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SALT LAKE CITY -- When you think of a "pre-fab" home, what comes to mind? A double wide? A smaller and rickety structure that lets all the heat out and cold air in?
The energy efficiency of pre-built homes is about equal to homes built on site.
Well, home builders say pre-built homes are far better than what you may imagine. Salt Lake Home Builders Association Executive Officer Curtis W. Dowdle says the energy efficiency of pre-built homes is about equal to homes built on site.
"[Homes are] 50 percent more energy efficient than they were 10 years ago and probably 80 percent more than 12 years ago," Dowdle said.
Many factors go into how efficient any home is. Dowdle says even the shape of a home can lead to energy loss.
"Some of the home designs that have a lot of corners and that type of thing aren't typically as energy efficient as maybe the square boxes," he explained.
Another reason for the increased efficiency in recent years is strict inspections by agencies like Energy Star and Thermwise.
"Those have independent raters that go out besides the city inspections. After the home is framed and insulated, those Energy Star people go out with a fine tooth comb and part of [their inspection] is how those components fit together," he said.
Zoning laws make it very difficult to place an entirely pre-fabricated home within Salt Lake County, but an increasing number of newer homes are being built with some pre-built components. He says some things, like roof trusses, are actually better when they're made in a factory than when they're built on site.
"Every truss that goes on a house has to be certified by a licensed as to its snow load capacity and weight bearing [ability]. About the only way you can do that is to have those built in factory conditions," Dowdle said.
But, even if zoning laws made it so pre-fabricated homes could be placed anywhere in Salt Lake County, Dowdle doesn't believe they would ever really become the most popular model of home. He says customers still like to have some options or custom features in the house they're hoping to buy.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
