|
This is by no means an
exhaustive list of what's available in the area of
prefabricated homes and buildings. This article is to
introduce you to the world prefab. If you're in the
industry, you'll probably be cringing about now at the
word "prefab". But, the word is one that has
become synonymous with homes and buildings that have been
partially or fully assembled in a factory setting. I for
one am excited to see the latest versions of modern
prefabs emerging globally. They're well thought out,
beautiful, and energy-efficient.
And to anyone who has any
doubts about the quality of today's prefab homes, I'd ask,
would you rather buy a house whose parts have all been
crafted outdoors exposed to the elements -- by hand. Or,
would you rather buy a house built in a factory setting to
tight specs exceeding that of site-built homes. I say
exceeding, because a normal site-built home doesn't have
to endure the rigors of transportation.
For your review, here are
quick descriptions of 10 of the many categories of prefab
homes available for exploring at http://PrefabExpo.com
- in no particular order:
1. Manufactured
Single-family residential
dwellings consisting of one, two or more sectional units
and constructed to Federal HUD code. Zoning regulations
and ordinances of the local Municipality or County might
not permit use of mobile and manufactured homes in all
areas of their jurisdiction.
2. Modular
Modular refers to a method
of building a home, rather than a type of home. A modular
home can be built in a factory from a stock modular home
plan or from a customized plan, to the state, local or
regional codes of where the home will be set up. Modular
homes have not typically experienced the zoning
restrictions and discriminative ordinances applicable to
manufactured and mobile homes.
3. Panelized
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.
4. Steel-frame
Steel framing is an
equivalent to conventional stick frame or post & beam
home design where the structural lumber is replaced by
steel studs and trusses or steel posts and beams.
Light-Gauge Framing System features screw-together,
galvanized stud-and-truss, grid-type construction system
built on 4-foot center.Red-Iron Metal Post & Beam
Systems features bolt-together, pre-engineered
post-and-beam-type framing system that uses the red-iron
steel "C" beams on 8-foot center. The
prefabricated home built with this method can be
single-story, two-story, and even tri-level home. Unlike
conventional wood framed home that requires interior walls
to support the roof, the higher strength-to-weight ratio
of steel house allows to span greater distances with less
material and fewer supports. The result is higher floor
layout and interior design flexibility.
Unlike wood, steel won't
shrink, rot, warp, buckle, split, or be attacked by
insects. This results in greater durability, lower
long-term maintenance, higher energy efficiency and
overall greater quality of this prefabricated home.
5. Precut
This category includes
wood-framed factory-built houses or cabins where building
materials are factory-cut to design specifications and
transported to the site to be assembled. PrefabExpo.com
presents prefab building kits designed as wood-framed
(also known as balloon-frame, 2 x 4, 2 x 6 or stick-built
construction) as well as prefabricated home kit / cabin
kit using post-frame method. The homes or cabins must meet
local or state building codes of the area where they will
be sited.
6. Cedar
According to Katahdin Cedar
Log Homes, cedar is aromatic to people, and problematic to
insects: The heartwood of northern white cedar produces
organic compounds called thujaplicins – which create
that fresh, pleasant cedar aroma. But to insect pests,
such as moths and termites, cedar just plain stinks.
They’ll avoid cedar homes and instead search out
inviting, tasty pine structures.
Cedar home kits include
everything you need to build the home, itself. That is to
say, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the windows and
doors. But your foundation, plumbing and electrical system
are not usually included in a kit.
7. Timberframe
Timber framing is a
specific type of post and beam construction in which a
frame is created from solid wood timbers that are then
connected by any one of the following wooden joints:
mortise and tenon, dovetails, or scarfs secured with
hardwood pegs. The frame is covered with any one of a
number of enclosure systems. Normally the timbers remain
exposed to the interior of the building.
Timber frame structures
exhibit a strength and aesthetic quality not found in
conventionally framed houses. The timbers are pre-cut,
shaped, and finished at the factory, then sent to the
construction site, where they can be quickly assembled by
a crew, routinely using cranes to lift the bents and beams
into place. The use of quality wood, enhanced by joinery
that compares with fine cabinet making, maximizes the
strength of the timberframe structure. Joinery is the
heart of the entire structure.
8. Log
Log homes provide their
owners with a comforting and relaxing sense of informality
and simplicity. The mass of logs produces heating and
cooling benefits, and reduces noise transmission into and
throughout the home. These are very attractive
characteristics, but there are also challenges in
construction and limitations in decorating. These aspects
require special design considerations and have unusual
maintenance requirements. Basic Kits Are...
WALLS ONLY: The walls-only
log home package includes all the logs for the outside
walls, including fasteners. Roof beams and staircases may
be added.
STRUCTURAL SHELL: Shell
This package includes everything that's in the walls-only
package, plus all components necessary to keep the weather
out, such as exterior doors, windows, and the roofing
system.
THE COMPLETE PACKAGE:
Complete packages also includes interior components
required to finish log homes. Such items include interior
walls, stairs, closets, interior doors and trim.
9. Circular
The circle is the strongest
geometrical shape we recognize, and this factor likely
influenced builders of circular homes for thousands of
years. Prefabricated circular buildings have been built as
cabins, studios, homes, offices or community halls and
convention centers. Most of today's prefabricated circular
homes and cabins offered across the country use
conventional wood-frame or post & beam construction
method. These homes and cabins are ideally suited to take
the full advantage of locations offering exciting
panoramic views, and to incorporate factor of the
surroundings into the home design.
10. Dome
Geodesic Dome is using
triangular networks forming hexagons and pentagons and
creating a free-span, spacious environment of spherically
shaped structure requiring no internal supports. This
results in large flexibility for utilizing interior space
to implement floor designs not limited by structural
restrictions. Because of the structural strength of the
shape, the domes have a far better record of withstanding
tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes than cube-shaped
structures of conventional homes. Advantages...
MATERIAL COSTS: Geodesic
domes provide the greatest amount of floor area with the
least amount of surface area, reducing the quantity of
needed building material by as much as 30-50%.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: As a
result of the shape, the dome has approximately 30-50%
less roof and wall area than cube-shaped home of equal
floor space. This results in lesser area being exposed to
the elements, resulting in reduction in heating and
cooling costs of dome shaped structures. Also, the
spherical shape of the dome facilitates natural air flow
yielding more even temperatures maximizing overall
interior temperature comfort.
Disadvantages...
As a result of complicated
angles, the interior and exterior finishing of the dome
(after speedy assembly of the prefabricated shell) is
significantly more labor intensive than finishing the
conventional house. Also, the finishing work requires
highly skilled or specialized tradesmen which might not be
available at every location. These factors might present
welcoming challenge for skilled handyman - homebuilder,
but would create substantial cost outlay if the hired
labor is considered.
|
About
The Author
This
piece was originally submitted by Diane
Takahashi,who can be reached at prefabexpo@yahoo.com,
or visited on the web. Diane is co-creator
of http://PrefabExpo.com
a subscription-based online database of
prefabricated homes, cabins and buildings
and their vendors. |
|
|
