Modular Homes: Built to Last
When people hear the term “modular home,” the first thing that often comes to mind is a fragile mobile home or trailer that will be blown away by the first stiff wind it encounters. The alleged lack of modular home durability undoubtedly causes some prospective home buyers to choose traditional “stick-built” homes instead.
However, high-quality modular homes can withstand heavy winds, rain and other challenging conditions just as well as, and often better, than their stick-built counterparts. And with advancements in construction technology, the durability of modular homes is no longer an issue that should prevent any prospective home buyer from experiencing their numerous benefits.
Building components in a climate-controlled factory improves quality by minimizing the impact of the elements during construction.
Quality Control and Modular Homes
A popular misconception about modular homes is that their shorter construction time results in poor quality. In reality, though, the faster building time is the product of a more efficient construction process that can actually enhance the quality of the home.
Modular homes consist of individual components (modules) that are constructed in a tightly controlled factory environment. Each phase of the construction process includes stringent quality control measures to ensure each component meets the highest standards. The typical modular construction method may consist of as many as 300 separate quality control checks — far more than what occurs with most site-built projects. Modular homes must also comply with the same state and local building codes as site-built homes.
Building components in a climate-controlled factory also improves quality by minimizing the impact of the elements during construction. With a site-built home, the building materials often are exposed to moisture, which introduces the possibility of mold. With the modular home process, the prefabricated components are transported to the site for fast assembly, which significantly reduces exposure to inclement weather.
How long do modular homes last? The combination of high-quality control standards and the efficient construction process enables modular homes to last just as long as site-built homes. One only has to view the performance of modular homes during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 for evidence of their durability. According to FEMA, modular homes withstood this devastating storm better than stick-built homes in many instances.
