CONTRARY TO THE MYTHS ABOUT MODULAR HOMES SPOKEN PRIMARILY BY THOSE WHO WISH THE MYTHS WERE TRUE:
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES HAVE SUPERIOR QUALITY.
Regardless
of whether we're talking about factory-built, panelized or modular homes,
in-plant construction quality is invariably superior to what can be done
on a job site. Parts cut with a hand saw or a hand-held power circular
saw at a job site cannot possibly be as precise as those cut with a $10,000
radial arm saw or $100,000 component cutter in a factory. Factory fastening
methods are also demonstrably superior because they use pneumatic tools,
which drive fasteners to precise depths - no under-driving and no shiners.
What's more, factory inspections cover every construction detail from
floor framing to final paint, and trained factory inspectors or independent
third party inspectors perform more than one-dozen unannounced inspections
per house. The best that can be hoped for at a job site is three or four
announced inspections. These days, with so much construction going on,
local inspectors don't always have time to get there.
FACTORY-BUILT
MATERIALS ARE THE BEST.
The
quality modular home manufacturer does not use green lumber and protects
all building materials from the weather; otherwise, materials would be
too warped or bent to fit into their precise jigs for wall panels or trusses.
In many on-site building locations either green lumber is still used or
building materials are not protected from the weather; as a result, for
decades the ultimate homeowner inherits problems after the building is
finished.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES ARE STRONGER THAN STICK BUILT HOMES.
The
modular unit uses the strongest of all construction methods based on the
2x6 platform framing system. Traditionally, modular units are over-built
so they can be hauled on wheels over roads to get to the site and so that
a crane can lift them off the wheels and place them on a foundation. Only
modular construction is sturdy enough to withstand such forces which are
the equivalent to that of a healthy earthquake.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES ARE EASIER TO FINANCE.
Factory-built
homes are very easy to finance because they have a positive track record.
When the homeowner wants, for instance, the Acme Plan 3A from a factory
with some variations, chances are the local banker has seen it before
and knows the value. Bankers also like the idea that factory-built homes
are well insulated which means the ultimate buyer won't go broke paying
utility bills. Bankers also like the simplicity of the construction process
compared to on-site construction.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES ARE QUICKER TO BUILD.
From
the time you place your order, even when the factory is hopping busy,
you can get a two-module home delivered to your site in eight weeks or
less and you can move into it within a few more weeks. From the time you
place your order, the average site built home takes six to nine months
to complete.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES APPRECIATE IN VALUE THE SAME AS STICK BUILT HOMES.
Other
things being equal (primarily location), factory-built homes appreciate
in value in lock step with site-built homes.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES ARE SAFER THAN SITE-BUILT HOMES.
Modular
construction technology of glue-nailed sheathing and decking with redundant
framing members makes a modular home a safe place to hang your hat if
you live in earthquake or tornado country. Modular homes are built to
survive nature's onslaught. The frame work of todays modular homes matches
or exceeds site-built homes or panelized units because modular homes are
engineered for safe use in each of the specific geographic region where
they are sold. Modular homes may be the safest on the market because of
the federal laws requiring smoke detectors, escape windows and incombustible
materials around furnaces and kitchen ranges. Many site-built homes are
constructed in areas where not even smoke detectors are required by local
law.
FACTORY
BUILT HOMES LAST AS LONG AS ANY OTHER TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION.
There
are endless examples of factory-built homes that have been in continuous
service for 50, 60 and 70 years. One example: the homes built by National
Homes through the midwest 50 years ago which originally sold for $7,000,
$8,000 and $9,000 complete. These homes today are still in use, the major
change has been that they have increased ten-fold in value.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES LOOK GREAT.
Over
90% of all panelized homes today are customized to meet the buyer's needs.
They look as good, and in many cases, better than anything that can be
built on-site. Some manufacturers are producing spectacular mansions of
over 10,000 sq. ft. Modular units are routinely stacked to resemble any
type of architecture the buyer may want from a New England Salt Box to
an Ante Belle mansion. Modular units can be finished with stucco walls,
tile roofs, and exterior design features so that they become indistinguishable
from on-site designs.
FACTORY-BUILT
HOMES ARE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE.
America
is the nation that invented factory fabrication. When we buy a washing
machine, a microwave oven, a VCR or a car, we don't expect it to be dumped
in parts in our backyard for us to assemble. We expect these products
to come factory-made, factory inspected and ready for instant use. It
is unlikely that the home building industry will cling to the idea of
costly, error prone piece-by-piece fabrication of homes at job sites.
For both economic and quality reasons, on-site home building can't last;
factory home building can't miss.