January 7, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DALLAS, TX - The Copper Development Association is exhibiting showcasing the many benefits of copper plumbing and architectural products at in a manufactured house on the floor of the Dallas Convention Center during the International Builders' Show from January 15-18, 1999.
The house, called the LifeStages Home (booth #4333), was built by Fleetwood Homes of Riverside, California, to demonstrate the potential of manufactured housing and how it can be targeted to the growing active-adult home-buying market. The house is designed to accommodate families with bounceback children as easily as those in which one spouse requires nursing care. Low-maintenance building products were specified with the special needs of mature homeowners in mind. Partners associated with this project include CDA, Builder Magazine, MASCO Corporation and Devereaux & Associates.
On the exterior of the 2,600-square-foot LifeStages Home, copper is used for roof flashing, gutters and downspouts. Copper flashing offers beauty, low maintenance and a long service life. And, unlike most other flashing materials, copper never needs to be replaced, even during re-roofing. For gutters and downspouts, copper has a better appearance than galvanized steel or aluminum, and it won't deteriorate as fast.
"We used copper because it's a quality material that provides a quality look," says Sandy Fennell, senior designer of Devereaux & Associates. "We also used copper to break down the bias that quality materials don't belong in manufactured housing."
Inside the home, a custom-made copper-laminate counter top, built by Copper Sales/Una-clad of Anoka, MN, and a custom-made copper range hood, built by Copper Craft of Dallas, TX, are among the most exciting attractions in the gracious kitchen. Both the copper-laminate counter top and range hood can withstand the damaging environments of the kitchen and maintain their great looks.
Copper is also used for water and gas distribution in the LifeStages Home. Among its many benefits for water distribution, copper tube for plumbing is impermeable and biostatic. Contaminants cannot penetrate it, and it actually inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Copper tube is also rigid and won't sag over long runs and requires fewer supports. Most of all, it can handle extreme conditions.
The advantages of copper tube for gas are its flexibility, its ability to be bent to tight radii, resistance to corrosion, easy joining and its availability in long lengths. These characteristics lead to an easier, cleaner, less-time-consuming installation and significantly lower installation installed costs when compared to either black steel or corrugated stainless steel tubing.
"By participating with the LifeStages Home, we hope to show the public that copper is both helpful and useful in more ways than is typically known," says Andrew Kireta, Sr., CDA vice president for tube, pipe and fittings. "The added exposure at the show will reinforce the message that copper offers many benefits to builders and homebuyers alike."
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