Deborah Malone
JP Malone Construction, Scottsdale, Ariz.Alternative building systems abound, but many are relatively unknown. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is one that has emerged in the last 10 years in the United States but that has been used in Europe for more than five decades. Custom builder Deborah Malone has been using TruStone America (formerly E-Crete) AAC blocks instead of standard concrete masonry to build many of JP Malone’s homes. She says it is not only a green and sustainable product, but it also is a great sound-absorber. TruStone’s sound wall systems can achieve STC ratings of 60.
AAC’s cellular structure gives it acoustic and thermal insulating properties. The autoclave-cured material is lightweight and air-tight and can be used in interior and exterior load-bearing and non-load-bearing applications.
Malone uses the 24-inch-long blocks and finds that, compared with typical masonry blocks, “it’s a lot easier to run bond.” TruStone pre-cast building blocks can be worked easily with a band saw or hand saw to create a variety of design effects. They can be drilled, nailed, grooved, routed, shaped, sculpted, screwed into, and milled. Many interior and exterior finishes can be applied as well.
TruStone America. 877.351.4448. www.e-crete.com.
Paul Oliver
Oliver Custom Homes, Austin, TexasOn every fiber-cement-sided home he builds, custom builder Paul Oliver wants to extend the low-maintenance qualities of the home’s exterior to its trimwork. So instead of wood, he uses A.E.R.T.’s MoistureShield composite trim because, as he points out, “it doesn’t rot.” It also will not crack, split, check, or absorb moisture, according to the manufacturer.
Oliver finds that the CornerLoc tongue-and-groove boards are particularly helpful in trimming exterior corners. “They make it so that … you end up with a 6-inch-wide trim on both sides of the corner,” he says. “When you use 1×6 wood on each side, you lose ¾ inch on one side.” MoistureShield’s interlocking CornerLoc system measures the same width on each side when installed.
The manufacturer offers a variety of composite trim products, including brick mold, universal transition boards, and a 45-degree corner system. All come preprimed and ready to paint. “It doesn’t expand and contract as much as wood—doesn’t crack—so no water gets behind it to cause problems with paint blistering,” Oliver adds.
A.E.R.T. 866.729.2378. www.moistureshieldtrim.com.
