MODULAR HOME

'Modular homes' are houses that are divided into multiple modules or sections which are manufactured in a remote facility and then delivered to their intended site of use. A crane then assembles the modules into a single residential building.
Typically, modular dwellings of the US are built to local code, so dwellings built in a given manufacturing facility will have differing construction standards depending on the final destination of the modules. Steel and/or wood framing are common options for building a modular homes. Modular home designs can be customized for local zoning codes. For example, homes built for final assembly in a hurricane prone area can have additional bracing built-in to meet local building codes.
Modular components are typically constructed within a large indoor facility on assembly lines much like Henry Ford originally instituted with his automobile company. Such facilities use an assembly line track to move the modules from one workstation to the next. Independent building inspectors are on site to supervise the construction and ensure that all building codes are adhered to during assembly.
Such dwellings are often priced lower than their site-built counterparts and are typically more cost-effective to builders and consumers. These new homes can be constructed in less time then it takes to build a home "on-site".^[1] Manufacturers cite the following reasons for the typically lower cost/price of these dwellings:

★ Indoor construction. Assembly is independent of weather which increases work efficiency and avoids damaged building material.

★ Favorable pricing from suppliers. Large-scale manufacturers can effectively bargain with suppliers for discounts on materials.

★ Low waste. With the same plans being constantly built, the manufacturer has records of exactly what quantity of materials are needed for a given job. While waste from a site-built dwelling may typically fill several large dumpsters, waste from a modular dwelling generates much less waste.^[2]

Off-frame modular dwellings differ from mobile homes largely in their absence of axles or a frame, meaning that they are typically transported to their site by means of flat-bed trucks; however, some modular dwellings are built on a steel frame (on-frame modular), which can be used for transportation to the homesite. Many modular homes are of multi-level design, and are often set in place using a crane.''

Contents

Building Strength

Assembly time

Zoning considerations

Construction surfaces

Resistance to marketplace acceptance

See also

References

External links

Building Strength

According to manufacturers, modular homes are generally designed to be initially stronger than traditional homes by, for example, replacing nails with screws and adding glue to joints. This is supposed to help the modules maintain their structural integrity as they are transported on trucks to the construction site. Despite manufacturer claims that the modular home is initially built to be stronger than a traditional home, it is hard to predict the final building strength since it needs to endure transportation stresses that traditional homes never experience.
^[3]

Assembly time

The modules that will combine to form the house are assembled off-site in a factory. These modules generally take one to three months to be constructed. Then they are transported to the building site where a crane is brought in to assemble the modules together. The placement of the modules together generally takes several hours or days. Once assembled, modular buildings are essentially indistinguishable from typical site-built homes. While mobile manufactured buildings often decrease in value over time, a well-built modular should have the same longevity as its site-built counterpart, increasing in value over time.^[4]

Zoning considerations

Some US courts have ruled that zoning restrictions applicable to mobile homes do not apply to modular homes since modular homes are often assembled with a permanent foundation. Additionally, in the US, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice allow site-built homes to be used as comparators to modular homes in real estate appraisal; thus, modular homes can in some cities and counties (depending on local ordinances) be evaluated the same way as traditionally built dwellings of similar quality. Possible developments in equivalence between modular and site-built housing types for the purposes of real estate appraisals, financing and zoning may increase the sales of modular homes over time.
^[5]

Construction surfaces

Modular buildings can be assembled on top of multiple foundation surfaces, such as a crawl space, stilts (for areas that are prone to flooding), full basements or std. slab on grade. They can also be built to multi-story heights. Motels and other multi-family structures have been built using modular construction techniques. The international communities and acceptance of modular buildings up to (24) floors/stories in Asia.
Exterior wall surfaces can be finalized in the plant production process or in the case of brick/stone veneers field applications may be the builders choice. Roof systems also can be apart of - separate from - applied in the field after the basic installation is completed.

Resistance to marketplace acceptance

Some home buyers and some lending institutions resist consideration of modular homes as equivalent in value to site-built homes. While the homes themselves may be of equivalent quality, entrenched zoning regulations and psychological marketplace factors may create hurdles for buyers or builders of modular homes and should be considered as part of the decision-making process when exploring this type of home as a living and/or investment option.

See also

★ Prefabricated home

★ Manufactured housing

★ Stick-built home

References

1. Modular homes make sense
2. Modular and Green
3. Modular Building Myths
4. How Modular Homes and Manufactured Homes Differ
5. Building Codes for Modular Homes

External links

★ National Modular Housing Council - The national trade organization representing all segments of the modular housing industry.

★ Modular Building Systems Association - The national trade association representing the legislative and regulatory interests of the modular housing industry.

★ NTA, Inc. - Modular housing engineering design

★ National Association of Home Builders