Today’s world is full of natural disasters. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods and fires have been devastating whole communities leaving many people homeless. Chile, Haiti, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S. and even Canada have been hit and are struggling to rebuild. All have reached out to the manufactured building industry with a desperate need for temporary and permanent housing and the industry has responded to the challenge.
The "Katrina Cottage I" modular home, designed by Marianne Cusato and built by Lowes for Katrina disaster victims. This is an excellent example of a small, quick to build, and affordable home.
Modular home manufacturers are being called upon to construct and deliver a great number of homes as fast as they can. In some cases, manufacturers have been solicited to open new facilities in the devastated areas and train locals on how to build modular structures in order to speed up the process. Thousands of homes have been trucked across country or shipped from one country to another to aid victims of natural disaster. Makeshift neighborhoods have been erected in ball fields and parking lots while the work of demolishing damaged buildings and reclaiming lands takes place.
Unfortunately, once the afflicted areas are prepared for habitation, traditional rebuilding is often slow and costly. Goods and services are at a premium following a natural disaster. The price of building materials and especially skilled labor skyrocket. Fortunately, the price of a modular house tends to remain relatively stable during these times. They are more affordable than a conventionally built home, even with the added cost of delivery. For some the choice comes down to having a prefabricated home to move into within a week or waiting months or longer for the construction of a stick built house. In communities where floods and earthquakes are prevalent, prefabricated housing is becoming common for an even more important reason than affordability or building speed.
An example of a larger modular home. This is a New Orleans style prefab home built by Drew Developers.
Prefabricated houses are safer than conventionally built homes. They are built stronger and with approximately 30% more material to withstand transport from the factory to the building site and to endure the stress of being lifted by crane. While houses themselves are a common cause of injury from falling debris during earthquakes or hurricanes, the tendency of modular homes to resist extreme weather means less injury for its occupants. Manufactured houses are also constructed with high quality lumber and to the highest level of building code. For example, manufactured houses are required to have smoke detectors and many even have escape windows.
The driving need for manufactured homes in the face of natural disasters is leading companies to concentrate on how technology might improve prefabricated housing. We are now seeing the emergence of “earthquake-proof” houses and homes built from floating materials. The industry is learning with each emergency and moving closer to a time when the prevalence of modular structures will be able to help mitigate some of the effects of natural disasters.
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Posted in Factory Built Homes, Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, Modular Structures, Prefab Homes.
Tagged with disaster housing, disaster recovery, Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, permanent housing, rebuilding, temporary housing.
By Home Manufactured
– September 12, 2011
One of the many modular structures you can add to your home is the prefab garage. In fact, adding a garage is a cheap and easy way to increase the value of your property. In less than a week you can expand storage space and boost the market price of your house with the purchase of a prefabricated garage.
Prefab garages vary in size, dimension, and complexity. While a two car garage is the most popular, manufactured building companies offer a wide range of options from one car to ten car models. Once you decide which model best suits your property, you can customize your garage in a number of different ways.
Modular garages can be built with or without a floor or foundation. They can have windows and service doors or none at all. The garage doors can be opened by chain drives, screw drives, belt drives or manually opened. Your prefabricated garage can include electrical wiring and insulation or neither of these things. You can choose from a variety of materials and varying levels of security. Your garage is constructed to your specifications and many modular builders will work with clients to ensure the design matches in color and style to your house.
Whether your house is factory built or constructed by traditional methods, adding a modular garage will only increase the attractiveness of your home. A garage gives you protective cover for your cars and extra space to store tools and gear. Best of all, it increases property value when the time comes to sell.
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Posted in Modular Structures, Prefab Garages.
Tagged with manufactured building, modular garages, modular structures, prefab garage, prefabricated garage.
By Home Manufactured
– September 7, 2011
Panelized homes are a form of prefabricated home. As with other factory built homes panelized homes fall under different names. Some people will refer to them as kit homes, panelized construction kit or panelized kit homes.
A Completed Panelized Home
Like all factory built homes the panelized home is built in a controlled environment. This allows for reduced costs, faster production environment, better quality control, a safer work area and a better environment that is not affected by weather. With the right company and builders the panelized home, like other prefab homes, can provide a faster, more cost effective and higher quality end product.
People sometimes confuse a modular home with a panelized home. The big difference is that a modular home is built and shipped in nearly complete sections or modules where the panelized home is typically shipped off in smaller pieces and wall sections. The size and amount of construction on the sections depends on the company producing the panelized home. Some will send off individual pieces while others build the wall frames, flooring, roof panels and other sections. Some companies provide all the external finishings and kits even include the necessary nails and caulk.
A panelized home wall being placed. Note this is an open wall system with insulation already sprayed.
A panelized house will require a lot more piecing together than a modular house. To help with the construction each factory has a coding system that is provided with the pieces shipped. This coding system allows for an organized build and can sometimes be put together in a sequential construction method. Each piece is made at the factory to fit together so this system really helps build time and to prevent confusion and waste.
One benefit of a panelized home over a modular or manufactured home is that the designs are not limited by a certain size. A modular home section and manufactured home size is limited by shipping regulations on roadways whereas a panelized home is pieced together on the job site so larger rooms can be constructed with less concern about shipping. Not being limited by module size can allow for more customized options in the new home or when adding to an old home.
If you watch the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition you will have seen them using panelized home construction. The show has worked with several factories that have provided panelized sections for the show.
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Posted in Factory Built Homes, Panelized Homes, Prefab Homes, What Is A ....
Tagged with factory built home, kit homes, manufactured home, modular home, open wall, panelized home, panelized kit, panelized kit homes, panelized sections, prefab home, prefabricated home.
By Home Manufactured
– October 26, 2010
When you’re considering buying a new or used manufactured home is the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Manufactured Housing Code all you need to concern yourself with?
Since June 15th of 1976 all U.S. built manufactured homes are built to this federal standard. Unfortunately there’s more to consider than what the HUD Code covers. As in most purchases it’s buyer beware and you need to do your due diligence.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Logo
One of the problems that arises with a HUD Code is that it was established to ensure quality at the factory level only. This quality covers structural design, electrical, fire and safety standards, energy efficiency, plumbing and more. The standard does regulate the delivery of the home but it does not cover installation. The installation site and practices are covered by the local and state rules and regulations.
The HUD Code does not involve how the home is installed at the site. The bottom line is, even if the house is built to very high standards you’re in for some potentially serious problems if the local laws are lax and the foundation isn’t up to the same level of quality or the workers install the home improperly.
So, if you are expecting the HUD Code is the be all and end all answer to the quality of your manufactured home then you need to look deeper. Before you sign any contracts
Example of a HUD Label
always do your research. Check up on the home builder and contractors. Read consumer reports, find previous clients of the companies, look into the history of these companies and see how they’ve dealt with any previous problems if any. Do the people and companies your contracting provide guarantees? If so, do they follow up on them if need be? These are all things to consider and they are all on your shoulders.
As mentioned another serious consideration is your local building codes and laws. If the codes aren’t up the standard you require talk to your contractor. A quality contractor can ensure the foundation and installation meets the highest of standards. This is paramount to your home’s structural quality and longevity and the more consideration you put into it now the better off you and your home will be for years to come.
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Posted in Factory Built Homes, Manufactured Homes, Prefab Homes.
Tagged with federal regulations, HUD code, manufactured home, regulations, state regulations.
By Home Manufactured
– September 30, 2010
With all the terminology surrounding the prefabricated homes industry it can get a bit confusing for the layman. Terms are often interchangeable and, to make matters worse, they can vary depending on the region and country.
Section of a Manufactured Home (Double Wide Trailer)
The strict definition for manufactured home in the United States is a factory built home that is built to the HUD Title 6 construction standard or the “HUD Code”. The HUD Code was implemented on June 15, 1976. The US built HUD Code standard manufactured home will include a HUD Certification Label or HUD Label found at the tail end of each transportable section. The manufactured home will also have a Data Plate somewhere inside the unit. Previous to the HUD Code a manufactured home in the US was referred to as a mobile home or a trailer.
Manufactured homes are built on a permanent chassis to make them transportable. Transporting them is done differently than other prefab homes. Manufactured homes are delivered by towing them on their own axles like a trailer would be. The chassis is typically outfitted with five or more axles depending on the size of the section. Upon reaching their final location the axles and towing tongue are removed from the house before it is placed on its foundation.
Outside of the industry and strict definitions the term manufactured home can often be heard and used interchangeably with “factory built home”, “prebuilt home” and “prefabricated home” or “prefab home”. Yet again, depending on the location some of these terms can have different meanings. What may make it easier to remember is that in their strict definitions manufactured and modular home along with panelized and precut homes are all types of factory built homes. Or to play it safe call all of them factory built homes or prefab homes and you’ll have your bases covered.
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Posted in Factory Built Homes, Manufactured Homes, Prefab Homes, What Is A ....
Tagged with factory built home, HUD code, manufactured home, mobile home, prebuilt home, prefab home.
By Home Manufactured
– August 25, 2010
Factory Built Home Facility
Factory built homes or prefab homes have potential benefits that far surpass site built homes. Following is a short summary of some of these benefits.
Build Time – One of the benefits of a factory built home is a quicker turn around time. Like any factory built product the assembly line has been designed and refined to improve build times. Beyond the efficiency of an assembly line there is also the controlled working environment. Weather is almost a non-issue and less likely to slow down the process. Further, the workspace is cleaner and easier to keep free of product and debris.
Cost – For any manufacturer costs are a major consideration. The factory setting allows for optimization of product procurement which saves on purchasing and delivery costs. The factory setting also allows for stocking of materials to prevent time delays. Production is pre-planned and more efficient which lowers production hours and saves on material waste. Labor can be more affordable and the work can be done faster due to practice. In the long run a quality factory direct home can be cheaper to maintain, heat and cool.
Environmental – With a factory home there is potential to build and maintain the home in a more environmentally friendly or green way. There are numerous factors which can have small to large effects on the environment. Some of these factors include less wood and product waste, a central location for workers to get to (car pooling, public transit) and less transportation of materials. Prefabricated homes are typically more green as well. Factory build homes can be more environmentally friendly due to improved energy efficiency.
Build Quality – A great benefit of prebuilt homes is their build quality. Modular homes for example have a strict building code that needs to be adhered to. Build quality is much easier to monitor and fix while on the assembly line. A controlled environment prevents serious weather based problems from occurring. In other words, it can mean less chance of mold, leaks, squeaks and drafts.
Accountability – One of the biggest benefits of a factory built home is accountability. Many factory homes are warrantied and you know where the builder is. Once a site built home is complete it can be tough to track down contractors. It’s a lot more difficult for a factory to pack up and walk away.
As with anything else you need to do your due diligence as a buyer. Check into the builder and ensure they are taking advantage of the factory setting. Have they produced good work in the past? Will they back up their work? Do your research before you make your choice.
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Posted in Factory Built Homes.
Tagged with factory built home, prebuilt home, prefab home, prefabricated home.
By Home Manufactured
– July 17, 2010
Let us look at some of the reasons that modular house quality is surpassing conventional building quality. While there are many factors to consider, they can be generally divided into three categories: people, place and process or who, where and how.
Who builds modular homes? The employees of modular home companies build modular homes. This means that each house is built by a team with each person specializing in a single aspect of construction. Employees work daily with one another, depend on one another’s work and therefore hold each other accountable for workmanship. The result is consistency and quality. Conventional homes are constructed by subcontractors: a workforce made up of strangers who travel from job to job. These laborers have little accountability once they’ve moved on and even less investment in the quality of the final product.
Where are modular houses built? They are constructed in a factory or, to be even more general, they are constructed indoors. This means that building materials are stored and processed in a controlled climate. It also means that laborers are able to work in a comfortable setting with little concern about the weather. By contrast, site built houses are constructed outdoors and subject to the natural elements of the local area. Materials are subject to fluctuations in temperature and humidity which can cause warping, mold and mildew. Laborers must often work in challenging conditions like extreme heat or cold which can adversely affect the quality of work done.
How are modular homes built? They are created using an assembly line process. Modular construction is standardized, supervised and inspected for quality at every stage. On the other hand, the process of building a traditional home depends on the availability of a general contractor, materials and labor. Work is often unsupervised and checked only upon completion.
In conclusion, modular houses are built better because they need to be and there are many factors that contribute to the quality of modular housing. Modules must withstand transport over long distances and be structurally strong enough to be lifted by crane. It is important to note that the quality of the house still depends on the quality of the manufacturer. Likewise, the general contractor and laborers who put the modules together on site will affect the quality of the home.
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Posted in Modular Homes.
Tagged with Modular Homes.
By Home Manufactured
– May 22, 2010
A modular home is a house that is made up of sections, or modules, that have been constructed in a factory and then transported to the building site for assembly. The modules resemble rooms or partial rooms and are generally square or rectangular in shape. They are built in a factory under controlled conditions and then encased in plastic before transport to reduce any chance of damage or wear. They are usually moved on flat bed trucks and unloaded by crane at the home site. With the help of a general contractor, and the crane, the modules are joined together and set onto a foundation. Plumbing, wiring, interior and exterior finishes are then completed.
Modern modular homes can be engineered to virtually any size and configuration. There are hundreds of floor plans available and a variety of styles to choose from. They offer the same feature, fixture and appliance options as conventionally built houses. Modular home plans can incorporate decks, porches, garages and basements but these additions are built on site rather than in the factory. Modular home construction can be used to produce simple ranch houses, luxury mansions, multi family dwellings or duplexes. Modular cabins, cottages and chalet modular homes are common types of vacation structures. Many modular home manufacturers are even willing to develop a custom design.
The production of a new modular house begins once the contract is signed and a deposit is received. Buyers can purchase through modular home dealers or directly through a modular factory. While the house is being built, the site should be prepared. Buyers should find a general contractor who is familiar with modular construction and often the manufacturer will recommend or provide one. Quality of the final product is determined by the work of both the modular builder and the general contractor.
New modular homes are built approximately 90 percent in the factory and 10 percent on site. This reduces construction time from start to finish, limits the potential for weather damage and lowers the cost of contracting. They are engineered to the same building codes, cost the same to insure, look the same and have the same resale value as traditionally built houses. For all of these reasons, modular home building is gaining in popularity and acceptance around the world.
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Posted in Modular Homes, What Is A ....
Tagged with chalet modular homes, cottages, modular cabins, Modular Homes, modular house.
By Home Manufactured
– April 18, 2010
A factory built home is a home that is built in a factory as a whole or in parts. There are four categories of factory built homes: manufactured homes, modular homes, panelized homes and precut homes. Each type of home is completed to varying degrees within the factory environment. The more work put in at the factory, the less work that is required at the building site.
Manufactured homes are constructed entirely in the factory and transported to the building site as a finished house. Modular homes are built in sections in the factory and transported separately or together to the building site. The sections, or modules, are then assembled into a finished product. Panelized homes are created from factory built panels which resemble the walls of a house. They are joined at the building site and require significantly more on-site labor than manufactured and modular housing. Precut homes are the closest to conventional site built homes and use far less factory assistance than the previously described homes. Precut homes, which include kit homes, are made of materials cut to specification at the factory and delivered to the builder. Generally, factory built homes are installed on to permanent foundations at the building site.
Factory built homes are increasingly considered to be superior in quality to traditional site built homes. Mass production of housing allows companies to purchase complex machinery and high quality lumber. The factory setting provides climate control and protection from vandalism. The assembly line process allows for consistency of workmanship and greater quality control. Factory built homes are made to withstand the potential hazards of transport. Modular homes, panelized homes and precut homes are constructed to the highest standards so as to fit into any local building codes.
Homes manufactured in a factory can be referred to as prebuilt homes, premade homes, pre-engineered homes and prefabricated homes, or prefabs for short. Mobile homes are also considered under the banner of factory built homes.
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Posted in Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, Panelized Homes, Precut Homes, What Is A ....
Tagged with factory built home, Manufactured Homes, mobile homes, Modular Homes, Panelized Homes, pre engineered homes, prebuilt home, Precut Homes, prefabricated homes, premade homes.
By Home Manufactured
– April 12, 2010
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