By Emma Bowen Meyer, For The Herald Bulletin
FRANKTON — With absolutely no fear of a tornado whipping through town and demolishing their walls, Rod and Janine Compton are completely safe in their new home built with a process known as interlocking ioncrete forms.
Winds up to 200 miles per hour cannot disturb these walls, as they are 11 inches of solid concrete, void of weaker material, such as mortar, linking blocks together.
“My friend Don Knotts (of Don Knotts Construction) built one of these for his sister and I went out and watched,” said Rod. “It was just fascinating.”
Styrofoam blocks reinforced with metal plates and wiring are locked together like giant Lego pieces. Once the walls are in place, concrete is poured down the center hollow section, creating strong walls without weak links.
“When people hear about it, they think we live in some kind of block-looking house,” added Rod. “But you cover that Styrofoam with drywall or brick or whatever you want and you can’t tell the difference.”
Truly, you can’t. The home is lovely, with both brick and vinyl siding covering the outside and smooth painted drywall finishing the inside.
But the Comptons have found they enjoy much more than the security of the structure. Added benefits are noticed regularly — such as the cost of the utility bill.
Peace, affordability
Rod reported that he spends less money heating and cooling this home than his previous one, which was considerably smaller in square footage.
Janine enjoys the peace and quiet. Although they are located in the heart of downtown Frankton (exactly where they wished to be), they are able to shut out the noises anytime they like. Even if a siren screams by, they barely hear it.
Using Interlocking Concrete Forms construction did not even hamper the style and design of the home. Rod had always wanted to build his own home and the timing was perfect in the fall of 2006. Working as a machinist only two days a week at Terronics Development Corporation afforded him the extra time to research exactly what he wanted and even be a part of the building process.
“Whenever you buy a house, there are always some things you wish were different,” said the Guide retiree. “We have learned what we want in a house over the years. It was important for us to have the open kitchen and family area.”
A porch to wave from
The space is striking. With the kitchen, eating area and family room in one large area, the beautiful kitchen countertops and cabinets become an attractive decoration to the living space. The cook is not relegated to a separate room apart from the activity of the family or company and the heart of the home does not get cramped as people seek out refreshments.
The only downside to such an open arrangement is the extra pressure to keep the kitchen tidy and clean — a task that is clearly not a problem for Janine.
“I wanted wider hallways, too,” she added, pointing to the entryway. “I don’t like it when people are coming in or leaving and they all get crowded in a little hallway. Wider hallways just give more space to move around.”
Another must-have for Rod was a walk-out basement. Not only does this feature allow for plenty of light to stream into the basement, but adds a pleasant view to the main level. A screened-in back porch makes visitors feel as if they are on the second story without having to climb stairs.
The most important feature, however, was the front porch. The lot’s location on the grounds of the old high school was a draw because they wanted to be in the center of Frankton.
“You’ve got to have a front porch if you’re going to live in town,” Janine said. “You want to wave at your neighbors. I remember sitting on my front porch in Lapel when I was growing up. Those are good memories.”
She pointed out how she enjoys being able to walk to church, the post office and Lions Club meetings — not to mention the front row seats for the Heritage Days Parade. The couple is never short of friends on their front porch during the big town celebration.
Sometimes entering business relationships with friends can be straining, but the Comptons only found their friendship with Don Knotts to grow deeper.
“We enjoyed the building process,” said Janine. “It was a pleasant experience for us. We knew most of the people that worked on the house and even had a big wrap-up party when it was finished.”
“They even let me help out as much as I could,” added Rod, clearly happy to get his own hands into the project. “They said they had a good time, too, and that it was hard to leave when they were done.”
Each week, Emma Bowen Meyer features a Madison County home. If you know of a home that should be showcased, send an e-mail to emmagoldiemeyer @yahoo.com.
