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Are Modular Homes Durable?

Have you heard of the special construction techniques used to make a home strong enough for highway transportation and crane lifting? Modular homes have to put up with a lot in their early lives. Even if you are familiar with the sight of a modular home loaded onto the back of trucks flying down the highway with a wide load sign, you might not realize that the same technique that makes them strong enough for all of that is what makes them so durable. It is these special construction techniques that provide modular homes with extra protection against natural (or even manmade) violent forces.

Structural Durability

You may have heard stories over the years about modular homes collapsing upon delivery or installation. These are freak accidents.

beautiful dining room in a modular home
Likewise, customers aren’t forced into accepting damaged modules. If damage occurs to a module between transportation and installation, the manufacturer will make repairs if necessary or produce a new module. It’s as simple as that.

These types of stories are a disservice to a hardworking industry that produces stunning high-quality homes. However, there are a plethora of dramatic stories. Unfortunately, it’s these stories the industry is hesitant to tell.

There is something quite dramatic about the image of a home slipping and sliding off the back of a truck and tumbling down a hill. Of course, that’s the image people are left with. The drama. They don’t get to see how well the module withstood the traumatic accident with just a broken window and a few cracks. It sounds scary so the industry holds back. This isn’t down to the durability of the home. It’s not relevant to the construction of the home. It’s a freak accident that happens rarely. What is missed from these stories, though, is the aftermath. For, it is these stories that display the durability of modular homes in a way that few people will ever experience. They are rare occurrences but they highlight just how powerful the construction techniques employed by modular home manufacturers are.

Are you unconvinced? Perhaps the modular home’s ability to stand up to mother nature will impress you?

Natural Disaster Durability

It would be remiss not to touch on natural disasters. After all, the more likely danger to homes, whether modular or not, is weather and natural disasters.

These are the stories you may be more familiar with. The modular home left standing after a hurricane when the stick-built homes around it are in rubble. The tornado that tore through a neighborhood decimating everything, but only leaving the modular home with slight damages.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew ripped through the Bahamas, Louisiana, and Florida. The FEMA report released in 1993 highlighted that modular homes experienced minimal structural damage with the installation providing a more rigid system than stick-built homes. Likewise, when Hurricane Hugo hit North Carolina in 1989, the only building left standing in one town was the modular motel.

Of course, no home is guaranteed to withstand a tornado or hurricane, but previous instances have highlighted just how well modular homes stand up against even the worst natural disasters. Though, some manufacturers will swear their modular homes are hurricane proof. The reality of the matter is they can’t promise this, no one can. They have, however, shown time and time again, their ability to survive the worst. The fact that so many have been able to stand in the face of category 5 hurricanes shows how much they really can withstand, which is why a tumble down a hill is no big deal.

That being said, with the ability of modular homes to withstand so much in terms of mother nature, imagine how well it stands against life’s normal issues that often cause damage to stick-built homes. Modular homes are a worthwhile investment. They offer structural integrity because there are rigorous measures in place to prevent damages and manufacturing defects. The factory process ensures that modular homes undergo strict plumbing, structural, electrical, and mechanical assessments throughout the building process. It’s also worth noting that the controls in place and oversight of in-house quality controllers ensure consistency.

Additionally, as every state has its own set guidelines, measures, and expectations, most modular home manufacturers produce their homes to the highest standards. They tend to follow the strictest state’s guidelines, even if you live in a state that doesn’t hold those expectations. It’s the equivalent of getting something for nothing because you aren’t paying more for the adherence to these guidelines, it’s their default standard. This provides you with the extra protection and durability that stick-built homes simply cannot offer.

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