Because of all of the snow we’ve been getting in the Northeast our first set of the year proved a bit challenging. The tractor trailers that delivered this home made it all the way from PA to Long Island without any issues until we reached the homeowners driveway. Luckily, with the help of a loader we were able to push the boxes down the driveway & complete the set.
People are always asking us how their home will look the day it is delivered. The answer depends on how much finish work they chose to have done in the factory. Sometimes it makes more sense to do something on-site and we go through the pros & cons of each item with our customers. This particular homeowner chose to have the siding, flooring and countertops installed on-site. We generally recommend not to have your flooring installed in the factory because there are so many contractors walking & working in the house during & after the set that it can easily be damaged. Take a look at the pictures I snapped during the set. Among other things – the doors, windows, fireplaces, cabinetry, moldings, trim & light fixtures were all installed in the factory as well…
We were just notified that we received 2nd Place in the National Competition for Excellence in Home Design Awards for the 3-4,000sf modular home category!!
The National Association of Home Builder’s Building Systems Council showcase took place last week in New Orleans. Each year, the Building Systems Councils honors industry leaders through its Excellence in Marketing and Home Design awards program. The awards honor those excelling in building with systems in the categories of exceptional home design and marketing materials. Applicants include manufacturers, builders, and associate members.
The Building Systems Councils (BSC) is the leading resource for the concrete, log, modular, and panelized home building industries. The BSC aims to educate and inspire through consumer-friendly documents and interactive learning tools. All members of the BSC are active members of NAHB via their local HBA or NAHB International.
For our Long Island customers… feel free to contact us if you want to stop by & check out the house set coming up next month. The entire house will be set in 1 day & this is definitely the most exciting part of the process.
Shoot us an email – info@vestadevelopmentgroup.com or call us at 914 517-5100.
If you can’t make it – make sure to check back here for updates. Let us know if you have any questions or comments…
Determining what type of foundation to use is based upon the location, building & budget. Recently in many of our single family residential projects we have been using a precast concrete foundation system called Superior Walls. It’s very similar to modular homes in that it’s built off-site in a controlled environment, delivered by tractor trailer & then set in place with the use of a crane & set crew. The walls are then bolted together at the top & bottom of each panel and then sealed at the joints with a one part polyurethane sealant designed specifically for precast concrete products. As you will see, the walls are custom designed for each project & come with cutouts for windows & doors.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Some benefits of using a Superior Walls system:
Similar to the construction & setting of a modular home – a SW foundation saved the homeowner time & money. SW’s certified trained crew completed this foundation in one day.
We’re going to walk you through all of the steps of setting a modular home. We welcome any & all questions or comments.
This particular project is for a 3,000 sq ft single family home in a subdivision in Long Island, NY. As you can tell from the surrounding vegetation this site was lightly wooded & needed to be cleared prior to excavating for the foundation.
Once the hole for the foundation is complete & all measurements are verified - the foundation crew can begin their prep work for the installation of the foundation. We’re using a prefabricated foundation system on this house called Superior Walls.
We combine custom, energy-efficient design with advanced building technology to ensure an enjoyable & efficient homebuilding experience tailored to your needs. We’ve brought together a team of professionals experienced in architecture, general constracting, construction and finance in order to guide you through the process under one roof. Whether it’s a single family home, townhouse, subdivision or commercial development – we’re confident we can save you time & money without compromising the quality or design.
Utilizing Modular Construction, we can reduce construction costs by 40% and construction time by 50% on average. The major benefits of using the modular construction process are:
*Speed of construction
*Quality Control
*Cost Control
*Design Flexibility
*Energy Efficiency
In addition, Modular Construction is inherently Green:
Vesta understands the importance of creating environmentally conscious and sustainable developments and is committed to reducing the environmental impact during the sitework, construction and over the lifespan of a project. Investors, tenants, and homeowners also benefit from lower operating costs, reduced maintenance, improved quality & durability, rebates and tax incentives.
| Building Codes:Modular homes are always built to meet or exceed local and state building codes. Homes built on site are only required to get local building approval. There are several reasons for this. Modular homes are transported by tractor trailer to the site & must be strong enough to be shipped over long distances at highway speeds as well as be lifted & set by a crane. Generally most modular manufacturers sell homes to customers in several states & it’s more economical to build them all to the same code specifications, which means they will build them all to the highest level of code. The result is a home built to the highest construction codes.Workforce:Workers in a modular factory are divided up into different areas of production: floors, walls, roofs, trim, plumbing, electrical, etc. This allows each section of the modular home to be built simultaneously & skillfully. Modular factories hire and train employees that specialize in specific tasks allowing each employee to perfect their skills & provide greater quality workmanship. In addition, if workers get sick or simply don’t show up (as is a common site building occurrence) it doesn’t stop construction of your home as there are many skilled employees and the supervision & training is already in place to quickly bring new hires up to speed.
Materials: Modular homes are built in assembly line factory production and only the highest quality kiln dried lumber will be accepted. Green, warped, badly knotted or splintered pieces will not work with precision equipment in the assembly line and are therefore rejected. This is important to the overall quality of the home because poor quality lumber is more likely to dry unevenly causing it to warp, twist and split. Additionally, all other materials including electircal, plumbing, drywall, insulation, and finish materials are choosen because of their quality and realibility which has been proven in thousands of homes. Climate Control: Modular homes are constructed in a climate controlled factory. This prevents weather related damage & delays. Once a modular home is completed in the factory it is weather wrapped for delivery & it only exposed during the set. Typically a home is set & weathered in within a few hours & at most a few days. Homes built on site are exposed to the weather until the home is completely closed in, which can be several weeks. In addition, it avoids weather related delays or poor workmanship due to extreme weather. Quality Control: Modular homes are inspected throughout the entire process from framing to plumbing to electrical & so on. There are both planned & unannounced inspections. It’s important to note that inspections are for quality control and code compliance. Site-built home inspections are only for local code compliance. This means that if a home is poorly built, but meets code, the inspector must pass it. Modular home plans are approved by the state before construction begins and after construction is complete a third party state inspector completes an additional inspection before the home is approved for delivery. Energy Efficiency: Reducing air infiltration is the best way to increase energy efficiency. The biggest factor in how much energy is used to heat & cool a house is air leakage (cracks & holes). This is even more important than poorly insulated windows, doors, walls, floors, etc. Standard modular construction techniques such as caulking along exterior sheathing seams & windows flanges, insulating around electrical fixtures & plumbing pipes at wall openings effectively reduce air infiltration. In fact, all of our modular homes can easily be built to meet the requirements of the US EPA’s Energy Star program to ensure energy efficiency. Construction Specifications: Modular homes must be designed & constructed to be transported over long distances at high speeds & well as be lifted by cranes into place on the foundation. Modular manufacturers use several techniques in order to ensure the structure can withstand these conditions. A sprayed on adhesive that is considered stronger than screws or nails is used to bond drywall to the walls and ceilings. Floor systems are built with a double perimeter band which makes the floors exceptionally strong and rigid. Floor and ceiling joists are installed on all two-story homes so that the ceiling of one story is independent of the floor of the second story. In addition to making it a stronger home, this also reduces noise between floors. |
Air sealing the boxes
Installing the siding, shutters, etc.
Installation of staircases
Water Connections
Electrical Connections
Installation or completion of the heat and air conditioning systems
Finish work at all mating wall sections
Spackling and painting as necessary
Building additional structures on site, such as garages, porches, decks, sunrooms, finished basements, and the second story of unfinished Cape Cods
Final inspections are completed and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. Time to move in!
Modular factories build numerous structures at one time. Therefore the factory buys large quantities of materials & benefits from volume discounts which are passed on to the consumer.
Local labor forces, especially in the northeast, demand high wages that raise the cost of the homes. Our homes are built in factories where the total labor rates are lower & the cost savings are passed on to the consumer.
It is well established that assembly line production is more efficient than other methods of production. Systems built homes can be constructed in as little as 5-10 days. In addition, while the home is being built in the factory the site work can be completed simultaneously. The shorter the construction, the less money spent on construction loans, insurance, etc.
Because of the efficiency & precision in modular construction there is little waste. In addition, because the homes are built in a climate controlled factory there is less material loss from inclement weather.
Another benefit of building a home in a climate controlled & secure facility is that there is no security risk. Site built homes are subject to theft, vandalism, etc.
Once your design is complete – you will approve plans & specs and agree upon a guaranteed price. The only change orders that will occur are ones that you approve. With the exception of site conditions, there are no surprises in the cost of the actual modular structure.
Modular homes can built built significantly faster than a site-built home. This means less payments on a construction loan, allowing more features & options within the same budget. Modular homes appraise and are financed the same as stick-built homes.
Because a modular home can be set onto the foundation and secured faster than site-built homes the consumer lessons the risk of accidents, theft and vandalism. Because of the the shorter construction time the consumer also saves money on the construction insurance.
Although we have many stock plans, we custom design every project with our customer. Using a 3rd party architect is the customer’s choice, but you can save a signficant amount of money designing directly with out team.
