls, “people’s attitude was, ‘What do we need more insulation for? We’ll just burn another four cords of wood.’ Then the Good Cents energy program came along and really changed things.”

Jerry, who sits on the board of Northern Lights Electrical Cooperative, already knew about energy efficiency. He also knew about something called “tight-house syndrome,” an unhealthy condition that occurs when energy-efficient houses are inadequately ventilated, trapping harmful gases - by-products of synthetic building materials.

Early in the planning stage, Jerry was intrigued by a building material Millard had at his office. Called “Faswall,” it’s similar to concrete block but lighter, more insulative, easier to work with (it cuts with carpentry tools) and made from wood waste mixed 9-to-1 with cement.

The block, popular in Europe for decades but only recently available here, comes in 1-, 2- and 3-foot lengths, and goes up quickly. Several rows are stacked without mortar. Then horizontal and vertical cavities in the block are filled with steel rod and concrete, forming a gridwork that can withstand earthquakes, fire, decay and heavy loads.

Foam inserts placed inside the block before concrete is added give the 12-inch walls an insulation value of R-25. (The building code requires only R-19.) The finished wall readily accepts nails, screws and stucco.

Sandpoint builder Brent Lockwood says he and partner Norm Sommerfeld were pleased with the convenience of Faswall, and impressed with the Chittick home’s strength.

(Another characteristic of the block, though, could prove a mixed blessing to some customers. Its thermal mass discourages rapid temperature swings in a house. That’s good if you live there full time, but inconvenient when trying to quickly warm up a chilly weekend cottage.)

Millard, a devoted recycler, likes the fact that Faswall makes use of sawdust, shipping pallets and other wood waste.

“As a designer, unless I specify recycled products and encourage their use, then recycling doesn’t do much good,” he says. “We all need to buy back what’s been recycled.”

And the Chitticks praise another virtue of Faswall: It “breathes.” Tiny pores in the block allow fresh outside air to slowly replace stale interior air.

Their indoor air already will be safer to breathe, thanks to choices the Chitticks made during the planning stage. Besides installing a mechanical air-to-air heat exchanger to ventilate the 1,600-square-foot house, the Chitticks selected non-toxic paints, stains and adhesives, natural flooring and formaldehyde-free cabinets.

Building a healthy, energy-efficient house wasn’t cheap. The Faswall blocks alone added an extra $4,000 to the bottom line, and top-grade windows, siding, fixtures, built-in furniture and other amenities combined to push the square-foot cost to about $116 - perhaps 20 percent more than a conventional custom home.

But true to form, the Chitticks aren’t grousing about the quality-of-life premium they paid.

“You wouldn’t build a house like this if you wanted to live in it a few years and sell it,” acknowledges Jerry, “because I don’t think you’d get your money out of it.

“But this house is healthy, quiet, bug-free, easy to maintain, and it will still be here in a couple of hundred years.

“In fact,” he jokes, “it might be the only house on the lake still standing.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 Color Photos

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HOME REAPS BENEFITS OF INNOVATIVE MATERIALS Jerry and Judy Chittick’s new home uses innovative building materials and design features to enhance indoor air quality, reduce maintenance and energy costs, and help ensure the house will be around for future generations to enjoy. Some of those features include: Wall blocks made of recycled wood and cement, then reinforced with steel rods and concrete. The wall is stronger than typical wood-frame construction, quieter, more fire- and pest-resistant, and it “breathes,” allowing fresh outdoor air to slowly replace stale indoor air. The wall’s thermal mass and higher insulation (R-25 vs. building code’s R-19) make the house easier to heat in winter, cool in summer. Low-maintenance exterior finishes include a cement-composite siding, and a faux lumber deck material made of recycled plastic bags and sawdust. Interior finishes include nontoxic paints and stains, natural flooring and formaldehyde-free cabinets. A mechanical ventilation system uses heat from interior air to warm fresh air from outside. Most wiring kept below the floor to reduce occupants’ exposure to electromagnetic fields.