Fast Facts On Panelized Building Systems

• Building Systems are modular, panelized and log building components that are produced in a quality controlled environment. They adhere to the same state and local building codes as do traditional housing.
  
• According to Automated Builder magazine, more than 50 percent of all homes are constructed in whole or in part by using building systems.
  
• Using building systems can reduce expenses and construction time.
  
• The average time it takes to complete a systems built home is 4 to 8 weeks.
  
• Most building systems manufacturers use computers to create customized plans to meet the design and budget needs for both affordable and high-end luxury home buyers. Manufacturers can usually construct a systems-built home from standard blueprints.
  
• In 1996, approximately 37,000 modular homes and 110,000 panelized units were produced. The log home industry estimates that the equivalent of 25,000 1,500-square-foot log homes were produced. All types have seen a steady increase in recent years, and continued growth is predicted.
  
• Systems-built homes are often referred to as "Panelizedricated" or "factory built." They are not "manufactured." That term, synonymous with "mobile," refers to houses built to the less stringent HUD building code standard.
  
• Modules are 90-95 percent complete when they are shipped from the factory to the building site to be affixed to a conventional foundation. Two or more sections, 12 to 16 feet wide and up to 60 feet long are combined to create the finished building. Modules may also be stacked to make two- or three-story single-family homes, apartments or office buildings.
  
• Open wall panels are wall sections containing exterior sheathing only. Plumbing, wiring, insulation, and interior sheathing are installed at the building site. Most panelized homes are open wall systems. Closed wall panels have exterior walls finished with insulation, electrical, and plumbing systems installed.
  
• Geodesic dome homes are constructed of triangular panels, creating an energy efficient home that maximizes living space using a minimal amount of materials. Buckminster Fuller was the first to formulate geodesic principles for dome construction.
  
• Log home companies produce factory-made or hand-crafted log homes with solid log walls ranging from 6 to 15 inches in thickness. Thermal mass characteristics of log walls make log homes as energy efficient as conventionally insulated walls. Solid wood homes are one of the most environmentally-compatible housing choices because of their thermal mass characteristics and the renewability of the building materials.