ALBERTA, Ala. (WIAT) - It seems like an unlikely solution for an area that just suffered the loss of over 3,000 commercial and residential structures to a tornado, but at least one home has been rebuilt out of straw. Mike Morgan, the president and co-owner of Critical Response Networks, came to Tuscaloosa after working in New Orleans with an old technology he has recently begun to use to prefabricate homes. The homes are built from panels made of the waste byproduct from wheat and rice grain. Morgan says the straw is heated to 400 degrees and compressed into the dense panels.
The methods for creating the material was actually patented back in 1942. Morgan says he doesn't know why it has not been used in building many homes since that time. He claims the material has been used in larger scale buildings like concert halls and airports. Now, the first home in Alabama has been completed in the Alberta area of Tuscaloosa. Morgan has worked with Northport real estate broker Fred Glaze and home owner Thad Garner to complete the model home.
According to Glaze, the homes can be completed within 30 days, they are eco-friendly, and affordable. He believes they could be the perfect solution for an area in need of replacement housing following a disaster.
