Saratoga Modular Homes

Three great Home Shows coming to the Capital Region!

Cecil Provost — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:42:09 +0000

Each of the next 3 months will bring a great home show to our region!

The Great Northeast Home Show comes to the Times Union Center in Albany NY on February 10-12.

The Saratoga Springs Home Show comes to the Saratoga City Center in Saratoga Springs NY on March 2-4.

The Capital Region Spring Home Show comes to the Halfmoon Sportsplex in Clifton Park NY on April 13-15.

For more information, visit our facebook events page at:

http://www.facebook.com/events/334578969897609/?context=create#!/pages/Saratoga-Modular-Homes-LLC/135877526743?sk=events

Hope to see you there!

Offsight Construction = Green Construction

Cecil Provost — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:19:44 +0000

Due to recent advances in technology and consumer awareness, there is a growing acceptance of the environmental advantages of offsite, prefabricated, and modular building systems.

Think of modular construction as a construction process rather than a type or style of building. The difference between offsite and traditional, onsite construction comes from where the building is built, not how. Sixty to 90 percent of commercial buildings are built offsite in a factory-controlled environment and transported and assembled at the final building site.

Due to the quality-controlled process, modular construction by nature is material and resource-efficient and allows for the following green benefits:

1. Less construction waste
2. Design for deconstruction
3. Repurposing buildings for secondary locations
4. Fewer site disturbances
5. Improved indoor air quality
6. Reduced construction schedules

Less Construction Waste

Offsite construction makes it possible to optimize construction material purchases and usage while minimizing onsite waste. Since modular builders work in a factory controlled environment, they can have many construction projects underway simultaneously in one location, so they are better able to re-inventory materials that may have been allocated to one project, for use in another. With site built construction, a general contractor would send any overage to the recycle bin or to the dump.

Bulk material deliveries sent to the manufacturing facility are also stored in a protected environment safe from theft and exposure to the environmental conditions of a job site.

Design for Deconstruction

Modular buildings are also more readily designed for deconstruction. The fact that the modular building is assembled in modules means that it can be disassembled at the end of its useful life. Buildings can be reused by simply reversing the process in which they were installed on site.

Repurposing Buildings

One of the most sustainable concepts for the building industry is remodeling and reusing existing modular buildings instead of building new ones. Relocatable buildings have a useful life of approximately 20 years if properly maintained and permanent modular buildings can last over 60 years. Capital improvements can also extend the useful life of these buildings. Once the buildings have served their purpose in one location, they can be moved or reassembled to accommodate the next use.

Fewer Site Disturbances

Because of the unique offsite construction process, modular construction workers report to work at the same manufacturing facility rather than commuting to and from various construction sites. Once a project is completed in the factory, the building components are then transported to the site for installation. This process greatly minimizes the traffic from workers, equipment, and perhaps most importantly, suppliers. Rather than making multiple deliveries to the site, modular manufacturers buy in bulk with fewer deliveries.

Improved Indoor Air Quality

Many of the indoor air quality issues identified in new construction result from high moisture levels in the framing materials. Because the modular structure is substantially completed in a factory-controlled setting using dry materials, the potential for high levels of moisture being trapped in the new construction is eliminated.

Reduced Construction Schedule

With modular construction the site preparation and construction take place at the same time. This allows for most projects to be completed 30 percent to 50 percent sooner. This streamlined and efficient work process results in few labor hours needed per project, thus fewer trips to the site per project. Earlier occupancy of a building also allows for faster revenue generation.

Free bus trip to tour modular home factory

Cecil Provost — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:30:12 +0000

YOU’RE INVITED!
Saratoga Modular and Westchester Modular (our manufacturer) invite all interested homebuyers to tour their factory. The tours are free and open to the public. Participants must be 18 to tour the factory.Before making the biggest investment of your lifetime, it makes sense to see how your dream will be built. We firmly believe that when you see the quality and craftsmanship that goes into our homes, you’ll never be willing to settle for anything less than a Westchester home.Our next complimentary bus tour to the Westchester Factory is November 5th. Lunch included! For details and registration, please call 587-0100.

Timber Block NY to host free educational seminar in Saratoga Springs

Cecil Provost — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:54:07 +0000

Saratoga Springs, New York – September 26, 2011 – Due to an overwhelming amount of interest, inquiries and requests, Timber Block will be hosting a complimentary log home building seminar in Saratoga Springs Tuesday, October 4.

Mike McLaughlin, Sales Manager of Timber Block of Upstate NY and former national Sales Manager for Lincoln Logs, says Timber Block’s insulated log home building system is absolutely revolutionizing the log home industry. “With this unique building system, our walls are erected in hours and homes are weather-tight in days. Our method eliminates most of the maintenance required with traditional log homes, AND saves our clients thousands of dollars in the process.” Cecil Provost, owner of Timber Block of Upstate NY, added “It’s no wonder that Timber Block is the dominant log home company in Canada, and we’re proud to be one of their first dealers in the USA.”

The program will be led by Craig Johnson, President of Timber Block USA. “Today’s consumers are very wise when it comes to home building. They are less likely to buy on beauty alone, but want it all – beauty, quality, efficiency, and more, and they won’t settle for less. Nor should they. So, they’re turning to Timber Block to help them build a home that doesn’t just meet their needs, but exceeds them.”

This 90-minute program will introduce and explain Timber Block’s patented design/build process. Seminar topics will include: designing your custom log home, construction process and timelines, factory finish versus on-site finish, costs of building, and more. Art Maxon from Berkshire Bank will also discuss construction and land purchase financing options.

The complimentary seminar will be held at 7 pm, Tuesday, Oct 4 at the Marriott Residence Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY. This program is free of charge, but reservations are required.

For more information, contact:

Leslie McLain

Timber Block of Upstate NY

518-587-0100

info@timberblockny.com

Join Us for an Upcoming Modular Set in Saratoga Springs

Cecil Provost — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:18:50 +0000

You are invited to check out one of our modular sets. This is the day the pre-constructed modules are delivered and assembled on the home site. Our next Saratoga set is scheduled for September 8th. Call us for all the details- hope to see you there!

Whitepaper Cites Government Report Promoting Efficiency of Modular Construction

Cecil Provost — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:29:23 +0000

Charlottesville, VA -The Modular Building Institute (MBI) has published a whitepaper that cites a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Research Council (NRC) which identifies modular construction as an underutilized resource and a breakthrough for theU.S. construction industry to advance its competitiveness and efficiency.

The NRC report, developed at the request of NIST, was the result of the work of an ad hoc committee of experts, assembled to provide advice for advancing the competitiveness and productivity of the U.S.construction industry. The committee’s specific task was to plan and conduct a workshop to identify and prioritize technologies, processes, and deployment activities that have the greatest potential to advance significantly the productivity and competitiveness of the capital facilities sector of the U.S.construction industry in the next 20 years. The committee identified five breakthroughs to improve the efficiency and productivity of the construction industry, including breakthrough number three: “Greater use of prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication techniques and processes.”

“This report validates what we in the industry have long known; that a greater use of off-site construction leads to improved efficiency and productivity.” said Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute. “Modular construction is a more resource-efficient, inherently greener process and more developers and owners are beginning to realize these advantages.”

(Left) Milestones Middle School in Phoenix, AZ, a modular building completed in 166 days by Accelerated Construction Technologies; (middle) Example of a factory-controlled environment; (right) [Un] Modular Design for Deconstruction, winner of the EPA’s 2009 Lifecycle Building Challenge Awards

The NIST/NRC report also says “Manufacturing building components off-site provides for more controlled conditions and allows for improved quality and precision in the fabrication of the component.”

In addition, the report says that prefabrication and modularization allow for the following:

More controlled conditions for weather, quality control, improved supervision of labor, easier access to tools, and fewer material deliveries (Construction Industry Institute, 2002).

Fewer job-site environmental impacts because of reductions in material waste, air and water pollution, dust and noise, and overall energy costs, although prefabrication and related technologies may also entail higher transportation costs and energy costs at off-site locations;

Compressed project schedules that result from changing the sequencing of work flow (e.g., allowing for the assembly of components off-site while foundations are being poured on-site; allowing for the assembly of components off-site while permits are being processed);

Fewer conflicts in work crew scheduling and better sequencing of crafts persons;

Reduced requirements for on-site materials storage, and fewer losses or misplacements of materials; and

Increased workers safety through reduced exposures to inclement weather, temperature extremes, and ongoing or hazardous operations; better working conditions (e.g., components traditionally constructed on-site at heights or in confined spaces can be fabricated off-site and then hoisted into place using cranes) (Construction Users Roundtable, 2007).

The NIST/NRC report goes on to state, “Prefabrication and related techniques are commonly used in the construction of industrial projects, but they are also used, if less frequently, for commercial and infrastructure projects. The committee believes that greater use and deployment of these techniques (if used appropriately) can result in lower project costs, shorter schedules, improved quality, more efficient use of labor and materials, and improved worker safety.”

Excerpts of the report are reprinted with permission from the National Academies Press. A full copy of the report is available on the MBI Web site here and the whitepaper can be viewed here.

I highly recommend this author

Cecil Provost — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:00:27 +0000

If you want to learn more about modular construction, I highly recommend the books by author Sheri Koones. Her most recent book, Prefabulous + Sustainable: Building and Customizing an Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home, she shows just how beautiful and green modular homes can be.

Here are some reviews of the book:

“Sheri Koones has written another important book on the value of building Prefab-this one clearly explaining the enormous sustainability benefits of the process. Prefab, she explains, is intrinsically green for many reasons, but especially because there is so much less waste in the manufacturing process than in a standard site built home. The book illustrates some exceptionally beautiful prefabricated homes from around the country, all of them pointing to the fact that a well designed and built prefab home is a superior house and a more planet friendly alternative to the standard way of building. It’s time that more of us were building this way. Sheri is showing us how.” Sarah Susanka, FAIA, architect and author of The Not So Big House series and The Not So Big Life

“Sheri Koones taught us in Prefabulous that prefab is no longer synonymous with trailers and double-wides. With this book she is sharing a more important revelation, prefab offers an attractive, affordable path to green solutions. It’s a convincing story about accomplishing more for less—more style, health, efficiency, sustainability and livability with less waste, energy, water, maintenance, time and cost. I wish it had been available for the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and for Greensburg KS and know it will soon become required reading for anyone interested in quality housing for the 21st Century.” Bob Berkebile, FAIA

Great article from the New York Times

Cecil Provost — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:40:08 +0000

I just found this great article that highlights some of the commercial applications for modular constuction.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Squeezing Costs, Builders Take New Look at Prefab

By RONDA KAYSEN

Published: June 14, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — A package arrived on a shabby north Philadelphia block in January 2010, wrapped in Tyvek and measuring 55 feet long and 16 feet wide. Inside was a kitchenette, a bathroom and two bedrooms. The only thing missing was the toilet bowl lid. Just six weeks — and 88 similar packages — later, the Modules at Templetown, a four-story student-housing complex of 80,000 square feet near Temple University here, had completely risen from its concrete foundation.

The technique used to build the Modules, modular construction or prefab, in which major components are assembled off-site, has a long history in the single-family housing market, but its place in the commercial field has been limited. Currently just 1 percent of the commercial building market is prefab, mostly limited to schools, hospitals, dormitories or retail stores, although the largest modular building in the country is a 21-story Hilton hotel in San Antonio that was erected in 1968.

Now, with an emphasis on materials conservation and reuse, and developers looking to squeeze costs any way they can, modular construction is getting a closer look.

Often the word prefab conjures images of inexpensive and poorly built structures like trailer homes. But proponents of prefab, many of whom shudder at the moniker, say that modular design done well is anything but cheaply built. A modularly constructed building uses the same materials as a traditional one. But because it is made in a factory, workers are not battling the elements and can construct it more soundly and with less waste, proponents say.

“The quality of what you can assemble is infinitely higher on a factory floor,” said the hotelier André Balazs, who considered building a luxury modular hotel atop the High Line in Manhattan, but abandoned the idea when he found it too costly in New York.

Mr. Balazs said he was in discussions with manufacturers in Europe to build individual hotel units abroad and ship them to this country to assemble a boutique hotel in Los Angeles, a process that could be replicated in other cities.

Nearly all contemporary buildings rely on some element of prefabrication, with facades largely constructed off-site and windows and doors standardized. Even “bathroom pods,” bathrooms built and assembled off-site, are becoming increasingly common. But the idea of building most of the building in a factory and setting it atop a foundation simply has not taken off.

“Is the technology there to do it? Yes. Is the desire? Yes,” said Christopher Sharples, a principal at SHoP Architects, which is designing a possible 34-story prefab tower for the developer Forest City Ratner at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn. “In the near future, I think people are going to become more educated about what the potential of this approach could be.”

The market share of commercial modular construction is poised to increase in the next five years, according to the Modular Building Institute, an industry trade group. In addition to the possibility of a tower at Atlantic Yards, an eight-story modular apartment building is scheduled to break ground this summer in the University City section of Philadelphia.

What makes a home ENERGY STAR qualified?

Cecil Provost — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:49:06 +0000

Now more than ever, homeowners are trying to reduce their energy usage and cost. One way to do this is to build an ENERGY STAR qualified home.

To earn the ENERGYSTAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC) , and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.

And with homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGYSTAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGYSTAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA’s guidelines, including: single family, attached, and low-rise multi-family homes; manufactured homes; systems-built homes (e.g., SIP, ICF, or modular construction); log homes, concrete homes; and even existing retrofitted homes.

ENERGYSTAR qualified homes can include a variety of ‘tried-and-true’ energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution.

For more information, visit the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy at www.energystar.gov

Join us for our latest modular set!

Cecil Provost — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:06:16 +0000

We are setting another home next week, and you’re invited. This new home is a cape-chalet, with one wall of windows to let in the light and the view. It has four modules, each crafted for our clients to be beautiful, functional, and energy efficient!

It is fun and fascinating to watch a new modular home arrive on trucks and be expertly pieced together in one afternoon.

This set will take place next week in Perth, New York. If you would like to witness green construction at its finest, call the Saratoga Modular office at (518) 587-0100 for date, time, and directions.