walls

Exterior Load Bearing Walls - Exterior walls are constructed from 2x6 dimensional lumber, the same that is used in site built homes. The exterior sheathing is either OSB (oriented strand board) or plywood. Most homes built today use exterior sheathing that is 7/16 of an inch thick both in modular home and site built homes.

Load Bearing Walls

Types of Load Bearing Walls

Load bearing walls in a modular home support the structure from both vertical and horizontal forces. Vertical forces include the weight of the home's construction components, the occupants and exterior loads such as the added weight of snow. Load bearing modular home walls include the framing, exterior sheathing and drywall. Load bearing walls in a modular home include the exterior, marriage and sloped walls.

Exterior Walls Modular Home Construction

The exterior walls of a modular home are constructed with dimensional lumber, exterior sheathing and drywall. inside the walls insulation is placed to minimize heat transfer in the home. Site built home and modular homes are constructed with the materials. The primary difference between a modular and a stick built home is the pocess or the order in which the wall assemblies are put together.

Site Built Home Process

When a home is being built on site, the walls are framed, then propped in place. After the walls are in place the exterior sheating is connected to the studs. Stick built homes are built from the outside in. When the walls are constructed the carpenters use their squares and lines to make sure the walls are straight as possible. This leaves room for error and allows walls not to be as straight as a modular home's wall components.

Modular Home Process

When the walls of your modular home is framed, the lumber is placed on a steel jig and the lumber is put into place. The jig allows the carpenters in the plant to square the wall systems with the jig, ensuring square construction. Ater the prefab home's walls are squared, drywall is attached to the assemble with glue and drywall nails. Some modular home factories use a two part super strong expoxy in addition to screws and glue for the dry wall. Since a modular home's exterior walls are built from the inside out, the carpenters can also add a layer of mud on drywall joints and place a piece of drywall on the joint to add additional strength to the wall system.

Typical exterior walls in a modular home are constructed with two by six inch dimensional lumber. The Standard Exterior Walls

Marriage Walls

Sloped Walls

Load Bearing Wall Materials

Spacing of Load Bearing Walls

Interior Finish of Load Bearing Walls

Insulaiton Inside Load Bearing Walls

Load bearing walls in a modular home include exterior walls, sloped walls and marriage walls. Your home must resist both vertical and horizontal loads. Vertical load include the weight of the home, the occupants and snow. Horizontal loads a load bearing wall must hold is exterior pressure created by air pressure and wind.

What Are The Components of Modular Home's Load Bearing Walls?

Framing - The framing of the exterior walls provide the horizontal and vertical strength to hold the walls in place. Interior Finishe

Exterior Finsih

Insulation

where as horizontal loads incude enironemental forces such as wind

. Wh

Non-Load Bearing Walls

Types of Walls in a Modular Home

There are primarily two types of walls in a modular home which include load bearing and non load bearing walls. Load bearing walls hold the structure in place from both horizontal and vertical pressures. Non load bearing walls in a modular home are used to divide spaces into living spaces.

Vertical Loads - The weight of the modular home creates Both load bearing walls and non load bearing walls in a modular home are constructed from dimensional lumber or light steel. The standard wall framing material in modular homes is dimensional lumber or wood. If a builder of customer requests light steel for wall framing, some modular home factories will comply with this request.

Most modular homes are built using wood rather than steel, however some factories will frame the modules with light steel if required or desired by the customer or builder.

The Load bearing walls Load Bearing -The loads applied to the walls of a modular home include teh weight of the Exterior Walls and Marriage Walls

Framing Materials

Framing Measurements

Non-Load Bearing Walls -

walls in a modular home have two purposes: walls which provide load bearing support to hold the structure of the roof and walls to devide spaces in the home. The load bearing walls in a modular home include the exterior walls, sloped walls and the marriage walls. The interior walls devide the spaces of the home to create rooms within the home. Interior walls of a modular homes are not load bearing walls. All of the walls in a modular home are constructed on a jig in the factory to ensure the walls are square and will line up when the modules are set on the foundation.

Load Bearing Walls

Exterior Walls - The exterior walls of a modular home consist of framing, exterior sheathing, dry walls and insulation. Windows and doors are installed in the exterior walls after the walls have been placed and connected to the modules floor system in the factory at the time of construction.

Exterior Wall Framing

There is little to no difference between a modular homes exterior wall framing and a site built home's framing. The primary difference is modular home walls are built on a jig to insure straightness where a site built home is built by using eyeballs and string to ensure straightness of the walls.

Load bearing exterior modular home walls are required to hold the weight of the homes roof and floor systems in place. Modular home use either 2x4 or 2x6 dimensional lumber for exterior wall framing. In the past 2x4s were the standard exterior for exterior walls, however the requirements for increased insulation on the exterior walls have made 2x6 framing the most common standard.

Two By Four Wall Framing

Two by four walls require the walls to be framed sixteen inches on center to provide adequate structural support for the home. The exterior wall cavity in a 2x4 wall is three and a half inches which only provides space for an R-11 of fiberglass insulation. In addition to having less space for insulation, 2x4 walls also require the studs be placed sixteen inches on center for structural support. when a wall is framed sixteen inches on center, thermal bridging occurs more often in the modulars wall system which increase energy loss in the home.

Two by Four Modular Home Walls and Insulation.

The most common insulation used in building a modular home is fiberglass due to it's low cost factor. Todays energy codes in most states require exterior walls to have an R-Value of R-19 or higher. To achieve an R-19 or better in exterior walls would requrie additional insulation to be added to the exterior side of the walls. The most common exterior insulation added to 2x4 walls is two inch rigid foam board insulation. Two inches of rigid insulation provides an additional R-10 of insulation which provide a total R-Value of R-23 for exterior walls. However taking thermal bridging into consideration the total R-Value for the wall assembly is close to the same R-Value of a 2x6 wall framed sixteen inches on center.

Adding two inches of rigid insulation to the exterior walls of a modular home increases the cost by requirering additional materials be supplied and installed, all of the exterior windows and door trim must be increased by two inches and it is more difficult to connect exterior siding to the walls with the soft rigid insulation foam between the exterior sheathing and studs of the modular home's exterior walls which hold the siding onto the house.

Two By Six Modular Home Walls

6s f

roofs, gambrel ro Optional roof systems for modular homes include: hipped roofs, mansard roofs, "flat" and

depending on the factory. The roof system can be built using hinged rafters or preassambled trusses. The roof system requries extertior decking and When a modular home's ceiling is

Horizontal loads an exteexterior walls must resist primarily such as wind.

Floor System - The floor system of a modular home is constructed on a jig to make the floor square. The floor system is constructed of with 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 lumber with either plywood or OSB (oriented strand board). The floor system of a modular home is often over looked as a potential option upgrade. Some modular home factories offer the thinnest floor decking available and others offer a double layer of floor decking.

Walls - The walls of a modular home are constructed of 2x6 so walls can be insulated to local and state building codes. Exterior walls in modular homes are sheathed with wood sheathing. Often tract builders will only install cardboard sheathing or rigid insulation board as the primary sheathing on their home.

Ceiling Systems - The standard height for a modular home ceiling is eight feet tall. However you can upgrade your ceiling height to up to ten feet depending on your location in the country. In addition to flat ceilings, you can upgrade to cathedral ceilings, vaulted ceilings, tray ceilings and dropped soffits and bulk heads for your modular home ceiling,

Stairs - Modular home stairs for two story modular homes are installed at the factory. The stairs can designed a single run stairs, split stair way systems of almost any stairway configuration that will fit your prefab homes design. In addition to stair ways, one must consider stair rail styles and installation.

Strapping - In addition to walls, ceilings and roof systems being nailed, glued and lag bolted, modular home components are also strapped together for additional strength. Steel strapping is used to strengthen the connection between the modules for transportation and set.

Cantilevers - A cantilever for a modular home allows a home to have additional dimensional appeal. The most common cantilever in modular home construction is used on raised ranch modular homes. The cantilever can also be used on two story, Cape Cod floor plans and modernist modular home designs.

Modular Garages - Modular home garages can be constructed at the factory or they can be built on site. If your home floor plan has an integrated garage, the modular home company will build the garage in the factory. Free standing or detached garages are often best built on site.

Roofs - Modular home roof systems fold down for transportation and are raised and secured into position after the home is set on the foundation. Modular home roofs can have low pitched roofs - modernist floor plans to steep Cape Cod roof pitches of 12/12. In addition to standard gable roofs, modular homes can have flat, mansard roofs, gambrel and hip roofs. Another element of modular home roofs are dormers.

Module Layouts - Modular home modules can be "pieced" together to form almost any shape. In addition to being laid out in multiple configurations, the modules for modular homes can also be stacked upon each other. The design of your modular home will dictated how the modules are placed and stacked together.

Bump Outs - Modular homes with bumpiest have additional curbside appeal. A bum pout can be connected to the main box or it can be constructed as its own module. Bump outs on a modular home can also add dimension to the interior of the home. Breakfast nooks, home offices and living rooms benefit with additional depth or special spaces with bumpiest on a modular home.

Wedge Boxes - A wedge box for a modular home is a finished roof box for a Cape Cod floor plan, a bonus room over a garage, cathedral or sloped ceilings in modular homes. There primary benefit to a wedge box is additional finished space from the factory. Depending on your home's design and your requirements will influence if your home is constructed with wedge modules of boxes.

Modular Home Construction Options

During the design stage one should consider the construction options for their new modular home. Construction options include the floors, wall, ceilings and roof system. Often overlooked is the floor system when a modular home is being priced out. When it comes to the walls of the home, many people feel sixteen on center framing is required to make a good home. The ceiling system of a modular home might be the most radical difference between a site built home and a modular home. Modular home factories use both truss systems and rafter systems, depending on the prefab home factory.

Modular Home Roof Pitches

Roof pitch on a modular homes makes a major difference to the overall appearance of prefab homes. To the left you will see a 3/12 roof pitch and on the far right is a 12/12 roof pitch. 3/12 roof pitches are common on manufactured homes or double wide homes. The unit in the middle below has a 7/12 roof pitch which is a common roof pitch for most modular home factories. The 12/12 roof on the far right is the standard on modular cape cods.

The advantage of having a higher roof pitch on a modular home include: appearance and the opportunity for a storage attic or additional living space.

Modular Home Roof Framing

There are two types of modular home roof framing systems: trusses and rafters. Modular homes incorporate trusses and rafter systems into their homes roofs. Both the rafters and truss systems "fold" down to accomodate delivery route height restrictions. Some modular home factories construct wedge boxes - A wedge box for a modular home is usually a finished space with a steep roof pitch - 12/12 - often found on cape cods.

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