Overmountain Vineyards, a family-operated vineyard in Polk County, NC, wanted to offer its visitors comfortable overnight accommodations. Working with some talented designers, the plan was to construct two 1,300 square foot guest houses, using insulated metal panels (IMPs) from Metl-Span for the walls and roofing.

The two-bedroom, two-bath luxury villas each offer a scenic view of the Overmountain Vineyards along with a private patio. Suitable for four guests, both villas are just five minutes from the Tryon International Equestrian center and housed members of teams from Europe during the September 2018 competition. Each is stocked with a complete inventory of household items for the kitchen and bedrooms.

Each building is constructed on a concrete slab, which serves as the interior flooring as well. The concrete, which was colored while mixing in the truck, is finished with an acrylic coating.

“The vineyards' owner, Frank Lilly, wanted the guest houses to have a modern look,” says architect Julia McIntyre of Tryon, NC. “The outside is a very minimalist look, but the inside is not. Each house front features sliding glass doors that lead to an extended patio with a view of the vineyards. The insulated metal panels have a clean look and are very low maintenance, easy to care for.

“With the insulated metal panels, you’re building with a system and we were very pleased to discover the different colors and different textures we could choose from. One couple that stayed there has already approached me about designing a mountain home for them using insulated metal panels. I don’t believe they have a lot yet, but we’ve started work on the design.”

Interior decorating features a combination of modern design as well as some antique architectural woodwork, salvaged from older buildings in the area.

McIntyre says the insulated metal panels, installed on a metal framing system from Mesco Building Solutions, helped shorten erection time and therefore, reduced construction costs.

“This was our first time installing insulated metal panels,” says Myron Yoder, owner of M. Yoder Construction Inc., Columbus, NC. “We really liked the way they went together and it didn’t take too long. We’ve done a lot of steel buildings; we build a lot of barns and do some commercial work, but if you can do steel buildings, I believe you can build with insulated metal panels.”

The roof slopes from the front of the villa to the back and extends 6 feet beyond the front wall to cover the patio area, creating more “living space.” The roof extends five feet beyond the walls in the back and on the sides. To achieve an R-value of R-34 to reduce energy costs, the Metl-Span LS-36 insulated roof panels contain a 5-inch urethane core. The exterior traditional rib panels are 26-gauge Galvalume in Sandstone, while the interior panels are 26-gauge Galvalume in Mesa Almond.

LS-36 insulated metal panels have an overlapping, through-fastened joint, allowing for installation that is quicker than other construction methods. This reduces labor costs and made the villas available for occupancy sooner.

Metl-Span’s CF-42 panels were used for the walls of the villas – 14 feet tall in the front and 8 feet tall in the back. The 26-gauge Galvalume exterior and interior panels contain a 2-1/2-inch urethane core, providing an R-value of R-19. Exterior panels are Sandstone, matching the roof. The interior panels are Almond.

Yoder says the panel handling and installation isn’t much different than constructing a steel building. “We used a lift to get the panels in place, but we didn’t need a crane or any other outlandish equipment,” he says. “It’s a very economical construction and it’s a pretty tight house.”