Pardon my reference to the Wizard of Oz, but I wanted to talk about the differences between the various building systems of our home construction process. The Prefabricated or “Prefab” term is used to define any construction which assembles sections of a home. The prefab definition can be further broken down between Manufactured, Modular and Panelized.
Manufactured refers to homes completely built on a steel chassis. These are 1 story homes delivered in 1 or 2 pieces from the manufacturer. Prior to 1976 these homes were referred to as “mobile homes,” built with the goal of affordability. These were refereed to as “slap-it-together” homes, as when delivered to the site, they were literally slapped together (bolted) to create a house. The building of these structures is governed by the more lenient HUD building codes (Department of Housing and Urban Development) and because of their tendency to not age well, generally these homes decrease in value over time.
The Modular term is used to describe the factory-built box-like home shipped by truck, no wider than 16′ across which are lifted by crane into place. These homes can be stacked and joined to make a 2 story home.They have interior load bearing walls which can be restrictive with regards to design. Open floor plans and high ceiling are not possible. Typically modular homes are built with the goal of affordability as well, but they are built under the federal and state building codes rather than HUD. Modular homes also take less time to construct compared to “site built” homes so there is less impact to the home site.
Panelized is a further subcategory of Modular, these homes are factory built in panel sections including exterior walls and roofs. Because these homes are constructed of panels they offer the benefits of a controlled construction environment as well as a shortened on-site construction time. Panelized construction offers load bearing walls on the exterior. This makes the home customizable, allowing for open floor plans, high ceilings, gables and other bump-outs. Panelized homes can be upgraded with rigid insulation; referred to as “Structural Insulated Panel Construction” or “SIPs”.
Yankee Barn Homes use our trade-marked True Panel System, with wall r-values start at 26.2 and roofs 55 Further insulation upgrades are available (standard stick-built homes have r-13 insulation). Our manufacturing process has many inspection points here in NH and takes pride in shipping high quality homes. Our homes are built to International Building Codes (IBC) to meet or exceed local building code standards. Prospective home owners choose their own design and build out the Yankee Barn Home shell to their own budget and taste; selecting appliances, fixtures, and hvac. This makes each Yankee Barn Home adaptable to any topography and customization endless.
