No two modular home sets are exactly the same. Each is different and can vary according to the type of home, the topography, as well as the weather. Your home will come in two or more sections or units, according to its style and floor plan.
What’s amazing is the process. At the beginning of the day, all you will see is a foundation, but at day’s end, you’ll find a home that’s nearly complete. Your neighbors will be astonished.
After your permanent foundation is finished, your builder will create an obstacle-free path for the units to be delivered and for the crane. In most circumstances, the home units will arrive first, although depending on space, some units might need to be stationed off site and delivered when needed.
The crane may arrive the day before or the morning of the set along with a truck hauling the out-rigging, pads and counter weights for the crane. Next, a set crew of 4 to 6 people will arrive. At this moment, you’ll see a flurry of activity and non-stop work.
The set begins with the removal of protective material from the home sections. The hardware holding the sections to the transporters is removed. During this time, the crane is positioned, outriggers are extended onto railroad tie pads and the boom will extend.
Cables are then affixed under the home that connect to a spreader bar and crane. Rope taglines are used to pull and guide each home section over the foundation, where it is then lowered. A worker uses a crowbar to pry the unit into position. This continues until each section is put into place. Support posts are placed under the load-bearing marriage walls of each adjoining unit. A wench might be used to bring the sections of the home closer together. Perimeter joists are then nailed to the sill plate, per a nailing schedule. Underneath the home, center floor joists are bolted to one another at the marriage wall.
If you’re building a ranch or a cape style home, the hinged roof is raised by the crane and supported knee walls are nailed into place. End wall panels also are lifted and installed in addition to any gables or dormers. If you are building a two-story, additional units are stacked on top of one another, similar to building blocks after all the electrical and plumbing connections are made. As in ranch homes the roof is then raised and end panels are installed.
After the set crew leaves and the crane is dismantled, there is more work to be done–such as the addition of garages, porches, decks and utility hookups - but by the end of the day, your building lot has been converted into real estate with a new, almost complete home.
The process is technical, and there are many factors can affect the setting a home. The set itself can take as few as six hours, but can last more than a day based on the complexity of the home.
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