A company in Windsor, Calif. recently announced it has developed a structural wall system that uses a combination of bamboo-based engineered panels and metal to produce wall cavities that eliminate almost all of the studs.
According to residentialproductsonline.com, the system, named the Prime Wall System, incorporates top and bottom metal tracks with panels made from bamboo laminated with plywood veneer. The metal tracks are installed on a concrete slab or wood subfloor and are used to secure the bamboo panels in place.
According to the company, the Prime Wall System will speed framing, reduce waste, save money, and improve the thermal performance of the home. Additionally, an empty wall cavity means the installation of electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and media can be quickly completed since there aren’t any studs to drill through.
The panels are prefabricated and, by the time they reach the build site, a CNC router will have already cut out every door, window, light switch, electrical outlet, and plumbing access. Interior walls that will be painted are pre-sanded to a 180-grit finish, meaning there is no need for drywall, and if stucco, masonry, or a stone finish will be used, BamCore provides the additional wall blocking to decrease the chance of wall or ceiling deflection.
In total, the Prime Wall System manages to eliminate over 95% of floor-to-ceiling wood studs and posts.
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