Tuesday, Mar 8 2011 10:32AM
The creator of a do-it-yourself house building kit said it could be used to construct homes in rural Alaska
An Alaskan man has developed a do-it-yourself housing construction kit that he believes can be used to build affordable homes in rural communities, among other purposes, reported the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.
Meadlow Lakes resident Dan Brown, the founder of Nuchek Structures, told the newspaper his $18,000 cabin kit allows people to easily construct a timber-frame structure. The buildings can be assembled and then hauled to their final location, Brown said, and contain pre-insulated wall panels so builders don't have to deal with confusing installation.
"Any knucklehead with a wrench can tighten it up, square up a building, put the panels on it," Brown said.
Brown told the source the structures can also provide housing assistance in work camps and disaster relief sites. Plus, since they are comparatively easy to build, rural villages could hire local residents to construct them instead of bringing in high-priced contractors and engineers, reported the paper.
As the Last Frontier State, Alaska contains many rural populations that are in need of higher-quality affordable housing. In an effort to assist them, the state's Housing and Community Facilities Programs provides loans and grants for housing in outlying regions.