Modular Homes

[NorthWide]

anybody eVer goNe the modular home route with SIP (prefabricated walls? ) Just ConsiDering this as a possibility. But it would Be niCe to know if anyBody has trieD this and what their results were.

 

Also looking into other sustaiNable House ConstruVtion methods if you guys have any suggestions

[Lairg]

I am living in a new townhouse made with prefabricated light weight concrete walls attached to a metal frame with fiberglass insulation.

 

The house is on a slab on piers into the clay fill of the site.  There has been very little movement over three years despite a long period of heavy rain. 

 

The complex has about 150 houses of the same construction.  To my knowledge there have been no structural problems.

 

 

[Nungali]

'Sustainable' building : 

 

Sustainable house construction focuses on designing and building homes in an environmentally responsible way, minimizing their impact on the planet. This involves using renewable and non-toxic materials, maximizing energy efficiency, reducing waste, and implementing water conservation measure.

 

Is this what you mean ?  Are you restricted in  certain ways ?   IE.   is it an urban or rural development  ,  do you have land, or a townhouse or what ?  

 

I have some good advice from 'the ground up ' .... but maybe that is not the plan ? 

 

Eg .  wood is natural, renewable and non toxic , but many people avoid  or don't like the idea of using it . 

 

Also the specific environment  can make a huge difference . 

[old3bob]

 

some of those homes are built very well,  better than mine... but I don't know the different companies.

 

[NorthWide]

The land I purchase will be just out of town, obviously privacy screen.

 

Years of rainwater harbesting and usiNg electrostatic to dc generators and other methods... Yeah thats too complex for most, using a poNd as a reserVior... Lets stick to discussing construction metHods.

Edited April 15 by NorthWide

[Nungali]

If  timber is available  I prefer pole construction  with inside walls  .   Similar to traditional Japanese style  ... there are many advantages , but again depends on environment   (  permafrost  ? ) .   Some pole advantages  ; 

 

Depending on equipment , it can be a  two man job ;   dig hole with tractor post hole digger , stand pole up and brace . Use a  pole work platform  ( or two of them is better )  . Once the 2nd pole is in you have a framework to work from . 

'Inside' walls means  1 of 3 methods ; set the poles outside the walls  - extra wood is needed on the  bearer lengths but the walls frames can be easily made   and 'stood up'  from the inside . 

Outside walls -  interior room size is increased  but  floor, and ceiling  needs holes for poles to pass through . 

Poles and frames  together ;    difficult wood work and joinery , from the frames through to the lining and cladding . 

 

Also with a pole frame construction  you can put poles in and go straight to a roof  -   walls are non load bearing  so you can even use carpets or anything as walls  and you can build the walls in one at time when you can ,  the roof up second will also protect all the work underneath . 

 

If you have timber ; invest in a portable wood mill - very expensive  but immense savings on the end costs . 

 

Then again , maybe you have heating concerns   and want a concrete  slab that catches   the sun in the daytime    and  thick solid walls ?  Then  'concrete blocks '  might be a better  wall option .   or even   - I don't know what it is called , it is what they make refrigeration units and some trucks out of  ; 3 layers molded together ,  a 'plastic like' interior,  foam insulation , then metal skin  ( a guy I know used them for roofing - very efficient - ceiling insulation and roof all in one go . I don't see why you cant use them as walls . 

 

It mostly depends on your environment and what is available  to you . 

[Nungali]

... or just go 'Huf  Haus' - they have been doing it for years   and have some good designs  (  German engineering    )   ;   

 

(  This is a similar style to what I strive for here  beautiful finished wood , lots of glass ,  neat  shiny fittings , but after a LOT of hard work, various skills need and $$$$$$s   but  greatly  cheaper than asking a builder to make a house like that  .... to see a wall go in like this , with dressed and finished  timber - and not have to do all that yourself AND make mistakes -  and interior finish  - and some even have the wall , roof and floor sections ready plumbed wired and with drainage     , super easy , quick  and  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$s )

 

 

 

Over the years I have come up with some innovative design features  ( Including the blue prints and in some cases models - I highly recommend making a model ! 

 

Anyway, I won't  go further now ; first the basics need addressing  like   location, environment , orienteering , capital ,  resources , etc. 

 

 

[  I watched a Huff team from Germany assemble one in 4 days .  The last part of the 4th day the house was finished but then they emptied the truck and cleaned it , went over the engine .  Pulled all their equipment and tools apart and cleaned them, including their tool boxes , air blasted them out, washed all the tools, dried them and went over each one with an oily rag and repacked everything    .... Germans !  Gotta luv 'em !   And that is the type of fastidiousness and pride they have to assemble  your house .   The owner of this one , a Brit was amused at all that and at end as they where departing he questioned them as to why they where worried . They were worried that they where not running ahead of schedule enough , any hold up on the trip could make them late back to home base in Germany .  The Brit  asked '' So ? "   They replied , " Well, our boss will not be happy ! "

Brit ; "  Yeah, so .... and then what ?"

Germans ; "  .... he will not be happy . "  

 

.... or , you could bet a  builder from the UK         

 

 

 

Edited April 15 by Nungali

[NorthWide]

11 hours ago, Nungali said:

... or just go 'Huf  Haus' - they have been doing it for years   and have some good designs  (  German engineering    )   ;   

 

(  This is a similar style to what I strive for here  beautiful finished wood , lots of glass ,  neat  shiny fittings , but after a LOT of hard work, various skills need and $$$$$$s   but  greatly  cheaper than asking a builder to make a house like that  .... to see a wall go in like this , with dressed and finished  timber - and not have to do all that yourself AND make mistakes -  and interior finish  - and some even have the wall , roof and floor sections ready plumbed wired and with drainage     , super easy , quick  and  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$s )

 

 

 

Over the years I have come up with some innovative design features  ( Including the blue prints and in some cases models - I highly recommend making a model ! 

 

Anyway, I won't  go further now ; first the basics need addressing  like   location, environment , orienteering , capital ,  resources , etc. 

 

 

[  I watched a Huff team from Germany assemble one in 4 days .  The last part of the 4th day the house was finished but then they emptied the truck and cleaned it , went over the engine .  Pulled all their equipment and tools apart and cleaned them, including their tool boxes , air blasted them out, washed all the tools, dried them and went over each one with an oily rag and repacked everything    .... Germans !  Gotta luv 'em !   And that is the type of fastidiousness and pride they have to assemble  your house .   The owner of this one , a Brit was amused at all that and at end as they where departing he questioned them as to why they where worried . They were worried that they where not running ahead of schedule enough , any hold up on the trip could make them late back to home base in Germany .  The Brit  asked '' So ? "   They replied , " Well, our boss will not be happy ! "

Brit ; "  Yeah, so .... and then what ?"

Germans ; "  .... he will not be happy . "  

 

.... or , you could bet a  builder from the UK         

 

 

 

 

 

I like the pole construction idea...

Definately metal roof with soundproofing. Not going to go supersteep from the poles But enough to encorage the runoff into a reaserVoir pond with turbo snails  Probably add some iNterMittent heat and assistwd heat for winter and some structure to passivly proteCt surfaces and moss during wiNter.

My latitude is 45.4647° N so the house will face south with large windows and add some front Japanese style archetecture to prevent driftiNg (snow).

Pond water will be treatedin the manner of the edomite city of Petra. Only because I spent my life learning that crap and how to move water without exCessive energy.  ill add a huge garDen but most of it will Be douBle sCreened from view like JapaNeSe DeSign. The screen baffles will also divert runoff to the reservior.

Inside pipes Will be metal due to the additional PAW (cold atMospheric plasma) treatiNg the water. AnAnnnndd.. plastic Breaks down into bisphenols with plasma treated water which leads to cognitiVe DecliNe and death (PubMed).. so I treally hate plaStic like RIGHT NOW! 😡👺👹

 

So... now I just have to figure out how to Build it or Die trying.🤣😂😂🤣

 

But seriously, Ill probably uSe telephoNe poles for poles Cause their super cheap and alreaDy treated and usually super accessable and probably consult around until I find some really good iDeas. Obviously Im going to Need walls that Can hold windows and that wont work for the 3ply siDe insulation CeiliNg type tHiNg, exvept in places I might Be aBle to get away with it.

 

FiNally, it should be air tight, But airtight also means Mold. This time around buildiNg something I might try siliCa packs AND Alum since that dries tHe Sheet out of mold mayBe with a Built in periodic small ozone deViCe emBedded.. I dunno yet. Gonna see what I find.

 

Just did some sketches but it ends up looking like... um... a big grin literally.

 

(Its not easy for Me to type on a phoNe)

Edited April 15 by NorthWide

[Nungali]

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

 

I like the pole construction idea...

Definately metal roof with soundproofing. Not going to go supersteep from the poles But enough to encorage the runoff into a reaserVoir pond with turbo snails  Probably add some iNterMittent heat and assistwd heat for winter and some structure to passivly proteCt surfaces and moss during wiNter.

My latitude is 45.4647° N so the house will face south with large windows and add some front Japanese style archetecture to prevent driftiNg (snow).

Pond water will be treatedin the manner of the edomite city of Petra. Only because I spent my life learning that crap and how to move water without exCessive energy.  ill add a huge garDen but most of it will Be douBle sCreened from view like JapaNeSe DeSign. The screen baffles will also divert runoff to the reservior.

Inside pipes Will be metal due to the additional PAW (cold atMospheric plasma) treatiNg the water. AnAnnnndd.. plastic Breaks down into bisphenols with plasma treated water which leads to cognitiVe DecliNe and death (PubMed).. so I treally hate plaStic like RIGHT NOW! 😡👺👹

 

One idea that is easy with a raised floor  (on poles )  ;  get an old solar water heating panel/s , put it down hill from the house  and half way a storage tank , pipes running up to the house  ( they can be plastic as its non consumable water    ) and to and fro under the floor and then cover with insulation.  Under floor heating .  Recycle  through panel and tank in day, and heat the water , cycle through tank and underfool at night . 

 

But this is good for climate here ,  not sure about yours - pipes would travel through the cold and loose too much heat ??? 

 

Snow drift ?  What the hell is that  !      So there is a lot I  would not factor in for your situation . 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

So... now I just have to figure out how to Build it or Die trying.🤣😂😂🤣

 

Sketches, blue prints and models ... invaluable ! 

 

 

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

But seriously, Ill probably uSe telephoNe poles for poles Cause their super cheap and alreaDy treated and usually super accessable and probably consult around until I find some really good iDeas. Obviously Im going to Need walls that Can hold windows and that wont work for the 3ply siDe insulation CeiliNg type tHiNg, exvept in places I might Be aBle to get away with it.

 

Yes, they will need framework and fixing ... how windy does it get ? That can be a factor for securing windows . 

 

Another hint if using ply ;  put strips of wood on it at appropriate  intervals  and it gives the appearance of board and batten wall ; its heaps cheaper  than real B&B and a better look than  plain ply ;

 

 

 

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

FiNally, it should be air tight, But airtight also means Mold. This time around buildiNg something I might try siliCa packs AND Alum since that dries tHe Sheet out of mold mayBe with a Built in periodic small ozone deViCe emBedded.. I dunno yet. Gonna see what I find.

 

Some type of underground 'heat pump; system .... it will draw in fresh air and warm it . 

 

The farm down south I used to visit  got VERY cold  (for me ) . It had a great old school wood heater . The house was airtight . THis heater had glass panel doors at front ,  front loading with a side door for optional loading  (larger logs ) and a cooking top , It had tubes at the back that went through the wall to the outside  and sucked in  fresh cold air . They passed through the heater and warmed the fresh air and vented it out the top of the heater , this  went into the room and rose . As it cool it sank and pooled on the floor . The heater had a fire box air intake very close to the floor that flared out , like the end of a vacuum cleaner , sucking the cooled now stale air up, to feed the fire and expel it out the chimney  .   Sealed house , fresh warm air, no mold    

 

 

 

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

Just did some sketches but it ends up looking like... um... a big grin literally.

 

    emoji house  ? 

 

 

18 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

(Its not easy for Me to type on a phoNe)

 

Then type on a lap top   .... you are hard to read with all the Caps !  

[NorthWide]

On 4/15/2025 at 7:06 PM, Nungali said:

 

One idea that is easy with a raised floor  (on poles )  ;  get an old solar water heating panel/s , put it down hill from the house  and half way a storage tank , pipes running up to the house  ( they can be plastic as its non consumable water    ) and to and fro under the floor and then cover with insulation.  Under floor heating .  Recycle  through panel and tank in day, and heat the water , cycle through tank and underfool at night . 

 

But this is good for climate here ,  not sure about yours - pipes would travel through the cold and loose too much heat ??? 

 

Snow drift ?  What the hell is that  !      So there is a lot I  would not factor in for your situation . 

 

 

 

 

Sketches, blue prints and models ... invaluable ! 

 

 

 

Yes, they will need framework and fixing ... how windy does it get ? That can be a factor for securing windows . 

 

Another hint if using ply ;  put strips of wood on it at appropriate  intervals  and it gives the appearance of board and batten wall ; its heaps cheaper  than real B&B and a better look than  plain ply ;

 

 

 

 

Some type of underground 'heat pump; system .... it will draw in fresh air and warm it . 

 

The farm down south I used to visit  got VERY cold  (for me ) . It had a great old school wood heater . The house was airtight . THis heater had glass panel doors at front ,  front loading with a side door for optional loading  (larger logs ) and a cooking top , It had tubes at the back that went through the wall to the outside  and sucked in  fresh cold air . They passed through the heater and warmed the fresh air and vented it out the top of the heater , this  went into the room and rose . As it cool it sank and pooled on the floor . The heater had a fire box air intake very close to the floor that flared out , like the end of a vacuum cleaner , sucking the cooled now stale air up, to feed the fire and expel it out the chimney  .   Sealed house , fresh warm air, no mold    

 

 

 

 

    emoji house  ? 

 

 

 

Then type on a lap top   .... you are hard to read with all the Caps !  

 

In colder climates, having everything sealed leads to condensation. Condensation is water. Water accumulation in such places leads to mold.

 

I havent Built a lot of houses, but I have had some experiences with that.

 

Im sorry I didnt reply back soon.

 

[Sanity Check]

 

 

I remember this being cool.

 

Tiny house built on a trailer for mobility.

 

Super adobe / hyper adobe and yurt based designs seem like best low cost permanent options.

 

Search for prefabricated building home on amazon used to yield good results. Not so good anymore though.

[Nungali]

15 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

In colder climates, having everything sealed leads to condensation. Condensation is water. Water accumulation in such places leads to mold.

 

The systems I outlined above eliminate that .   If you draw in warm fresh air  and expel  warmed used air  in a heat closed  system, the moisture laden used or 'stale' air is expelled .   the same way your house will not fill with moisture if air circulates around it from open windows .

 

Or your car heater .... drive around in the cold,  your windows will   'fog' up    Fog is water     .  put the heater on and fresh air is drawn in, warmed, circulates, picks up your 'breath moisture ..... and while it is suspended in the warm air  is expelled out of vents from the interior . 

 

Me ?   I get moisture and mold  regardless  ..... welcome to the rainforest !  

 

  Wow !   Since 'ever'  I have never been able to find a pic online of this .  It's the waterfall and escarpment opposite my place  and the view from my garden - this shot is angled higher than I get from my place . 

 

 

15 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

I havent Built a lot of houses, but I have had some experiences with that.

 

You have experiences with mold ?       

 

 

 

 

Wow !  That dance crowd is having a great time !  

 

 

W

[NorthWide]

On 4/24/2025 at 5:11 PM, Nungali said:

 

The systems I outlined above eliminate that .   If you draw in warm fresh air  and expel  warmed used air  in a heat closed  system, the moisture laden used or 'stale' air is expelled .   the same way your house will not fill with moisture if air circulates around it from open windows .

 

Or your car heater .... drive around in the cold,  your windows will   'fog' up    Fog is water     .  put the heater on and fresh air is drawn in, warmed, circulates, picks up your 'breath moisture ..... and while it is suspended in the warm air  is expelled out of vents from the interior . 

 

Me ?   I get moisture and mold  regardless  ..... welcome to the rainforest !  

 

  Wow !   Since 'ever'  I have never been able to find a pic online of this .  It's the waterfall and escarpment opposite my place  and the view from my garden - this shot is angled higher than I get from my place . 

 

 

 

You have experiences with mold ?       

 

 

 

 

Wow !  That dance crowd is having a great time !  

 

 

W

 

😐

Yeah, It was people who had called us and had completely sealed around their windows and had water accumulation.

 

Then there was this guy who insulated and lived out of his van that we had to bring to the hospital. His van was full of black mold.

 

Somehow, I haVe this strange feeling that maybe, just maybe, there might be a possibility that you might not know what you are talking about. But, thats okay because I used to think people held themselves to the same standards.

 

E.g. In the past I used to respond with "I dont know, maybe salt for toothpaste alternatives due to flouride salts from plants or aquafers. The fact is I often admitted in circumstances that I was wrong. I can't do that in this post now, knowing what I know.

[Cobie]

 

 

 

On 25/04/2025 at 12:11 AM, Nungali said:

.... welcome to the rainforest !  … It's the waterfall and escarpment opposite my place  and the view from my garden - this shot is angled higher than I get from my place . …

 

Impressive. 

 

[Nungali]

15 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

😐

Yeah, It was people who had called us and had completely sealed around their windows and had water accumulation.

 

Then there was this guy who insulated and lived out of his van that we had to bring to the hospital. His van was full of black mold.

 

Somehow, I haVe this strange feeling that maybe, just maybe, there might be a possibility that you might not know what you are talking about. But, thats okay because I used to think people held themselves to the same standards.

 

Did you get that 'strange feeling'  because of what I said about mold and how I explained a fresh air circulation wood heater ?    Or what ?  

 

Of course  TOTALLY  sealing a room is crazy, one would suffocate eventually . The moisture comes out of one's body via breath  and that moist air with a higher CO² content needs to be expelled .  That's where the moisture comes from

 

How about you explain what you are not understanding here - that lead you to think I am giving you advice 'without knowing what I am talking about  ? 

 

Hmmmmmmmm   ? 

 

and while you are at it you can explain what you are talking about and explain how someone can be 'totally full of black mold ' . 

 

15 hours ago, NorthWide said:

 

E.g. In the past I used to respond with "I dont know, maybe salt for toothpaste alternatives due to flouride salts from plants or aquafers. The fact is I often admitted in circumstances that I was wrong. I can't do that in this post now, knowing what I know.

 

Did you think that helping you by explaining a remedy to what you are worried about meant I thought you where wrong  in outlining the mold problem ? 

 

Or what ?  - you are becoming hard to follow again . 

 

 

[Nungali]

1 hour ago, Cobie said:

 

 

 

Impressive. 

 

 

Its a weird photo ; from here  I have to look up, its a lot longer away , looks a lot bigger and is set back more from the front of the cliffs .   And strangely the trees look large in relationship to the waterfall, which makes the waterfall look smaller .  

 

... you can see it looks really different from this angle ..... 

 

 

[Cobie]

18 minutes ago, Nungali said:

… looks a lot bigger …

Stop it, I can’t take it anymore; I’m living in a flowerpot https://en.visitnijmegen.com/to-discover/nature 

 

Edited Saturday at 10:58 PM by Cobie

[Nungali]

What are the beaches like there ?    

 

Anything like this ?  

 

[Nungali]

14 minutes ago, Cobie said:

Stop it, I can’t take it anymore; I’m living in a flowerpot https://en.visitnijmegen.com/to-discover/nature 

 

 

 

 

 

(They even have the same sounding accents as you guys do over there .  ) 

[Cobie]

6 minutes ago, Nungali said:

What are the beaches like there ?    

 

Anything like this ?  

Righto, I’m crying now. Logging out.