Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Modular Home Construction

Modular Home Construction

Modular construction has significant design flexibility and can offer the same beauty and charm of traditional homes.

Modular homes are constructed in a climate-controlled factory and then transported to a designated building site. Homes built with modular construction must adhere to all local building codes, which ensure that all homes are built to last while meeting and often exceeding these codes.

Buyers appreciate the many advantages that modular construction provides to homeowners. These include benefits such as greater energy efficiency, building strength, speed of construction, and building flexibility. Other benefits of a custom prefab home include reduced construction waste and impact on the environment. The disruption to the construction site is minimal, which translates to fewer cleanups after the home is in place.

The current industry trend in modular construction is to meet new Energy Star guidelines on modular homes from the production stage to assembly. This is achieved by using extra sealing components and insulation materials. The overall strength of a custom prefab home is considerably better than an on-site built home, which makes it a good fit for areas where strong storms are the norm.

A modular home can be custom built to the buyer’s specifications or can be chosen from pre-designed standard models and even then, each house is carefully built with the home buyer in mind. These attractive houses are the modern way to begin home ownership or upgrade an existing home. Home buyers can see all the advantages that a custom modular home has to offer by contacting a modular home builder.


Click here for more information on Prefabricated Home Solutions.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Multi-Family Modular Homes

Multi-Family Modular Homes

Although modular homes have been around for decades, contemporary multi-family projects are relatively new. In the past, emergency housing and relocating developments were the only major category of multi-family housing that incorporated modular construction. However, a new niche in the residential housing industry is emerging: the design and construction of multi-family living spaces that are prefabricated.

Modular construction takes place in a climate-controlled factory setting, ensuring the time frame for completion is shortened by 40 percent. Concerns over the building season and slowdowns due to inclement weather are reduced.

Duplexes and 4-plexes are a real space saver when it comes to purchasing land. These units are carefully designed to maximize floor space while at the same time achieving a desired interior layout. Much like a 4-plex condo, a prefabricated multi-family residential structure makes the most out of the allotted square footage.

Design and construction of this type of residential structure can be completed as a turnkey operation. The contractor/builder can handle everything from site work and landscaping to the layout and completion of parking areas, driveways, and utility connections.

Contemporary designs include exteriors covered in fine-quality paneling or shake, faux stone, and even brick. Many of the multi-family prefabricated designs now available have numerous options for interior decorating such as natural stone flooring, double-strength storm windows, and custom fireplaces.

Modular construction is well geared toward energy efficiency, and this is seen in the modern heating and air conditioning systems, the programmable HVAC units, and the weather-resistant paint and stains used on the exterior. All this is possible on a shortened construction time frame, something that is very appealing to both the builder and the end-user.


Special multi-family modular residential units can be designed specifically for projects in remote areas. A sudden boom in a particular industry - such as oil or natural gas- can make great use of the fast construction of livable units for families being relocated for job purposes. The ability to construct beautiful, energy-efficient multi-family residential structures quickly and efficiently makes modular construction a great option for any housing need.

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Housing Solutions.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Top 7 Reasons to Choose a Modular Home

Top 7 Reasons to Choose a Modular Home
Modular homes are becoming increasingly popular and have many benefits that make them worth buying over a traditionally built home.
1. Flexibility
Modular homes can be built to be easily expanded, reused, or relocated. More often than not, you can request additional features while the home is still at the factory.
2. Quality Control
On-site homes are exposed to rain and other factors that can damage them during construction. Since modular homes are built off-site, they can be protected from the outdoor elements during construction.
3. Inspections
Normal homes will only have a couple of inspections before the house has been verified to be sold to the buyer. With modular construction, an off-site home is checked over 300 times throughout the construction process before being sold and delivered.
4. Built Strong
Prefab homes have to be built strong so that the homes survive being transported to its final site. The modular builders achieve this by using screws instead of nails and also using glue for a tighter bond between the homes structural parts.
5. Energy Efficient
Modular homes can be designed and created to be energy efficient. Builders often make use of better insulated walls, windows and high efficiency utilities.
6. Less Waste
Building a home produces a TON of extra waste. In fact, the average on-site home produces up to four tons, or 8,000 pounds, worth of waste throughout the project. Manufactured homes produce just a fraction of that amount.

7. Fast Completion
Bad weather and many other factors can cause a delay in building time for on-site homes. Manufactured homes are built in a climate controlled factory, reducing delays due to poor weather conditions. The homes are also pre-engineered to be assembled quickly at the factory helping reduce overall construction time.

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Home Solutions.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Why Choose Modular for your Home Construction?

New home production has experienced a transformation within the last few years with the upsurge in modular home construction. Modular homes consist of all the features and amenities of a traditionally built home but can be constructed in a fraction of the time.

Energy efficiency and the shortened construction period are two of the many advantages of building a prefab home. Built indoors in a climate-controlled factory setting, new homes can be constructed on a schedule without any delays due to poor weather conditions. While the home is being constructed, the site is set up with the foundation and primary grading. The modular home is then brought to the site, where internal and external finishes are installed and utilities are hooked up. This synchronized timetable allows for faster occupancy and less impact on the sites surrounding area.

Although modular homes take a shorter period of time to construct, they are made from quality materials. Being that the building is transported to the prepared location after completion, the quality of the construction has to be strong enough to be transported and survive outdoor elements. With building standards and codes put in place for all types of construction, all modular buildings are constructed to meet or exceed these standards and codes.
Manufactured homes can be fitted with energy efficient light fittings, programmable HVAC units, day illumination, carpet or tiles, and an assortment of inner and outer paint selections; making a modular home just as customizable than a traditionally built home.

One ought to think about a modular solution when considering a new home construction. Efficient, environmentally friendly, and highly customizable, a modular home makes a great choice for any new home buyer.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Solving the Housing Shortage in North Dakota with Modular Housing

The recent oil boom in North Dakota has given rise to many job opportunities, and in turn, a great need for workforce housing.

The oil-rush in the Bakken region has left the area with a shortage of suitable housing. Many companies are turning to prefabricated homes to help North Dakota provide housing to their workforce during the oil extraction process.

Modular homes in North Dakota are an even more attractive solution for workers moving to the area as winter approaches because modular housing can be constructed quickly. Most of the construction takes place off-site in climate-controlled factories reducing the potential for delays due to poor weather.

Besides reduced construction times, prefab homes offer residents the interior and exterior design options that traditionally constructed homes do. They can offer enough bedrooms to house a family, a dining room and many of the other luxuries that most home owners would want in their home. Modular homes can be built as a permanent or temporary housing solution depending on the need.

Modular construction provides the best solution for solving the housing shortage in North Dakota, ensuring the oil-boom in the region remains supported by a properly housed workforce.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Concept houses showcase French design pioneers and modern-day Miami designers

A view of the Charlotte Perriand cabana recreated at the Raleigh. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/06/3800047/concept-houses-showcase-french.html#storylink=cpy
Since their start decades ago as architectural laboratories, concept houses have been venues for exploring new ways of living, building and designing — think of modular construction, open floor plans and “green” building — or simply for dreaming.

In tandem with such Utopian-tinged experiments, a more commercial permutation of the concept house has evolved — as a showcase for furnishings, housewares, fixtures and the design professionals who put them together.

Thanks to Art Basel, Miami Beach, we’re getting a glimpse at formidable, if distinct, examples of each.

The first is the installation, 80 years after its conception, of a simple yet refined prefab cabana by the groundbreaking French Modernist furniture designer and architect Charlotte Perriand.

In the unlikely setting of a seagrape grove behind the Raleigh Hotel in South Beach, Perriand’s elegant, practical design — it won a magazine prize in 1934 but was not built in her lifetime — has been exquisitely realized by French fashion house Louis Vuitton for Art Basel’s companion fair, Design Miami.

Inside the Design Miami tent adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center is a second, rustic prefab house, this one by French design legend Jean Prouvé, with whom Perriand collaborated on furniture designs. In use for 50 years, the Prouvé house was purchased, dismantled and then reassembled after minimal renovation by a French design gallery.

Both prefab houses are for sale to collectors, who increasingly covet such architectural artifacts of mid-20th century design.

Across the Beach on Sunset Island II, Elle Decor magazine has unveiled its Modern Life Concept House — a spare, contemporary waterfront spec manse that has been brought to pulsing life by eight interior designers and garden designer Fernando Wong. Five of the designers, including Wong, are based in Miami, and a sixth splits his time between Miami Beach and New York City.

Though not as consequential as the Perriand or Prouvé designs, the Elle Decor house does make the point that in the hands of skilled designers, the interiors of the houses on steroids popping up along the Beach waterfront can strike a lighthearted but still elegant balance between sterile minimalism and gaudy excess. (Miami designer Sam Robin makes the focal point of the black-and-white living room a near life-size black horse with a black lampshade protruding from its head.)
The living room designed by Sam Robin for the Elle Decor house. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/06/3800047/concept-houses-showcase-french.html#storylink=cpy

Proceeds from the $35 admission fee, plus a $15,000 donation from the magazine, go to the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Perriand’s “La maison au bord de l’eau” — “the house at the edge of the water” — is a couple’s cocoon that manages to be both airy and cozy. At 1,076 square feet, the six-room structure is smaller than a double-wide and sleeps two comfortably, but could accommodate up to six vacationers, said French historian and author Jacques Barsac, who is married to Perriand’s daughter, Pernette Perriand-Barsac.

The couple worked closely with Vuitton, which used the designer’s pared-down aesthetic as inspiration for its upcoming women’s collection, to flesh out and build Perriand’s blueprint. Meant to be easily dismantled and moved, it was among the first prefab houses intended for mass production. Designed to capture rainwater for domestic use and tread lightly on the ground, the house was also an early stab at eco-friendly design.





(2013 December 06) Concept houses showcase French design pioneers and modern-day Miami designers. Retrieved on December 10, 2013 From MiamiHarold.com

Friday, December 6, 2013

What are Prefabricated Homes?

What are Prefabricated Homes?
Prefabricated homes are constructed differently from traditional homes. These homes are created in sections within a factory and then assembled on site. These types of houses are sometimes also referred to as modular homes.

Construction

Prefabricated homes are constructed on an assembly line in a climate-controlled factory. Each module is constructed individually and has its own basic blueprint. Each module is fully constructed before it is shipped to the construction site. Once the foundation is complete, the modules arrive on-site and are assembled on the foundation. After each module is in place, the wiring and plumbing are connected inside and out of the building. Lastly, the finishing work begins on both the interior and exterior of the building and decorative accents and landscaping are added.

Safety

A main concern people have about modular homes is the safety and durability of the structure. Although these homes are built quickly, there is no sacrifice in quality. These prefabricated homes are constructed in a factory by highly trained specialized workers and meet or exceed building codes and standards.

Time

There are many benefits to having a prefabricated home. The most popular benefit is the shortened construction timeline. Building one a modular home takes a fraction of the time a traditional home takes to build. Some people are able to have their prefabricated home in about three months compared to a traditional home that can take anywhere from six months to one year.


Contact us today for more information on our Prefabricated Home Solutions.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Modular Student Housing is now Greener, Faster, and Smarter

Modular Student Housing

The innovative way of modular construction, has been steadily gaining popularity in different business sectors in the past decades. Specifically, an increasing number of higher education institutions have discovered the multiple advantages of modular buildings. Campuses are now able to add the needed classrooms and student housing in a fast and efficient way.

For instance, the construction of modular dorms allows colleges to complete construction about 40 percent faster than traditional construction because a majority of the building process is off-site in a climate controlled factory. Compared with traditional on-site construction methods, the modular process produces less waste and more repurposed material in less time by using higher quality materials.

Modular construction can be used to build structures that meet leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) requirements as well as local codes. With this building process, campuses gain energy efficient units that they can easily take apart and reused according to their changing needs. In repetitive projects, such as building dorms or campus apartments, the off-site construction makes it possible to reduce production time and increase efficiency. In fact, using modular units is a smart way to capitalize on space-saver designs by utilizing multilevel buildings.

With all things considered, modular student housing provides colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions with an opportunity to start capitalizing on their infrastructural investment within a short period of time. These modular structures are energy efficient, innovative in functionality, environmentally friendly, suitable for all climates, and can be designed and implemented to fit all campus styles from classical to contemporary.

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Student Housing Solutions.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

North Dakota - Fastest Growing Housing Market in the U.S.

Fastest Growing Housing Market in the U.S.

With the economy booming in North Dakota, there is an extremely low unemployment rate due to the plenty of oil fields. The increase of employment has resulted in a housing shortage and workers often have difficulty finding a place to live.

As a result, housing construction is a booming industry in the North DakotaBakken region.

Construction companies are having an issue keeping up with the growing demand for more homes and the inclement weather. Not only is it difficult to pour concrete or start projects in the winter, it is also difficult to ship supplies or have a construction crew work in cold conditions.

With modular construction, prefabricated homes are built in a climate-controlled factory off-site, ensuring high quality construction while protecting materials and workers from the outdoor elements. This allows modular homes in North Dakota to be built 40 percent faster than traditionally built homes.

Although prefabricated homes are built quickly, there is no sacrifice in quality. Building codes and standards are often met and exceeded. This allows modular homes to withstand the transportation to the site but also the harsh weather in North Dakota.

As North Dakota grows, local politicians and business leaders will need to worry about the influx of people and the lack of affordable Bakken housing. Without a doubt, the problem is not going to disappear; fortunately, with modular housing, one may enjoy a modern and updated home with all the amenities and benefits of a typical house in record time.

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Home Solutions in the North Dakota Baken region.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Would You Live in a Hexagonal House?


The geometry of a house is an architectural puzzle that can be solved any number of ways. But apart from occasional experiments like the bubble house, most people still live in some version of a box.


UK-based designer Barry Jackson has come up with an innovative new concept in housing inspired by the elegant structure of honeycomb. HIVEHAUS is a modular hexagonal living space composed of six-sided self-contained 100-square-foot modules that can be combined in a variety of ways to suit individual needs. The units are transportable by flatpack, easy to assemble with 2-3 people, and stand on adjustable legs to accommodate uneven ground.



Originally designed to be a garden room that could be erected without planning permission, the concept grew into a flexible housing concept that allows users to add on modules in a variety of combinations to create a bespoke product. "I see the whole concept as DIY architecture allowing individuals to configure and build their own unique structures based on a selection of uniformly sized components," Jackson wrote in an email, "a little like a child's construction kit."



Starting with a single bedroom cell, the design becomes a hive once you add on a bathroom cell, a kitchen cell or a living room cell. Baby on the way? Just add another module and the hive expands to meet your changing lifestyle. The simple, clever design means that the uniformity of the building components reduce cost while the range of options for configuration and finishes makes each hive unique.



Each module has a circular skylight and includes options like hexagonal decks, various window configurations and interior partition walls with or without pocket doors, plus innovative features like a clever fold-out kitchenette designed in collaboration with Michael Culshaw that smartly conforms to the shape of the room.





"We wanted to create a fully functioning kitchen that followed the lines of the HIVEHAUS cell but which would also allow the user to have a stylish uncluttered multi-functional space when not in use," Jackson told me. "We are currently in the process of creating additional multi-functional furniture designs with the same aesthetic to complement the HIVEHAUS—such as the three-legged hexagonal table which can also be seen in the photos."


The units start at around $15,900 but the cost of single cells is reduced as the hive expands, since individual wall units are reused and shared. Made from a lightweight steel frame and timber panels, HIVEHAUS can accommodate a range of plumbing, heating and electrical options, from underfloor heating to wood-burning stoves, air conditioning and off-grid options like solar panels, rainwater harvesting and composting toilets.


The HIVEHAUS can also be used as a garden shed, a detached home office, gym, yoga studio or guest cottage. And its portable, lightweight flatpack design means it can be adapted for use as a pop up shop or market stall.


The idea of a hexagonal house isn't new, as this video from 1964 demonstrates. But it seems like the affordable hexagonal housing concept might be getting ready to have its 21st-century moment. A prototype for another hexagonal housing concept for affordable temporary housing for displaced victims, Hexi-House, is being developed for release in 2014. And Dezeen recently featured an add-on hexagonal living room on a Tokyo residence.


Source: Kristin Hohenadel. (2013, November 13). Would You Live in a Hexagonal House? [Web log]. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://www.slate.com

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Modular Home Survived Sandy

Photo credit: Resolution: 4 Architecture-Bronx Box

New York City-based Resolution: 4 Architecture has built over 60 custom modular homes, saying, “Rather than invent a new manufacturing process, our research focused on existing commercial methods of residential prefabrication.” Their only boundaries being the laws governing transfer of the modules along state roads and the abilities of the factories where they are built, the firm has come up with some unique designs. 

As treehugger.com informs MHProNews, their homes are built for a specific client and site, and quite beyond affordable housing. However, their Bronx Box, built on stilts in accordance with the flood line set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survived Hurricane Sandy with residents intact inside the home, while neighboring homes were devastated and destroyed. 

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Home Solutions.

Source: Daily Business News. Modular Home Survived Sandy [Web log post]. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from 
http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/blogs/daily-business-news/modular-home-survived-sandy/

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Modular North Dakota Homes - Solving the Housing Shortage

Solving the Housing Shortage
Modular North Dakota Homes
As Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Although he was not writing about the oilfield boom in North Dakota, the same can be said for oilfield workers and their employers when it comes to the housing shortage in North Dakota. As oil extraction projects continue to grow and companies continue to hire more staff, the housing and infrastructure in the region is a primary concern.

North Dakota has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Jobs are plentiful due to the thriving oil and gas business in the Bakken shale area. However, the North Dakota housing demand continues to be extremely high. The growing population in this area makes modular homes a perfect housing solution.

Having adequate housing in North Dakota is crucial because of the extreme climate during the winter time. With several months of freezing temperatures there is a much smaller window for the construction of homes in North Dakota and throughout the Bakken region. Site built homes simply take too long and are not the most viable option for meeting the extraordinary demand for housing. Modular construction is a fast and reliable option that is not greatly impacted by weather. Because the majority of construction takes place off-site in a climate controlled factory, projects are completed up to 40% faster with little to no delays caused by weather.

Modular housing provides a safe, sturdy alternative to traditionally built housing in North Dakota. It provides families with an attractive home constructed with many of the same features of a site built home. Today, many modular homes feature granite counter tops, upgraded cabinetry and hardwood floors. Modular homes are a great housing solution for both companies looking to house their employees and families that have relocated to this booming region.

Contact us today for more information on Modular Housing Solutions in North Dakota.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Future of Residential Construction Being Built in a Factory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Forest City Ratner's plant is cranking out pre-fabricated modules that will be snapped together to create the first building at Atlantic Yards.


 

Forest City Ratner gives the Daily News a tour of the modular factory where the new Atlantic Yards high rises are being built. 

The corner of Dean St. and Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn is actually being built two miles away. 

In a building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Forest City Ratner is creating the building blocks for the tallest pre-fabricated residence in the world, the 322-foot tower whose frame is already rising next to the Barclays Center.

Forest City Ratner is building its pre-fabricated apartment units in a factory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The finished units will be trucked over to the Atlantic Yards site and assembled there.

JEFF BACHNER FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Forest City Ratner is building its pre-fabricated apartment units in a factory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The finished units will be trucked over to the Atlantic Yards site and assembled there.

“We really think this will change everything about the way we build,” said Bob Sanna, executive vice-president for construction at Forest City Ratner. 

Sanna is not the only one who thinks modular construction is a game-changer, thanks to 25% savings over traditional construction methods, greater speed and efficiency, and even better conditions for workers.

The modules are built indoors in an assembly-line fashion.

JEFF BACHNER FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The modules are built indoors in an assembly-line fashion. 


“The safety is huge,” said Gerardo Santiago, a laborer from Williamsburg. “We’re not on top of each other, 20 stories in the air.”

Once the exterior skin is added, the building (right, with its proposed siblings towering over the Barclays Center) will look like many modern skyscrapers.

SHOP ARCHITECTS

Once the exterior skin is added, the building (right, with its proposed siblings towering over the Barclays Center) will look like many modern skyscrapers. 


And the building goes up faster because work at the construction site and the factory happen at the same time. There are no weather delays, and the finished modules simply get trucked over to the building as needed. 

“It really speeds up the process,” Sanna said. “The carpenter’s never waiting around for the electrician to do his job. They’re always working.”

A worker moves a modular frame at the Brooklyn Navy Yard site.

JEFF BACHNER FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A worker moves a modular frame at the Brooklyn Navy Yard site. 


Ratner’s company is earning kudos as a modular pioneer as it quickly finishes its first Atlantic Yards building.

When finished, the pre-fab apartments won’t look very different from traditionally built units.

SHOP ARCHITECTS/FCRC

When finished, the pre-fab apartments won’t look very different from traditionally built units. 

“A lot of projects that would otherwise be unfeasible or too expensive could now get built,” said Jerilyn Perine, executive director of the Citizens Housing and Planning Commission. 

And yet for all the innovation, the modular factory looks like any other construction site, with welders, carpenters and drywall workers building apartments as they might outdoors — except their 930 modules will end up being configured into 363 units, from studios to three-bedroom, depending on how many modules are fused. 

“This is the future,” said Dominic Hackshaw, a foreman from Rockland County. “I wanted to get in on the ground floor.” 

Contact us today for more information on Modular Building Solutions.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Tips For Decorating Your New Modular Home

Tips For Decorating Your New Modular Home
Tips For Decorating Your New Modular Home

Decorating your new modular home is an exciting opportunity. Interior design is all about expressing what is important to you and what interests you. These design tips will help you decorate your home creating a beautiful, comfortable living space.


Come Up With A Plan



Creating a plan before you start decorating your modular home is imperative to get the best results. If you want to paint and arrange furniture a certain way, take measurements and get your layout figured out first. This will provide you with plenty of opportunity to decorate the way you want.


Don't Buy Extra-Large Furniture



If your modular home is on the smaller side, it’s important to stay away from large, bulky furniture. Extra-Large furniture is going to make your space seem smaller and more cramped. You want to decorate your modular home to scale so that your couches and chairs don't overwhelm the space.


Consider Space Saving Furniture



Space saving furniture will help you organize and decorate in a way that will allow your belongings to comfortably fit in your new home. Multi-purpose furniture is an excellent way to do this. Consider an ottoman that has storage inside or a couch that folds out into a bed.


Paint The Walls Properly



Properly painting the walls of your home will ensure that the paint job lasts for years to come. You don't want a poor job to make your home look old over the years. Priming and painting with the appropriate tools is important for getting your home to look as lovely as possible. Conclusion Decorating your new modular home is a fantastic way to express your creativity. It's easy enough to create a layout and start decorating before you move in or shortly after. Whatever you choose should express your individual interests or your family as a whole.

Contact us today for more information on Modular Home Solutions.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Comparing Residential Style and Entry Level Manufactured Homes

prefab homes
Manufactured homes come in a wide variety of shapes, styles and sizes that start from 400 square feet and ranging up to thousands of finished square feet. Many of these styles can been seen from our weekly featured homes photo gallery. Let’s over-simplify and say that manufactured homes come in two broad categories – entry level and residential style homes, and then let’s take a look at a brief description of both.

First, ALL manufactured homes have to meet tough federal safety and construction standards – known as the HUD Code for manufactured housing – that preempt all local building codes. Insurance, government and other research has demonstrated that modern manufactured homes are safer against fires, lower cost to build or maintain and have lower energy usage that similar sized/configurations of conventionally ‘on site’ constructed homes. This holds true for entry level as well as residential style manufactured homes.

That said, what are the differences between these two styles of manufactured homes?

Entry level homes may use ‘fit and finish’ items that are less expensive than their residential style manufactured home counterparts.


residential modular housing

One of many residential styles of manufactured homes
9′ Ceilings – Crown Molding – Custom Merrillat CabinetryTwo Story “Cape Cod” style

For example, just as some ‘entry level’ site-builders may use wrapped (MDF) cabinetry, so too may producers of entry level manufactured homes. Entry level manufactured homes may have:


  • 84” or 90” sidewalls. When built in this fashion, these often have a ‘cathedral’ or peak ceiling to give the feel and look of more space.
  • Less expensive windows or doors (while still meeting all safety and energy standards).
  • VOG (vinyl over gypsum) interior walls with batten strips vs. fully finished drywall.


VOG walls and batten strips can be seen on some of the featured model homes, including this one linked here. You can find advantages to almost everything, and the advantages of VOG walls with batten strips include (but are not limited to) the following:


  • easy cleaning (these walls can cleanup with a cleaner like 409 and a sponge), because it has a wall paper like vinyl covering.
  • No need to paint (but can be painted if desired).
  • Lower cost (roughly $2500 to $4000 (+/-) less expensive than fully finished drywall models).
  • When you have less conditioned space to heat and cool, the result can be lower utility bills.


Most manufacturers today offer an ‘upgrade’ from VOG to finished drywall as an option.

Simply, Amazing!
modular housing
prefab homes
A well established, award winning retailer in Pataskala, Ohio provided the photos of this single sectional manufactured home that is approximately 1165 square feet. This 3 bedroom 2 full bath home features:


  • built-in entertainment center living room cabinetry
  • galley style kitchen
  • separate dining area off kitchen
  • easy clean, VOG walls
  • energy saver package
  • kitchen appliances and much more.


Installed on a home site with central air conditioning, this model sells in the mid-to upper 30s. That works out to be less than $35 per square foot for a permanent home with full warranties and ready to live in! Simply, amazing!

Comparing…Just Imagine…

With a short term (15 year) loan with good credit at current rates on a home site leased for around $320 monthly, you could live in a home like the one shown in the photos above for about $650 a month, principle and interest (insurance or other escrows can make this higher). That makes it considerably lower in cost than most new, rented 2 or 3 bedroom apartments in nearby Columbus, which may go for $900 to $1200 a month.


Obviously, someone could also place this home on a purchased site, so the ‘land lease’ manufactured home community option shared above – while popular in many areas – is one of a variety of siting options available for a home buyer.

Are single sectionals all entry level?

While some think that all single-section manufactured homes ‘must be’ entry level, this is not true!

You can see more photos of a single section, residential style manufactured home in our featured home photo gallery here, and this video is of a single section (“single wide”) residential style manufactured home.



Modern manufactured homes can be:
  • ranch style
  • multi-level (Cape Code, two story, etc.)
  • installed over a full basement
  • can include a garage, carport, etc.

As the popular video report linked here demonstrates, a manufactured home rivals conventional construction in durability, even in severe weather. So durability, safety, energy savings aren't sacrificed when you, family or friends invest in a modern manufactured home.

As more and more people discover and realize the incredible value, durability, safety, energy and costs savings that modern manufactured homes offer, this will fuel the already rising demand for America’s quality, appealing and affordable factory-built homes.

Contact us today for more information on our Modular Building Solutions.

Source: MH Living News. Comparing Residential Style and Entry Level Manufactured Homes [Web log post]. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Dramatic Video of a Manufactured Home Hit by a Tornado and High Winds





















This three and a half minute video should be an eye opener for millions of Americans.





As you can see in the raw footage, commentary and text in the video above, this manufactured home was first hit by a tornado and then was subjected to high sustained winds for over half an hour. We captured the best parts of that raw footage for the video above. This is dramatic visual evidence of just how structurally strong a manufactured home is when it is properly installed.

You’ll actually see two factory built homes that were hit in the video above.

The contrast that follows is not apples to apples, But the video below is example of how a conventionally constructed site-built house is destroyed by a tornado in just seconds.






The Des Moines Register posted this video above of a conventional house blown apart by a strong tornado (estimated at an EF5). An ATM surveillance camera at the First State Bank in Parkersburg, Iowa, captured this raw video footage of the house across, as it was hit and destroyed in under 30 seconds.

Please share this video webpage with others. The link for this page is:

http://www.MHLivingNews.com/articles/31-dramatic-video-of-a-manufactured-home-hit-by-a-tornado-and-high-winds

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Monday, September 30, 2013

The Green Benefits of Modular Construction

Green Benefits of Modular Construction
Green Modular Home
These days, most consumers understand the importance of sustainability. They look for products and materials that are good for the environment and choose them accordingly. This dynamic even comes into play when they are shopping for real estate, or thinking of building a new home or commercial structure. 

Modular construction doesn't refer to any particular architectural style, but rather an efficient construction process. Most traditional buildings are built on-site, but modular building uses prefabricated pieces made and assembled offsite in a factory environment. The prefabricated parts are assembled, transported and installed on the construction site nearly complete,reducing the amount of on-site construction and environmental impact. Modular buildings offers a number of benefits to the environment and can be considered a green technology. 

In addition, prefabricated construction reduces waste. In the U.S., the construction industry is responsible for about 40% of overall energy use and 40% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

Experts say that as much as 30 percent of the materials used for on-site construction are wasted and go into a landfill. That amounts to more than 130 million tons of waste per year. However, modular construction uses well-engineered components built in controlled factory environments, where waste can easily be minimized. Even more, factory-built components can be designed for maximum efficiency by expert designers. Materials or entire modular buildings can be reused and re-purposed.

The construction process is more energy efficient with modular technology. The parts are built in a factory and can be shipped to the site all at once. That is more efficient than the typical conventional construction site that has to make multiple runs for materials. Since modular building means that most of the work is done in the factory, the on-site assembly goes very fast with modular construction, vastly reducing the time of completion and ensuring deadlines are met. That means fewer trips to the site by construction workers and less energy consumed.

The overall indoor air quality of the final building can be better with modular construction. Outdoor moisture can impact wood frames during conventional construction processes. The moisture ends up being trapped inside the walls, leading to air quality problems.

Modular buildings can be disassembled, moved and reassembled. They can be recombined, recycled and re-purposed. Buildings made on site are not nearly as flexible or recyclable. Considering modular building’s greater efficiency, reduced waste and recyclability, it makes good sense to choose green modular construction over conventional methods.

New Home Buyer? Choose A Modular Home

new modular homes
New Modular Homes

New home construction has seen a revolution within the past few years with the increase in modular home design. In the past, modular housing was most commonly used for disaster areas and emergency response. However the modular home of today includes all the beauty of a traditional home with a shorter construction timeline. 




Why Modular? 

Custom designs are available to the home buyer. Energy efficiency and the speed at which it can be built are also part of the benefits of selecting modular homes. Built in a climate-controlled factory environment, new homes can be built regardless of outdoor weather conditions. As the home is being built, the site is prepared with the foundation and initial grading. The home is then transported to the chosen site, where interior and exterior finishes are applied and utilities are connected. This concurrent schedule allows for earlier occupancy and less impact on the environment. 


A Cost Effective Solution 

Because construction and site preparation can be done simultaneously, modular home construction saves time. All modular homes are designed to meet or exceed building and construction codes. Green materials or products can be built into the new home for improved energy efficiency. Time is saved as well as dollars, allowing the new home buyer to experience the construction of a custom new home without any construction delays. Single story homes as well as multi-story homes are all possible and can include custom finishes. 


Designs Options 

Offering the same beauty and charm of traditional homes, modular construction has significant design flexibility. Modular homes can include energy efficient light fixtures, programmable HVAC units, day lighting, carpet or tile and a variety of interior and exterior paint options- to name a few. 

One should consider a modular solution when exploring the choices in new home construction. Cost effective, green and design-friendly, a modular home is an ideal solution for the new home buyer.


Contact us today for more information on Modular Medical Clinic Solutions.