Sensible Home

Sensible Home

June 18, 1995|By JAMES T. DULLEY Guest Columnist

Q We plan to build a 2,000-square-foot contemporary house that we can expand as our family grows. We want a semi-passive solar design with many large windows and skylights. Would a modular house fit our needs?

A An energy efficient modular house would be an ideal fit with your needs. Standard modular houses range from small ranches to attractive two-story contemporaries and traditionals with more than 3,000 square feet of floor space.

Unless you were told that a house was modular, you could not tell from the interior or exterior.

The manufacturers can modify standard plans to meet your individual house plans. An additional room or an entire section of rooms can be added as your budgetallows and your family grows.

Modular houses are energy efficient and well constructed. Most are designed and built similarly to a site-built house, but in a house factory.

By specifying large south-facing windows, skylights, sun rooms and tile floors, any modular house can take advantage of passive solar energy.

Factory construction provides strict quality unattainable in a site-built house.

Lumber and building materials are not exposed to the weather so warping and size variations are minimal.

The factory provides access to accurate measurement equipment and exact machine cutting and fitting.

The cost of having a modular house built should be equal to or less than a site-built house. In the assembly plant, it takes only about seven days to build a house (90 percent complete when it arrives at your site.)

If you are handy with tools, some manufacturers allow you to order a modular house in various degrees of finish so you can do some of the work yourself. This can lower the finished cost and your mortgage payments.

Smaller modular ranch models are ideal for first-time house buyers.

The overall finished price of the house can be as low as $40,000.

Larger two-story contemporary and traditional houses use many different modules connected side-by-side and stacked on top of one another.

The top modules are often shipped with the roof structure attached.

Modular houses are energy efficient. Heavy lumber, extra fasteners and reinforcing straps are required for strength during transportation to your building site.

Wall construction using 2x6 studs on 16-inch centers is common. The six-inch thick walls provide space for extra insulation.

Exteriors of modular houses can be finished in the factory with siding, or at the site with brick, stucco, siding, etc.

Stucco is a very efficient exterior finish because it further reduces air leakage through the walls.

Write for Update Bulletin No. 926 listing 25 manufacturers of modular houses,typical specifications and five exterior diagrams and floor plan layouts from 1,200 to 2,800 square feet.

Please include $2.00 and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope.

Q I often work in my front yard rose garden. When the garage door is open, the light in the opener stays on (no built-in timer). Does a 60-watt bulb use much electricity and how can I get it to switch off?

A For each two hours a 60-watt light bulb is on, your electric bill is one cent higher. Also the light tends to draw mosquitoes and other hungry pests.

Remove the bulb and screw in an outlet adapter. Mount a conduit box on the ceiling. Attach a light fixture with a pull chain switch to the conduit box. Plug the wire from the light fixture into the outlet adapter. Use the pull chain to switch the light on or off while the garage door is open.

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