Hello everyone,
Yesterday, we had an initial informational meeting with a solid construction house provider. Of course, we always ask where each provider sees THEIR advantage compared to other construction methods. He couldn’t give a very clear answer to that yesterday; instead, he mainly focused on presenting arguments against prefabricated timber frame houses.
In any case, he also said that most of the moisture enters the house through the screed, so it doesn’t really matter whether you build stone on stone (and expose yourself to weather risks) or quickly assemble the shell of a prefabricated house. The screed has to be laid on site and then dried anyway.
You often read that one advantage of a prefabricated house is the dry construction process in the factory, but is this actually offset again by the screed?
I appreciate any answers and thoughts on this.
Best regards,
Sandra
Yesterday, we had an initial informational meeting with a solid construction house provider. Of course, we always ask where each provider sees THEIR advantage compared to other construction methods. He couldn’t give a very clear answer to that yesterday; instead, he mainly focused on presenting arguments against prefabricated timber frame houses.
In any case, he also said that most of the moisture enters the house through the screed, so it doesn’t really matter whether you build stone on stone (and expose yourself to weather risks) or quickly assemble the shell of a prefabricated house. The screed has to be laid on site and then dried anyway.
You often read that one advantage of a prefabricated house is the dry construction process in the factory, but is this actually offset again by the screed?
I appreciate any answers and thoughts on this.
Best regards,
Sandra
D
Doc.Schnaggls29 Apr 2014 14:52Hello Sandra,
Your contact was partly correct. Of course, a lot of moisture enters the house with the screed, regardless of whether it’s a solid (brick-and-mortar) house or a prefabricated house – but this moisture is then only in the screed and nowhere else.
However, it is true that a solidly built house may be exposed to damp weather for a longer time than a prefabricated house, and additionally, extra moisture can enter the house (into the walls) through the mortar.
On the other hand, a prefabricated house can also become quite wet if it rains heavily during the assembly day. In extreme cases, insulation must even be replaced and the walls reopened.
No one can make the decision for you whether to choose a prefabricated or solid house; here in the forum, most members, of course, support their own building system…
We found it very interesting to visit the production facilities of several prefabricated house suppliers before choosing a construction company – it’s a great way to learn about wall construction and to see the differences between manufacturers.
Best regards,
Dirk
Your contact was partly correct. Of course, a lot of moisture enters the house with the screed, regardless of whether it’s a solid (brick-and-mortar) house or a prefabricated house – but this moisture is then only in the screed and nowhere else.
However, it is true that a solidly built house may be exposed to damp weather for a longer time than a prefabricated house, and additionally, extra moisture can enter the house (into the walls) through the mortar.
On the other hand, a prefabricated house can also become quite wet if it rains heavily during the assembly day. In extreme cases, insulation must even be replaced and the walls reopened.
No one can make the decision for you whether to choose a prefabricated or solid house; here in the forum, most members, of course, support their own building system…
We found it very interesting to visit the production facilities of several prefabricated house suppliers before choosing a construction company – it’s a great way to learn about wall construction and to see the differences between manufacturers.
Best regards,
Dirk
Hello Dirk,
thank you for your reply (and also for the greeting and the link to your interesting blog in the other introduction thread)!
Oh yes, it would be great if someone could make this fundamental decision for us. We can see advantages and disadvantages in both construction methods ourselves…
Yesterday, the gentleman mentioned that the thin-bed mortar they use is more like an adhesive and therefore does not bring any significant additional moisture?! I need to study the subject a bit, as I am particularly interested in how this adhesive is evaluated from a building biology perspective.
thank you for your reply (and also for the greeting and the link to your interesting blog in the other introduction thread)!
Oh yes, it would be great if someone could make this fundamental decision for us. We can see advantages and disadvantages in both construction methods ourselves…
Yesterday, the gentleman mentioned that the thin-bed mortar they use is more like an adhesive and therefore does not bring any significant additional moisture?! I need to study the subject a bit, as I am particularly interested in how this adhesive is evaluated from a building biology perspective.
D
Doc.Schnaggls29 Apr 2014 15:23Hello Sandra,
That’s exactly how it was for us too.
From the start, I was a strong advocate of solid masonry construction, while my wife, being the daughter of a carpenter, preferred timber frame construction.
Before researching for our own home, I only knew about two prefabricated houses, and this type of house was absolutely out of the question for me.
I quickly learned that even among house manufacturers there are “Ladas” and “Porsches.”
My decision was made quite fast when I first entered the show home of our future contractor. I really liked the subtle scent of wood, and even though the house was already a few years old at that point, I couldn’t detect any creaking, crunching, or even a bouncy balcony – these were issues I had noticed in the prefabricated houses I had seen before. Everything seemed very solid.
I can’t tell you anything about that, but if I were you, I would definitely look into it carefully. It was extremely important for us to build with as few harmful substances as possible—both in the house itself and in the insulation. That is why we are not using polystyrene foam insulation but rather wood fiber board insulation.
Best regards,
Dirk
Sunnx schrieb:
Oh yes, it would be great if someone could take this fundamental decision off our hands. We see advantages and disadvantages in both construction methods.
That’s exactly how it was for us too.
From the start, I was a strong advocate of solid masonry construction, while my wife, being the daughter of a carpenter, preferred timber frame construction.
Before researching for our own home, I only knew about two prefabricated houses, and this type of house was absolutely out of the question for me.
I quickly learned that even among house manufacturers there are “Ladas” and “Porsches.”
My decision was made quite fast when I first entered the show home of our future contractor. I really liked the subtle scent of wood, and even though the house was already a few years old at that point, I couldn’t detect any creaking, crunching, or even a bouncy balcony – these were issues I had noticed in the prefabricated houses I had seen before. Everything seemed very solid.
Sunnx schrieb:
The gentleman said yesterday that the thin-bed mortar they use is more like an adhesive and therefore does not introduce any significant moisture?! I’ll have to read up on this—mainly, I’m interested in how this adhesive rates from a building biology perspective.
I can’t tell you anything about that, but if I were you, I would definitely look into it carefully. It was extremely important for us to build with as few harmful substances as possible—both in the house itself and in the insulation. That is why we are not using polystyrene foam insulation but rather wood fiber board insulation.
Best regards,
Dirk
We were among the first to build in a new development, so we could closely follow the construction progress of our neighbors. Opposite us, a house was quickly erected using solid construction methods. I believe they finished within two weeks. But now the house is standing and needs to dry out.
Our house was assembled in mid-October and was (almost) ready to move into by the end of January. Only the interior finishing work remained. At the factory, the house was fully prepped: drains were built into the walls, and electrical wiring was already installed. With solid construction, these tasks still need to be done during the shell construction phase.
Still, a prefabricated house is not necessarily completed faster. By the time the solid builder starts laying the walls, we had already planned and decided where sockets and wall/ceiling outlets would go, as well as the colors for windows, doors, window sills, etc., because these components sometimes come pre-installed in the individual elements.
Solid construction can actually be more cost-effective, while insulation is easier to achieve with timber frame construction.
Both construction methods have their pros and cons.
One of the greatest advantages of timber frame construction, in my opinion, is that I only need one type of screw to fix furniture to the wall. No drilling, no anchors—just screw it in and you’re done.
Our house was assembled in mid-October and was (almost) ready to move into by the end of January. Only the interior finishing work remained. At the factory, the house was fully prepped: drains were built into the walls, and electrical wiring was already installed. With solid construction, these tasks still need to be done during the shell construction phase.
Still, a prefabricated house is not necessarily completed faster. By the time the solid builder starts laying the walls, we had already planned and decided where sockets and wall/ceiling outlets would go, as well as the colors for windows, doors, window sills, etc., because these components sometimes come pre-installed in the individual elements.
Solid construction can actually be more cost-effective, while insulation is easier to achieve with timber frame construction.
Both construction methods have their pros and cons.
One of the greatest advantages of timber frame construction, in my opinion, is that I only need one type of screw to fix furniture to the wall. No drilling, no anchors—just screw it in and you’re done.
N
nordanney29 Apr 2014 20:27Maybe one more advantage from us as "solid construction" builders using individual trade contracts. During the construction phase, we still had the opportunity to make many small changes to the plans, which is not so easy (if at all) with a prefabricated house. Examples include electrical planning, moving walls, adjusting window/skylight sizes, redesigning a bathroom (relocating the shower/toilet and washbasins), and so on.
This kind of flexibility is only possible with solid construction methods.
This kind of flexibility is only possible with solid construction methods.
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