Trends in Prefabricated Housing

Smart technologies and efficient green approaches are bringing in great new possibilities in the building of prefabricated homes.

Innovative designers do appreciate the efficiencies and flexibility of this building technique. Whether you're looking for a new family home or a vacation getaway, a prefabricated home can be built in quick time with no compromise on quality. 


Factory made prefabricated homes have come a long way from flimsy trailer park dwellings. Trend setting architects and builders are using modular building materials to create bold new designs with lots of glass and steel. Prefabricated housing comes in all shapes and styles, from streamlined Bauhaus to undulating organic forms.

Every shelter should be built to withstand the elements, and engineers are making steady progress in developing storm-ready home designs. In areas were hurricanes are prevalent, more and more builders are relying on insulated wall panels constructed of sturdy concrete.

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Prefab - D I Y (Do It Yourself)

Prefab housing packages include kits for do-it-yourselfers, but frequently contractors complete a prefab house on the building site. So if you find a style you like, you can either complete it yourself or hire someone to complete the project for you. Prefab houses are a great way for a beginner or someone with budget constraints to get started on a tiny house. A book usually comes with plans and instructions to complete a project with common building materials.

Two popular types of prefab homes are modular homes and panelized homes. Both of these methods produce traditional styles of houses. Finish work usually including drywall and trim is completed after the main structure is assembled and passes inspection. In most places, prefab houses must be approved by a local building inspector while the plumbing and wiring is still visible in the walls and after the house is finished. Putting together a modular home is a bit like stacking toy building block, but more complicated. Depending on the design of the home and the distance from the manufacturer to the building site, each block may be an entire house, a room, groups of rooms or only a portion of a room.Both interior and exterior walls of panelized homes are built in sections or panels prior to delivery to the home site. Sometimes, siding has already been added at the manufacturing plant, but usually it's installed after the shell of the house is assembled.

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Earthquake Resistant Prefabricated Houses

Prefab homes can be found in earthquake and seismic zones from California to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Japan. Each house design is individually engineered to meet local seismic code requirements and to adapt to the natural terrain utilizing one among the many foundation options available.

The biggest misconception is that prefab homes are flimsy and fall apart easy. This is due to the videos we see on television about old mobile home parks in hurricanes. The fact of the matter is that the new prefab homes are built as strong as or stronger than conventional homes.

Earthquake Hazard Levels are based on the seismic risk and the damage anticipated from major seismic events. While seismic activity is much more common in California, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, damage from major earthquakes in other areas could be significant since few structures elsewhere are built to be earthquake and seismic resistant.

A unique approach of integrating Post and Beam construction technology with almost any foundation type makes prefab homes adaptable to nearly any terrain, climate or design need. Foundation types include stilts & pilings, basements, crawl-spaces, and on-grade slabs, as well as a unique pedestal foundation design.

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Building Houses to Withstand Storms

When hurricanes howl, the greatest danger to people and property is flying debris. Researchers for the Wind Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University have proof that concrete walls are strong enough to withstand flying debris from hurricanes and tornadoes. According to their findings, homes made of concrete are much more storm-resistant than houses constructed of wood and steel.

To duplicate hurricane-like conditions in the laboratory, researchers shot wall sections with 15-pound 2 x 4 lumber "missiles" at up to 100 mph, simulating debris carried in a 250 mph wind. These conditions cover all but the most severe tornadoes. Hurricane wind speeds are less than the speeds modeled here. Missile tests designed to demonstrate damage from hurricanes use a 9-pound missile traveling about 34 mph. Researchers tested 4 x 4-foot sections of concrete block, several types of insulating concrete forms, steel studs, and wood studs to rate performance in high winds. The sections were finished as they would be in a completed home: drywall, fiberglass insulation, plywood sheathing, and exterior finishes of vinyl siding, clay brick, or stucco.

All the concrete wall systems survived the tests with no structural damage. Lightweight steel and wood stud walls, however, offered little or no resistance to the "missile." The 2 x 4 ripped through them.

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