The construction of modular homes tends to elicit a number of unique questions from potential home buyers. Because many potential home buyers are accustomed to pre-existing structures, the idea of having a home built off-site and then installed on a selected plot of land does bring up questions that may not always pop up with a more traditional house.
One of the more common questions asked is, are modular homes safe. Buyers want to know if a home is more liable to falling apart, especially during extreme weather conditions.
Are Modular Homes Safe?
While this is a yes or no answer, if you’re considering a modular home, you will want to know more specifics about the construction and not only the answer to whether modular homes are safe, but if they are safer than traditionally built houses.
Modular Homes Have Strict Build Requirements
Building code requirements have changed over the years. A brand new construction has stricter requirements than a house that was built even ten years ago. Now, compare the requirements of a brand new modular home with one that is 50 or 60 years old, and the difference is night and day.
Modular homes are built to withstand higher winds and are used with durable materials that can sustain not only heavy winds but rain as well. Additionally, modular homes do not have lead paint or asbestos, which is a problem for any home built throughout the 1990s. So, not only can modular homes stand up to major storms better than almost all current homes on the market, but you can rest assured they don’t have the dangerous building materials previously used on houses built in the United States (especially between the 1950s and 1980s).
Extra Reinforced Materials
A modular home is built off-site and then transported to your location. In order to withstand transport, many of the materials must be extra reinforced. If you have worked with drywall before you know, it cracks easily. If there is any shift in the foundation, drywall is often the first material to show signs of this. Well, a modular home must be built to withstand the bumps of road transit. In order to withstand the kinds of shifts and movements of road travel, a modular home will be extra reinforced. This means the drywall isn’t just nailed in place. It receives extra reinforcement to protect it from damage.
If you have seen bathroom renovation projects before, you know that the drywall that is often used in shows (behind the tiles) has an extra reinforced backing to it. This helps the drywall hold up the tile work and other build materials that will be installed. This kind of drywall is similar to what is used throughout a modular home in order to keep it structurally sound. Due to this, when other homes might sustain cracks in the drywall and require repairs, your home will remain intact and structurally sound.
Built For Extreme Conditions
Because a modular home is built on-site and in a closed environment, the manufacturers have access to certain materials that help the home stand up to extreme conditions. However, because on-location contract builds are away from the closed environment, this is not always available. The outside elements make this extremely difficult for the housing builds, which can leave the home susceptible to damage later on down the line. Just about anything that is built outside will not be as strong as something that is built inside. This is just another one of the reasons why a modular home is more desirable when it comes to safe construction.
Flood Resistant
Water, more than anything else, will lead to the most amount of damage to a home. Heavy rains and regional flooding may seep into a home and cause all kinds of problems. It isn’t only the removal of water that is costly but the need to pull out just about anything that had prolonged water exposure in order to avoid the development of mold. Repairing a flood can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a traditional house. This, however, is not as much of an issue with a modular home.
If you are now thinking – are modular homes safe? Modular homes are built to a higher standard than traditional homes. A modular home requires the house to not only be built to stand up to what a regular home is up against, but it needs to remain structurally sound when transported across the state (or even to another area of the country). With this construction method, the house will not fall apart as easily, which also helps it avoid absorbing moisture and water from flooding.
Now Is The Time To Consider Modular Homes
Don’t pigeonhole yourself into buying a home on the market that doesn’t fit your specific needs as a homeowner. If you don’t like the options currently sold in your area, you shouldn’t force yourself into a house you don’t like. Buying a home is a major investment, and it is something that shouldn’t come lightly. That is why you need to consider all variables of the home you buy, including whether or not it is safe. A newly constructed modular home is one of the safest options around. So not only can you help design your dream house, but you will have a home that is more weather resistant and designed to withstand storms better than houses that are currently for sale. So by now, you should know the answer – are modular homes safe?
If you’re ready to find out more about how a modular home is an excellent purchase option, now is the time to pick up your phone and give the expert modular home builders a call.