\n\t\t\t\tChang Yoon Suk sits on flat roof sample with ventilated \u201cA frame\u201d samples in background.\n(Contributed Photo)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nThree months after Soudelor, contractor, Chang Yoon Suk stands on a table and shows me the termite damage to the wooden beams in a still roofless building. \u201cDid you ever see the way the termites eat through wood? It\u2019s very beautiful,\u201d he adds, revealing his artist\u2019s eye for design, then continues our tour, and my education. \u201cA lot of people think that all the damage they see is because of the typhoon. It wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a contractor, after typhoon Soudelor, homeowners asked me to visit their homes and give them quotations. \u2018What is the problem and how can we fix it?\u2019 they ask me. When I look at the overall damage\u2014how the roof separated from the structure\u2014I realized it\u2019s actually because of the termites. The termites weaken the structure long before the typhoon.\u00a0 From what I see, if no termite damage, maybe Saipan would have 10% of the damage you see!\u201d<\/p>\n
The challenge: (What are we doing wrong?)<\/strong>
\nChang describes what typically happens here on Saipan. \u201cPeople are building their homes with low tin roofs. It\u2019s cheap and fast, but there\u2019s only about a foot and a half\u00a0 of space\u2014the height of the wooden beams\u2014between the ceiling and the roof, so there is no ventilation\u2014no air moving in between. With the sun shining most of the time, the temperature in-between gets very hot. Once the rain comes, the water sits on the flat roof making it rust. Once the tin rusts, leaks develop, and we get moisture between the ceiling and roof, and the wooden beams inside get wet. Termites are attracted to the darkness, humidity and the damp lumber…easier to eat. The termites eat the wood, loosening the connections, and now your roof is not really connected to your house any longer. With the next strong wind, it can fly away! The whole roof, not a part of it. The whole thing!\u201d<\/p>\nThe solution: (How can we fix this?)<\/strong>
\n\u201cFor me, I\u2019ve been working on this idea for quite some time, not just since the typhoon.\u00a0 I always think about how I can save energy because of high electric rates. I\u2019ve thought about solar power, but it was not practical for everybody here on Saipan, and CUC stopped the \u201cnet metering\u201d program [where customers who generate their own electricity can feed it back to the grid and receive a credit], so I had to think about other ways. I looked for materials and construction methods that were economical, easy to use, and stronger than lumber\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cNow, look at this,\u201d Chang says as he shows me his models.\u00a0 \u201cIf you build a higher \u2018A roof\u2019 like this, and create ventilation holes on the sides as well as the front [ a Gable vent], you can solve the problem. Yes, it\u2019s a little more expensive, but look at all the benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Less humidity: (What are the benefits?)<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe air flowing through the structure makes the whole house cooler. It cuts down on the humidity in the structure. Less humidity is also better for your appliances. The electronics, wires and metal parts of your appliances are all affected by the humidity. It\u2019s better for the overall structure. For concrete, when reinforcement bars inside the concrete get damp, the rusted bars expand and crack the concrete. And, for wood, it reduces the termites.\u201d<\/p>\nFast construction: (What is the best way to rebuild after a typhoon?)<\/strong>
\n\u201cOf course, the fastest is using tin with lumber,\u201d Chang replies. \u201cSo, after Soudelor, many people just rebuilt the same structures they had before. FEMA only paid for replacing the same materials, not for upgrading.\u201d<\/p>\nHowever, for those who can afford it, Chang suggests pre-fabricated [\u201cpre-fab\u201d] panels for the overall construction\u2014roofs as well as walls.\u00a0 For his projects, he uses a special design imported from Korea that reduces construction time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about this,\u201d he explains. \u201cA 20-foot by 9-foot concrete structure, made with hollow block, including plastering, takes at least three weeks [without interior\/exterior decoration]. The same structure, using pre-fab takes four days!\u00a0 Four days vs. twenty-one days.\u00a0 So, with this method, you can reduce construction cost and typhoon recovery time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Easier maintenance and repair: (How long will it last?)<\/strong>
\n\u201cIf you use steel for the structure, it lasts longer, but it\u2019s also easier to repair if there is damage. If a steel beam gets damaged, you can cut out a piece and weld in another, but if a wooden beam gets compromised, you have to replace the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cYou know, in other climates, wooden structures can last many years. The change in temperature each season from cold to hot to cold keeps the termites away. In Saipan, where it\u2019s always hot, the termites are very happy. Sometimes you\u2019re lucky if it lasts one year!\u201d<\/p>\n
Alternatives: (What if I can\u2019t afford it?)<\/strong>
\nNow, if you can\u2019t afford prefab panels or steel structure, you can still build the same \u2018A roof\u2019 structure using tin. Chang shows me his display samples\u2014reduced scale models of roofs\u2014using both the pre-fab panels as well as the tin.\u00a0 Even with tin, the Gable vent & cooling principle still work, and it\u2019s not much more expensive. [Watch video demonstrations of flat tin vs. vented prefab roof www.saipanliving.com\/specific]<\/p>\nSaipan-specific
\n(How much more will it cost me?)<\/strong>
\nLet\u2019s calculate what that actual cost might be. A 40ft x 8ft (container-sized) structure with a 2ft roof overhang all around would require (44\u2019 x 12\u2019 =) 528sq.ft of coverage for a flat roof. Using Chang\u2019s design of a 3.5ft high A-frame instead would require (44\u2019 x 7\u2019 x 2sides=) 616sq.ft. That\u2019s just 16% more tin.\u00a0 Based on how the tin is sold ($38 for a $19ft x 31in panel; Guangdon), you might even be able to cover the A frame roof for the same cost of materials, (plus labor, and a little extra for additional wood.)<\/p>\nSummary<\/strong>
\n\u201cMany countries are already using these energy-efficient systems. I\u2019m already using the pre-fab system here on Saipan. It\u2019s safe, fire-resistant, energy-efficient, faster to build and easier to repair. This makes it a perfect fit for Saipan, and not only after a typhoon, but any time in the future. Typhoon, tropical storm or hurricane\u2014we\u2019re going to have the same problem again and again because of the humidity and termites. Don\u2019t keep doing this. Don\u2019t keep repeating the mistakes of the past. Spend a little more now, and long term you spend less money on air conditioning, you live healthier, your things last longer, and you\u2019re ready for the next typhoon!\u201d<\/p>\nLater in the day, while driving along Beach Road, we pass an utt. \u201cYou see that?\u201d Chang asks. \u201cThat same high roof is how the Chamorros and Carolinians used to build their homes. Good ventilation. Very smart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walt F.J. Goodridge (Special to the Saipan Tribune)<\/strong>
\nWalt F.J. Goodridge is the creator of several websites and author of several books specifically about Saipan including Saipan Living, Doing Business on Saipan, Chicken Feathers & Garlic Skin, The Jamaican on Saipan and Saipan Now: a photo adventure.\u00a0 See them all at www.bestofsaipan.com<\/em><\/p>\nChang Yoon Suk was born in Korea, and was raised and attended elementary and high school on Saipan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Guam, a General Construction license here on Saipan, and an NCCER certificate (National Center for Construction Education and Research) from The Northern Marianas Trade Institute (2013). He is the owner of D. System Construction, founded in 2007, and recently won the bid over six other companies to work on one of the new hotels on island. His interior design work can be found in DFS Galleria, Marianas Eye Institute and other locations. Contact him at dsystemsaipan@ gmail.com. View samples of his work at www.saipanliving.com\/dsystem<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou see that?\u201d he asks, pointing to the damage to a residence adjacent his property…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":213629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[7917,62,67,50],"class_list":["post-213600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-chang-yoon-suk","tag-korea","tag-people","tag-power"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}