Modular Homes HQ

Green building and energy-efficient building are becoming increasingly popular construction choice for homeowners. While green building and energy-efficient building are not necessarily synonymous, energy-efficiency is always green. By using fewer energy resources, an energy-efficient home leaves a smaller carbon footprint, while also proving to be “green” in the amount of cash it leaves in the homeowners pocket.

One of the many reasons that modular homes are growing in popularity because they are an energy-efficient choice. More energy-efficient than traditionally built homes, and much more energy-efficient than manufactured/mobile homes, modular homes are at the forefront of energy-efficiency by design.

There is a persistent misconception that modular homes are of a lower quality because they are factory-assembled. However, the fact that modular homes are factory-assembled is the key to their quality and to their high energy-efficiency. Home builders and homeowners alike are discovering that a factory-built home can not only be as well-made as a traditionally built home, but can often surpass a traditionally built home when it comes to energy-efficiency.

The energy-efficiency of a modular home begins in the engineering and design. The fact that modular homes are engineered and designed to be built in the factory means that the variables that affect the energy-efficiency of traditionally built homes – such as irregularities in framing and siding – are eliminated. The custom tools and computer-engineering that are unavailable to the traditional home contractor are standard issue for modular home builders, and ensure that all walls, floors and ceilings are square and plumb, which results in a tighter, more air resistant home.

Furthermore, most modular homes are designed with two-by-six wall framing, which allows for more insulation to be placed in the walls. As most of us know, insulation is the largest component in a home’s energy-efficiency, and the more insulation that a home contains, the better it is able to trap warm or cold air inside while also keeping warm or cold air from the outside from penetrating the home. When you also factor in the homeowners’ ability to choose which kind of insulation – including the newer, denser types of insulation – the energy-efficient element of these homes grows.

The factory construction of a modular home also increases its energy efficiency. Because modular homes are assembled one section at a time, builders have more access to the areas in a home where sealing and insulation is key. For example, it is very difficult to seal the electrical outlets, fixtures, vents, and similar areas in traditionally built homes, due to the fact that by the time these elements are installed, the walls have gone up outside the home. Contrast this method with that of modular home construction; the modular home’s exterior siding is not put on until the home reaches the home site, allowing builders in the factory a 360-degree access to electrical outlets, fixtures, vents, etcetera. This open access allows modular home builders to seal these areas much more thoroughly than is possible with a traditionally built home.

Modular homes are specifically built to resist the elements. Since the sections of a modular home must be trucked to the home site, these sections are built to arrive at the home site secure and dry. The sections are built to withstand the journey from the factory to the home site and to withstand any inclement weather that may occur on the way. Just think – if the modular home can make the trip from the factory to the home site without any weather damage, how resistant to these elements will it be when it is assembled? Very resistant, as a matter of fact, and although the individual sections of a modular home are constructed to be impervious to weather conditions on the trip to the home site, they are even more resistant to the elements once assembled. What this means for the homeowner is less air infiltration into the home, less water infiltration, and less energy used to keep these elements out. The modular home’s energy-efficiency is an integral part of ensuring its safety on the way to the home site, a design quality that results is savings for the homeowner.

If you are looking to build a home, and wish to build the most energy-efficient home possible, then give modular homes strong consideration. You will find no more energy-efficient construction method anywhere, and can be assured that you are building a high-quality home that will save you money – and reduce your energy consumption – for years to come.

Tags: energy efficency, modular homes