The term “modular” is often used interchangeably with the term “prefab” when, in fact, there is more than one method of prefabrication. At Turkel Design, our homes employ a panelized prefabrication system—while the building components are fabricated off-site, they are not modular homes.
In both modular and panelized prefabrication, a large part of the house is built in a specialized facility. In modular construction, whole portions of the house are built as large volumes, either partially or fully finished. They are then trucked to the building site and lifted onto a pre-built foundation.
In panelized construction, the house’s exterior and interior walls are also pre-built, but those walls are constructed into a series of flat panels. These panels can be shipped on a conventional flat-bed truck, then assembled on-site on a ready foundation.
¿Por qué prefabricar en absoluto?
Both modular and panelized construction address problems presented by conventional “stick-built” construction. It’s difficult to build accurately when you must measure, cut, and nail every piece of the house on-site. Building this way can also take a great deal of time. Plus, if the house is to achieve a high quality of finish, that might require a level of building expertise that is not available, or financially appropriate, in every locality. Prefabrication can be more accurate, it can be faster, it can provide a superior product, but most importantly, it provides previsibilidad.
Why do we use prefabricated panels?
Panelized prefabrication allows for spatial variety, which gives our homes a level of customization that is not commonly associated with prefab. Modular construction makes this variety difficult to achieve efficiently.
Fixed-width modules are often too big for an intimate space and too small for an expansive one. A house module, transported by truck, can be no taller than the lowest highway overpass it must pass under.
A more efficient option
Cuando una casa prefabricada se transporta en camiones a la obra en paneles, estos se pueden apilar uno sobre otro en el camión (en un paquete plano), lo que permite entregar una gran cantidad de material en cada envío. Con un módulo, se transporta un gran volumen de aire por carretera. Los paneles son una forma más eficiente de transportar una casa prefabricada.
Su hogar Turkel Design se puede construir prácticamente en cualquier lugar
One of the advantages we offer at Turkel Design is our ability to design homes for prácticamente en cualquier lugar: in cities and suburbs, on sites near town or out in the wilderness, and in locations near and far. The sheer size of house modules prevents them from being shipped down the narrow or steep roads that lead to remote sites. And modules are subject to damage if they travel over long distances—from wind and rain and sheer roadway vibration. Panels avoid both these problems.
Su hogar puede ser inspeccionado adecuadamente
Los paneles evitan otro problema: algunas localidades se resisten a los módulos por diversas razones. Entre ellas, los módulos suelen llegar con la estructura, el cableado y la plomería ocultos tras paneles de yeso, donde las autoridades de construcción no pueden inspeccionarlos. Las paredes de nuestras casas paneladas llegan descubiertas, lo que permite inspeccionar la estructura y los diversos sistemas durante la instalación. Las casas prefabricadas paneladas le permiten construir su casa en cualquier terreno que se ajuste a sus sueños.
For more information about how we bring unprecedented quality and customization to prefab home architecture, visit our Proceso sección.
