Hello, greystatefan-ga!
I have found a good list of sites for you with information about
pre-fabricated houses so that you can begin to make an informed
decision. I have stayed away from modular (trailer) homes. Please be
aware that premanufactured log homes are something to consider as
well, with a lot of different designs to choose from.
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From "Panelized Homes."
http://sc.loghomeforums.com/panelized_home.htm
Panelized homes are factory-built homes in which panels - whole walls
with windows, doors, wiring, and outside siding - are transported to
the site and assembled. Panels are made from insulating foam
sandwiched between two layers of structural material. The panels are
lightweight and might already be filled with insulation when they
arrive on the site. The homes must meet the state or local building
codes of where they are sited.
Advantages:
Panelized homes are built by skilled carpenters, plumbers, and
electricians in an ideal work environment, enhanced by
state-of-the-art equipment. This results in a speedier building
process, higher precision, customization and design flexibility, and
reduction of building materials to be exposed to the elements. Walls
can be erected quickly, usually within hours, compared with about two
weeks for traditional stick framing. The combination of these factors
results in faster on-site completion than stick-built method.
Another advantage in using any of the degrees of panelization, is that
builders have all the components for a new home delivered to the site
on truckloads, which eliminates having to order long list of
materials, store and keep inventory of numerous deliveries from number
of suppliers. The time required for ordering, storing and securing the
materials is greatly reduced. Cleanup time and waste-hauling is also
substantially reduced. Additionally, the quality and suitability of
materials and design of the home is assured in easily controlled
environment at the factory before work on the home has begun.
The panelized construction method helps builders to avoid the
scenarios, where they are forced by fast-paced schedules to accept and
use inferior materials or workmanship. Those that have made the switch
report that this method reduces a builder's liability, overhead and
the amount paid to workers' compensation insurance.
Disadvantages:
This method is about 10 percent more expensive than stick building.
The builder needs to be well versed in the process to assure that
panels fit together precisely.
Suitability:
Panelized houses are suitable to virtually any environment (rural,
suburban, and urban) and any climate. The zoning codes do not restrict
homes built by panelized building techniques to selected areas as it
is many times the case in respect of manufactured buildings.
This energy-efficient, long-lasting solution is frequently used for
walls and roofs used in timberframed houses. SIP panels allow for
little or no air movement through them, creating a very tight house.
The walls are about 6 inches thick and the roof panels about 10,
creating desired insulating value for the house.
(Read complete article for further information !)
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The following is excerpted from:
"Manufactured Housing: An alternative housing choice," by Jim Martin.
Prime Life Styles.
http://www.goerie.com/primelifestyles/manufactured_housing__an_alter.html
The advantages of prefabricated houses, as seen by older adults:
Low Maintenance
A long appreciated feature of apartment and condo living is the aspect
of maintenance-free living. While today's manufactured homes cannot
be considered maintenance free, the upkeep they require is quite
minimal. With features like vinyl siding and vinyl-clad windows and
doors, the days of the annual spring painting and patching are a thing
of the past.
Value
Manufactured homes are typically priced at about half the cost of a
conventional home. Production technology combined with a controlled
environment and bulk buying power keep costs low for the consumer.
Computer design and modern name-brand building products help ensure a
product comparable to, if not stronger than, a conventionally built
home.
Design
"Out" is the plain old box - "In" are hundreds of custom floorplans
and designs. Many manufacturers even offer buyers the ability to
design their own home or copy a floorplan they may have seen.
Regardless of the floorplan, most homes offer choice amenities like
vaulted ceilings, central air-conditioning, jacuzzi tubs, walk-in
closets and oversized showers.
Downsizing
After the kids have left the nest, many older adults are left with a
home that is too large and impractical for their daily needs and
lifestyle. The open, single-story floorplans of today's manufactured
home offer owners the ability to live, clean and entertain in their
homes with ease.
Excitement
Building a new home in a new location spurs the imagination and
engages one in a project that excites the senses. Most older adults
find that they truly enjoy such a project when they take their time
and enjoy the process of picking colors, carpets, wallpapers,
furnishings and landscaping to fulfill a life-long dream of having a
new home in a special place.
Efficiency
The construction and efficiency of today's manufactured homes is
excellent. Utility costs can often be cut to a mere fraction what
they are in conventional homes. Combine the energy savings with lower
maintenance costs (and often lower taxes) and it's not hard to see why
so many mature adults are turning toward manufactured homes as their
retirement home of choice.
======
From "New Homes." Hometime Discussion Forum.
http://www.hometime.com/projects/forum/archives/bldgadds/newhomes.htm
Prefabricated homes
I would like to build a prefabricated house - not modular - and would
like to find a list of manufactures that specialize in pre-fab homes.
I would like to fina a manufacturer that has a plant in the North
Carolina area. Is there aa association of pre-fab housing
manufacturers, or does someone know of a few in this area?
Prefabricated homes
There is a group called the Manufactured Housing Assoc. but I don't
know where they are headquartered. Try 800 info. Also, there is a
magazine called Automated Builder published in Carpenteria California
(suburb of Santa Barbara, CA). Don Carlson is the publisher and is
very helpful when it comes to promoting manufactured housing. If you
talk to Don, tell him Steve Bate says HI.
Prefabricated homes
Not sure what you mean by pre-fab home. I'm pretty sure you aren't
speaking of manufactured homes (mobile homes to most people). I am
aware of two types of pre-fab homes. The first being panelized homes.
These consist of pre-constructed wall panels which are place on the
foundation you install. The roof and interior finish are completed on
site in the normal manner. The other type of pre-fab is about 95%
factory complete. It comes in sections and is placed on the foundation
you install on your site. These resemble "double-wide" homes but
differ in that they are constructed to normal building code standards
rather than to HUD standards as mobile homes are. I can give you the
name of two companies near me that supply these types of packages.
They are in Martinsville, Virignia. If you are in NC then you must be
a NASCAR fan and you know where Martinsville is. Otherwise it is about
50 miles north of Greensboro jsut across the VA/NC line. The first
company, American Standard Building Systems, provides the panelized
packages. The other is Nationwide Homes and they build the full
pre-fab units. Sorry I don't have an address but you should be able to
get a number from the operator. Hope this helps.
Home Construction versus Modular
Modular building makes it very easy to complete the project for the
homeowner that wants to be the General Contractor on the job. A
modular home has to meet all the building codes that a "stick-built"
home does. This isn't the case with a manufactured home or mobile
home. When a modular home arrives on site, 90% of the project is
completed and the sub-contractors only have to deal with connections
for plumbing & electrical. But shop around, there are numerous modular
plants throughout the country and some products they produce vary
greatly in quality of construction. Pay particular attention to their
interior finishing. Some companies will not sell direct and only work
through a dealer network. I'm a new home builder that utilizes both
modular and "panelized or systems built" homes. I live in Wisconsin
and we prefer to build panelized style during warmer weather and shift
to modular once the weather gets cold. Modular style is more expensive
for me to build, but it is probably 4 weeks faster to completion. A
modular home can be finished in as little as two weeks from the date
it sets on the foundation. Drop me a note if you need more input and
good luck with your project!
Home Construction versus Modular
JUJU- i am in the same situation as you are. We have a piece of family
land and want to build a home. We went the conventional route and had
plans made up and put it out for bids. We were very dicouraged with
the response. When we went to look at modular homes the prices came in
almost 25% less. You have less choice as far a floor plans but they
offer a wide variety and we found one very similiar to our custom
plans. You do need to be careful in that most modular dealers leave a
lot of the interior finishing out or use the lowest quality finishes
or cabinets, fixtures,etc. available; you may need to upgrade carpets,
paint yourself(they may only prime the walls) you will most likely ned
to add septic,well, utility trenches,upgrade underground level
waterproofing,get a separate subcontractor for porches etc.. we found
however that even with the additional costs we still saved quite a
bit. from everything I have learned, modular homes are built as well
and are even stronger in most cases(because of the bracing needed to
transport them) We are strongly considering this as our solution to
the financial burden of a custom home.
=========================
Here is the website for Automated Builder Magazine:
http://www.automatedbuilder.com/
Manufactured Housing Association of Michigan
http://www.michhome.org/
"MMHA is a nonprofit trade association representing the manufactured
housing industry in Michigan. We work to improve the image of
manufactured housing by educating consumers, media and government
about the quality, affordability, design and beauty of the homes. We
also work to protect the interests of the industry and the owners of
manufactured homes.
====
Some excerpts from:
"Fabrication nation," by Mehban Chowdery. Housebuilder UK.
http://www.house-builder.co.uk/may2001/may01fabricationnation.html
There is a real sense across the housebuilding industry that the time
may have arrived for new factory built homes. Both private and public
sectors are looking more closely at the pros and cons of taking site
processes to the more controlled and cleaner factory environment.
The advantages offered by the various forms of factory built housing
are too significant to be ignored in light of the chronic shortage of
skilled labour, relatively low levels of productivity, lack of product
quality and delivery of service and hazardous working conditions.
Ultimately site labour costs and overheads may be up to 300% more than
the factory equivalent. There is also the greener drive for housing
and all other buildings to become more sustainable and use less non
renewable resources, pointedly up to 13 million tonnes of prime
materials delivered to site may be going to waste each year.
But adopting off-site fabrication must be kept in perspective - it is
not the miracle cure for these ailments and should be viewed in the
much wider context of Egan's call for a shift towards greater
innovation in procurement, design and construction and to engage in
continuous improvement.
Volume
More affordable mass produced factory housing may be seen as a long
term win-win situation but early experience is showing demonstration
projects are generally struggling to meet their anticipated targets
for reductions in capital costs. Whilst much of this may be due to the
early learning curve, the fragmented nature of the housing market is
not allowing leading manufacturers to generate economies of scale nor
providing the assurance of business continuity.
Confidence
Public perception is an unknown quantity. Although most home buyers
will not be able to tell the difference between a factory manufactured
and a traditionally constructed home, will the haunting experiences of
the 70s and 80s of prefabricated housing continue to have an impact on
consumer attitude? Could these perceptions therefore affect future
market penetration?
(Read article for some examples of Prefab home choice - Steel, Timber,
Concrete, Rapid insitu concret & timber)
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Read "A Community Guide to Factory-Built Housing." US Dept. of Housing
and Urban Development.
http://www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/factbuilt_1.pdf
This 28-page article provides an excellent overview of Pre-fabricated
housing, different types, cost comparisons and savings, benefits and
drawbacks of prefab.
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Some questions and answers about prefabrication from the EZ Homes Kit
site!
http://www.ezlogkits.com/faqs.htm
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Additional Reading:
"Prefabricated Wall Systems and the North American Home Building
Industry," by Avi Friedman & Vince Cammalleri.School of Architecture,
McGill University
http://ww2.mcgill.ca/homes/research/article_prefabwall.htm
Bibliography: Affordable Housing
http://chud.tamu.edu/files/bibaffor.html
(Most of these articles will have to be found offline!)
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I hope this information will provide you with a good start toward
making some decisions. If you need futher clarification, please ask
*before* rating this answer. I will help as best I can!
umiat-ga
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