COVINGTON — The centerpiece of this year's 29th annual Home Products Expo is a cutaway house that can withstand hurricane-force winds.

Butch Baur (right) shows Gary Jolly how he constructed a cutaway house for the Home Products Expo, today through Sunday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Butch Baur of Baur Building Products in St. Bernard constructed the partial house, which allows Expo visitors to see exactly how the insulated concrete form (ICF) type of construction is used to build a house insulated to heat, cold and sound while retaining more structural strength than most “stick-built” homes.

        “A house built with the ARXX High Performance Way System of ICF is certified in Dade County, Fla., to withstand a 280-mph wind,” Mr. Baur said.

        “That would be the same for the tornadoes we have in this part of the country.”

        He explained that the ARXX system uses preformed plastic-foam panels that “fit together like Lego building toys.”

        They are separated with metal braces and interlaced with steel construction rods.

        Then the concrete is poured into the forms.

IF YOU GO

• What: 29th annual Home Products Expo.     • When: 4-9 p.m. today, noon-9 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.     • Where: Northern Kentucky Convention Center, 1 W. Rivercenter Blvd.     • Admission: $7; children under 10 free.

        When the walls are set, builders can put up paneling or stucco on the exterior and drywall on the interior.

        The cutaway will be available for inspection from 4 p.m. today through Sunday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, along with a variety of home products and services.

        “This is a show that we think has something for everyone who is interested in building or remodeling a home,” said Nancye McClanahan, director of special events for the Home Builders Association of Northern Kentucky, event sponsor.

        Among the exhibits filling the first floor of the convention center:

        • Cabinets and fixtures for kitchens and baths.

        • Appliances.

        • Flooring.

        • Indoor and outdoor lighting.

        • Room enclosures.

        • Residential designers and landscapers.

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