Modular homes are like the hybrid car of the house-building industry. They save money, they make sense, but they haven't caught on yet. General misconceptions keep many from considering going modular, and the confusion between modular homes and manufactured (mobile) homes has led to regulations and restrictions being placed by towns that have new home builders scared into going the traditional route. But the word is getting out. It turns out modular homes are in many ways superior to stick-built homes, and, once assembled, cannot be distinguished from their traditionally built counterpart.
Affordability
Modular buildings are very affordable because of the factory construction of these buildings. They are very cost effective compared to conventional construction. These units are typically constructed in an enclosed facility, therefore weather is not a factor in the construction time line. Material delivery fees are also out of the equation because an ample amount of material will always be available at the facility, as opposed to being delivered in limited quantities to the job site, nearly eliminating construction delays, and theft of building materials from the site. 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 than it takes to build a home "on-site".
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 difficult to predict the final building strength since it needs to endure transportation stresses that traditional homes never experience. When FEMA studied the destruction wrought by Hurricane Andrew in Dade County Florida, they concluded that Modular Homes and masonry homes fared best compared to other construction. Typically, a modular home contains about 10% to 20% more lumber compared to traditional stick-built homes. This is because modules need to be transported to the job site and the additional lumber helps keep them stable.
What is a Modular Home?
What is a Modular Home Video
