For those who suffered through the recent tornadoes, Arkansas’ own Reata Homes has a fast and affordable solution to their critical housing needs.
In reference to the recent tornado that devastated the communities of Vilonia and Mayflower, Dr. David Prevatt, associate professor of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida, said, “Bottom line, we either build houses stronger and more energy efficient or communities accept the fact that a certain number of homes in nature’s path will be blown away and people killed in every moderately strong tornado for the foreseeable future.”
With that in mind, Reata homes stand out above the rest.
In recent wind tests, the steel-reinforced expanded polystyrene (known as EPS in the business), used to build Reata Homes, withstood winds of 170-plus mph. That makes Reata stronger, more storm damage resistant, than the conventionally built house.
Reata company owner Ronnie Minnick said,
“It’s what’s inside our homes that sets us apart. The Reata home is a technologically advanced building system that uses EPS Polystyrene. Adding to its strength, the Reata Home builders use steel straps to secure the home to a concrete foundation, and steel I beams for greater structural support and maximum integrity.
“Our construction system has been tested and is able to withstand winds up to 170 mph,” Minnick said.
The Reata Homes’ eight-inch thick exterior wall EPS panels have an insulation R-value of 32, and its rating can be increased to R-40 with a few external applications. The home’s 10-inch thick roof has a rating of R-40—more than twice the insulation value of a conventional house.
“Think of EPS as insulation on steroids. Our homes earn a five-star energy rating and that means the Reata homeowner saves money from the very first day,” Minnick said. The Reata home could be considered “America’s Most Energy Efficient Home,” with heating and cooling costs 50 to 70 percent less than a conventional house the same size. The average utility bill in Arkansas is roughly $200 per month, while in the Reata home, the tested average is about $75 per month—a substantial savings for families living paycheck-to-paycheck.
Unfortunately, utility costs are predicted to double over the next three-to-five years, making energy-efficient construction even more of an imperative. Utility savings could help offset higher insurance costs for people in the area, and EPS is also termite, mold, mildew, and fire resistant.
“The Reata home may very well be the leader in a new era of residential building for the American family,” Minnick said.
Perhaps best of all, because Reata Homes’ walls and roofing are custom-cut by home improvement contractors with computer precision at Concrete & Foam Structures in Monticello, specially-trained Reata contractors can build a home—designed by the future homeowner to any style or size—often in just a few months.
Minnick said, “Compared to the time it takes to build a traditional home, we cut the wait time by half or more, and the custom cut allows the contractor to build a sturdier, tighter, more energy efficient home more quickly.”
For more information, call Ronnie Minnick at Reata at 1-800-404-2547 or go to: www.reatafoundation.org.
