Why Pre-cast is Better
House construction, typically described as class 1 & 10 buildings, in the Building Code of Australia, has not changed in the last 50 years. The typical methods of construction over this time have been mostly clad frames, masonry brick or block veneer, and full cavity masonry. Little innovation, other than pre-fabricated frames and trusses, has been adopted by the industry.
Panel Homes introduces a completely new methodology and construction type to the industry. We’ve been using it for commercial projects for over 25 years. We have developed and patented our systems because they provide superior results and efficiency and jow all of this research and innovation is available to Australian Home Owners and Investors.
Superior Buildings
A well designed Panel Homes home will easily out perform a conventional brick or brick veneer house in every aspect.
- Improved resistance to fire
- Increased design life
- Greater structural integrity against extreme weather
In a Fraction of The Time
How long it takes to get a house to lock up varies from builder to builder. Some project home builders get them up alarmingly fast considering all of the tedious work involved in conventional brick veneer construction. But no-one can match the amazing simplicity and fluidity of piecing together a pre-engineered pre-fabricated pre-cast concrete home from Panel Homes. The load-bearing building blocks of your new home are manufactured with upmost accuracy in a controlled factory and literaly bolted together on site. All the walls are erected in less than a day and lock up in 8-10 days! (in normal conditions). It saves you construction costs, fincance costs, waste removal costs and much more.
Better Thermal Insulation
Solid concrete walls provide superior thermal mass. This means that the walls regulate the fluctuation in outside temperature. Their density is greater which means it takes longer for the walls to heat up on hot days or to cool down on cold nights. In addition to that the insulative qualities of an air cavity and of tradition wall llinings such as plasterboard, are retained in pre-cast concrete construction.
Better thermal insulation, saves you money, reduces your carbon footprint and therefore saves the planet. All this for centuries because, as we have already said, “pre-cast concrete is super durable.”
Better Accoustic Insulation
This is a lifestyle benefit. Not only do solid concrete walls regulate temperature, they supress noise. When your home is your private sanctuary, and many modern building blocks offer little space between you and your neighbours, the last thing you want is to hear them talking or their TV blaring. When your home is your place of entertaining guests and of enjoying music and movies, you also want to ensure that your neighbour’s peace and quiet isn’t violated. Solid concrete peace and quiet is invaluable.
Less Construction Waste
Panel Homes work sites are tidier. This is because much of the structural manufacturing is offsite and because even that offsite process generates very little waste. There’s no cutting bricks, mixing motar, raking mortar, little to no forming up the slab, and because of this there is far less waste to remove and dump somewhere as dirty fill.
Less Embodied Energy
Embodied energy refers to the total energy cost of a building. The mining forestry and milling costs, the manufacture of building products and the onsite building processes are all considered. As we aim to live sustainably, home owners need to consider what damage was done to our environment in order to build our homes. The smaller this is the better. Panel Homes’ unique pre-cast conctrete construction system is a responsible choice.
Termite Proof Structural Walls
There is no point putting a lot of money into a beautiful new home and leaving it vulnerable to termites. There are several reasons why pre-cast Panel Homes are more immune to termite attacks. The most important one is that the pre-cast concrete walls are the load bearing walls in a Panel Home. They hold the roof up and Termites will never eat them. It might seem strange, but in a brick veneer building, it isn’t the bricks that hold the roof up, it’s the timber frame instead. That’s right, they use the least durable product to do the most important job. Now why would you want to do that?
No Rising Damp
Rising damp is a major issue for many Australian home owners. Bricks are very porous. They absorb water like a sponge, so where they are exposed to moisture, they draw that moisture in to the wall cavity. This results is rotting frames, increased termite risk, and health risks such as mould. Concrete is far less porous and does not exibit this tendency. One more reason to build a better way.