When it comes to building the structure of homes in North America using wood, the commonly known method of this construction for many years, has been to conventionally build onsite piece by piece or stick frame building.
While not generally known, there has been another way for building wood structures for homes and it’s called PRE-FABRICATED HOMES. Prefab homes with its origins said to have started in England in 1906 and in the mid 1940’s alone there were over 150,000 homes built in England, with many more built in other European countries of which some were for occupying soldiers in the war.
While prefab homes have been more accepted in Europe for many years and along the eastern seaboard of North America, Australia and other parts of the word, in the western part of North America, it’s not as common. But as time and industry progressed, the use of prefab homes has gained more in popularity with architects, builders and home owners keen on applying the advantages to new home building.
So why prefab and what are the advantages? The big advantage is in the time it takes to erect the structure of the home onsite, which in a lot of cases is half the time versus conventional framing onsite. Many Pacific Homes customers like the fact that the structure is built in a controlled, manufactured setting and coupled with shorter times to erect the structure, means less weather related issues like wet lumber, drywall popping, cracking and possible time to dry out houses that received wet weather while exposed to the open elements for too long.
A true and square house void of design and structure complications is what all parties involved in the house construction process want. Having your home designed and built using computer software programs helps locate and revise any of these incumbent issues, thereby reducing down time onsite and quicker assembly of the house.
Some thoughts are that prefab means limitations to certain designs and size. Not with Pacific Homes. We build pretty much any design and size, from small cottages to large mansions. From heritage style to modern, contemporary designs including some innovative designs architects are creating now-a-days. We can also prefab structures for apartment buildings and multi-residential complexes.
Another comment we hear often is, “will a prefab home built in a manufacturing plant, be allowed within zoning or covidence of my property”, and for Pacific Homes the answer is YES! With Pacific Homes we will build the house structure to the design and zoning criteria required for you property, so with final completion you would not know it was either built onsite via conventional build or built with precision from Pacific Homes.
Have you ever thought of building in the winter? Consider some of these advantages, as maybe it might be an option to build in your climate area using prefab construction during the winter months…
Do you know of a friend or family member who started to build their home in the summer, spring or fall and the home got wet or in some cases soaked during the build? We at Pacific Homes can attest to seeing many homes that were exposed to wet weather while building in the months that “offer your best bet for weather”. With global changes in weather, it’s tough to predict when a good weather pattern is for building. With Pacific Home packages erected onsite, often in under a week, and locked up from the elements of nature, maybe it would work for you in the winter! The other benefit for winter build is working with trades who might not be as busy as in the summer months, where this allows for construction schedule without delays and more competitive trade rates.
Want to learn more about prefab homes or take a tour of our manufacturing facility? Contact Us.
Related:
Manufactured vs. Modular Homes