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Pros, cons and general views on prefabricated houses.
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Does anyone have any direct experiences with prefabricated houses? I am exploring the issue for building a home (for myself) in the San Francisco Bay area, and am evaluating the cost and quality pros/cons of that approach.
I am currently considering Viceroy as a potential supplier.
Anybody with direct experiences with that supplier?
Thanks in advance!
*I come from an area where prefabs are very popular, one of the plants are only 20 miles from here. My neighbor just had one installed. Nothing but nightmares they promised her it would be moved and installed in 6 weeks, it ended up being 9 months and a lawyer later. It still isn't right, just get every little detail in writing.
*Ouch! Which area would that be? Also, is it a "mobile home" type, or a "kit", where the parts are panelized in a plant, and shipped to the site for final assembly?
*this was a modular house where the house was built in a factory in two parts and trucked as individual units and then assembled on site. she has only been in it for 4 months now and her drywall is cracking already, she called the manufacture, and they said she has a year guarantee on the work and it will be fixed for free but.... will not tell her when
*Sounds like that manufacture is to be, hmm, evaluated carefully... Any way you can divulge the name?
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Very interesting article about this in the February JLC. It was basically about one contractor's experience with high end factory built houses - specifically solar homes. It was a little bit of a head turner - though they still did not look as well built as the one's I saw and lived in in Sweden in the 60's.
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if we are talking about modular homes, I have had
several experiences with them from friends who
bought them to remodeling. I have yet to find
one that is built with the quality for stick built
homes.
I have ran into 2x3 exterior studs, 2x2 trusses,
1" tall "fake wood" foam base and trim, cardboard
HVAC runs, 2x6 floor joists, and the list just
goes on and on. I even had to help a friend run
phone lines and electric service into the home he
bought. (they don't include phone lines) It turns
out they had wired it wrong and burnt out
appliances, every bulb in one half of the house,
and then it took another month or more for
repairs. It has been a nightmare for him for the
past three years and he can't sell because he
would lose too much money.
In our area they do not have to meet local
building codes like stick framed homes. They are
a "trailer" and can get away with cutting corners,
thus making them cheaper. (in both meanings of the
w
*Anybody with experiences with Viceroy homes?
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I always thought that building those modular homes may not be a bad gig as well as other prefab stuff. I remember a restaurant in NJ that was put up that way and was real nice looking although not sure how well constructed. I am also working on a pre-fab panel project now but it is only wall sections that are pre-fab. I would imagine that even a better constructed pre-fab home takes on a bit of stress related illnesses during its 60 mph trip down the interstate before it gets to you.
Pete Draganic
*Luc, sorry I haven't heard about Viceroy homes but, I have had to repair a few modular homes in the past. There nothing but trouble, they cut corners where ever possible and even the high priced ones are cheap.
*Some years ago I spent a little while as a driver hauling modular homes. Pete's point about stress related illness (the house's, that is . . . OK, some days can be pretty tough on the driver, too) is something to consider if you're looking at modulars. Maybe things have changed in their construction over the last 10 years, but for the most part, the highways have just gotten worse. I remember looking in my mirror and seeing an awful lot of flex from one end of the (half) house to the other. And that was when I stayed on the road .In all seriousness, some manufacturers are a lot better than others. Do your research carefully.
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I am considering this type of project-how is it working for you? How do you find the quality of the panels and how they go together? Finally, what company are you working with?
I hope all goes well for you and greatly appreciate any input you may have.
Steve Alderman
*We looked into the viceroy brand out of Canada and also saw several going up in different stages. Viceroy is a kit home and not modular unless we are talking about a different company. The quality of the homes was good but we did see short cuts that I did not like. 2x3 rafters, LPL and MDF in areas I would not use. Otherwise nice kits for the average DIY. However we also found we could order all the materials locally, except the cedar, at a more competative cost ( as a builder). We also found they were not into changes such as supplying another brand of window etc. The experience I have with modulars is when we were hired to build inside walls and frame the decks and garage. Modulars that I have delt with are "FAR WEST" and they have been pretty good. The only problem I have seen is when a sub got the foundatin a little out of square than the panels did not line up right.the positive was when the foundation and floor were ready the owners had a roof on in 4 days. All outside walls in one day, sheeting, window and trim included. The roof framing etc was regular trusses that had to be framed in place. When the home was done the owner said it was as much as the bids for built on site and his only complaint was a springy floor but that was because of the floor system he used ( not supplied by far west) so.....anyway thats my story.Josh at Silver Hammer.
*Take a look at Lindal Cedar Homes. They do all the cutting and kiln dryingandf milling at the harvest site. This eliminates waste and the kiln dried lumber markedly reduces shipping cost. I'd consider comparing the costs...They have a new line of homes called New Traditions that is cozier. All construction is post and beam. The houses are built with western red cedar.No, I don't work for Lindal... I believe in plugging great products.Their website is http:www.lindal.com
*A little over two years ago I bought a Wasau duplex. The inside walls are paper, but the construction is level and plumb, the wiring good and the plumbing copper. The siding is masonite and until I cut around the windows to put in vinyl replacements, was tight and straight. I have heard of the problems with masonite, but I plan on priming both sides and caulking with a high quality caulk. Paints vary in quality and I have found Sherwin Williams to be excellent. In short, dollar for dollar, mine would be hard to beat.
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If you are talking about modular homes, 7' ceilings, celotex sheathing, 1xrafters, let the buyer beware!
You get what you pay for! My mother just bought one new, and I wish I had stick built her it instead!
Kit houses deliver the walls pre assembled in 10 foot sections. Decks and rrofs have to be done the old fashioned way.
Guess what part of framing is the easist? You guessed it: the walls!
No thanks, I'd rather do it myself!
If I want to put a jigsaw puzzle together, I'll stay home with mama!
Blue stick building in MI,
"Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs."
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my sister has a modular... shipped in 2 pieces with fold-in roof. she's here in the midwest. nice house, similar to a cape cod. they set it on a walkout basement by a subcontractor. they ordered it without exterior finish and had a mason brick it up. looks good.
they also spec'd the attic area to be finished later.
so... everything i've seen looks to be good to better materials. 2x6 exterior walls, 2x10? rafters, etc. the mfgr. claims it was built to take stresses of moving as well as typical forces. therefore it was sturdier (i'm not an engineer, but that was their pitch). so far, no cracks, creaks, etc. been about 5 years.
some minor gripes in my view:
not much overhang at soffits.
she did have to raise some cain on a couple finishes. (boy, can she ever do that)
kitchen cabinet quality is low end.
same with plumbing fixtures
all in all, it could compete with a subdivision tract home.
good luck
*Did a 2200 square footer (Single level) from PACIFIC MODERN about 20 years ago. One trained man, one slightly trained man, one un-trained man. Had all exterior walls up (W/Windows) in six hours. One ten inch error (too long) on a corner panel. Interior stud walls delivered when ready (one experienced man, one helper), then roof trusses (two experienced men, one helper). Unfortunately, rain between interior framing and roof framing. Stick building it wouldn't have stopped that! Freed the Owner/Builder from having to deal with days of waiting, many deliveries, many more people. My father-in-law had one built (same dealer) for spec. in the Sierra foothills, did well. Second and third go rounds, he let the general talk him into stick building, hit "unforeseen" problems, and payed twenty to thirty percent more before finish. Adios profit! He has always loved to pay for "expertise".Regards, Buck
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Have set about 20 prefabs and have found there quality to be fround piss poor to great. Again it seemed that it was a question of cost. The higher priced ones had the best features and the lowest had the worst. In my humble opion Nationwide Homes seems to be the best around here.(Maryland,Vir, Wash. DC) Set a Nationwide last summer that was 4000 sq ft 3 story with 2x6 walls,dormers Pre installed tile(no cracks) with upgraded features. Home owners acted as GC and the only problem was when the crane got stuck leaving(I mean really stuck..sunk in the mud) Nationwide sold a lot of homes from that house and I was impressed with the work that was in it. (Sorry Blue) Worst was a Ready-build that flexed over 2 foot when the crane picked it up.(How many plumbing leaks can one house have) Company filed chapter 7 and did a quick run leaving the GC to over this "building experance" Glad I only signed on to roof that nightmare. Best advice I can give is to vist the factory, tour some of there sets and talk to the guy who will finish off your home.
*If the local authorities, and national building codes would allow the stick builders the same standards that manufacturer's enjoy, there wouldn't be enough margin to build the units elsewhere and haul them all around! My mother's house would fail to meet the codes in many ways!Blue
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Pros, cons and general views on prefabricated houses.