Patent secured for Genesis Foundation Wall System in US

The wall system is designed to be lightweight and resistant to insects, fire, water and mold. It is also strong enough to withstand pressure of up to 464 pounds per square feet.

The system consists of timber panels up to 48 feet in length and 10 feet high, built as a single, monolithic structure. Expanded polystyrene foam fills the wall between the studs, giving the wall an insulation value starting at R-30. The wall system's insulation properties and the relative ease in transporting the lightweight pre-built panels to building sites has the potential to make it as a popular choice in green structures.

Kestermont claims that the Genesis Foundation Wall System is suitable as an alternative to other materials and methods commonly used to construct foundations for residential structures. It can be used in a variety of potential applications ranging from swimming pools to drive-in freezers. He has already used the wall system at some homes in Cambria County.

The system is about 10-20% costlier than other wall systems. Kestermont says that mass production could help bring down the costs. He plans to build a manufacturing facility adjacent to his Laurel Mountain Structures - a log and timber frame home building and supplying company in Ebensburg, of which he is the president. He expects to obtain the funding of $5 million needed to build the plant by September 2010, with an expected opening in early 2011.

Kestermont said that the wall system has the potential to generate as many as 50 jobs in the region and is poised to transform how homes are built, especially in areas prone to natural disasters and extreme temperatures.

Kestermont has been seeking the patent for the wall system since 2005.