Fiberglass House

There's no need to be, though. Fiberglass is stronger and lighter than conventional construction materials, and it looks just as good, too.

Jackie Cook, a homeowner and developer, is giving fiberglass a try for her own home. So far, she's impressed.

"It feels very strong," Cook says. "If you jump on the wall you can't make a dent in it."

The walls are prefabricated at American Structural Composites, Inc., where two thin orange sheets of fiberglass are fitted over a PVC frame and the middle is filled with structural foam. The walls are six feet high, four-and-a-half inches thick and can be made to any length desired.

Bruce Gratland, of American Structural Composites, says the fiberglass walls work well with other pre-made construction products.

"It accepts standard doors and windows," Gratland says. "It comes together to form a traditional structure with a unique material."

In addition to being lighter, the walls are sturdy.

"It's a very strong product," Gratland says. "We've tested the fiberglass against traditional building materials and on all tests the fiberglass is significantly stronger."

As you might expect, these lightweight interlocking walls make construction a breeze. In many cases, houses can be standing in two days.

"A lot of homes take a minimum of 90 days to complete," Gratland says. "With our technology, we're able to get the shell up in two or three days, and we'll have the house completed within 30 days."

The houses are marketed as light and strong, fire resistant and energy efficient. In addition, the houses are said to be healthier for consumers because the fiberglass produces no off-gassing. As for cost-effectiveness, most affordable-housing builders could see a 20 percent reduction in costs by using the system.

Cook says that fiberglass is the future and she feels like a pioneer. She says that her new house could go a long way in convincing people of the benefits to fiberglass housing.

"There won't be the resistance to it after people see the first house up," she says. "They'll be able to see it, touch it, smell it...and it'll look like a house."