FACTORY BUILT HOUSING

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FACTORY BUILT HOUSING
Tom Bartsch
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Applicable Codes and Standards

• Building Code of NY
• Residential Code of NY
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 24 (CFR 24),
  Part 3280 (HUD)
• NFPA 501-99 Standard on Manufactured Housing
• ANSI 119.1 (American National Standards
  Institute)
• NCSBCS/ANSI A225-1-1994 (National Conference
  of States on Building Codes and Standards, Inc.)

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Factory Built Housing

• There are several types of factory-built housing
  structures
• Modular
• Panelized
• Pre-cut
• and Manufactured
• All are transported to the site and assembled.

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MODULAR, Panelized and Pre-Cut HOMES
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Factory Built Housing

• Definition of Modular Building
• A factory-manufactured dwelling unit, conforming
  to applicable provisions of the NYS code and
  bearing insignia of approval issued by the State
  Fire Prevention and Code Council, which is
  constructed by a method or system of construction
  whereby the structure or its components are
  wholly or in substantial part manufactured in a
  manufacturing facility, intended or designed for
  permanent installation, or assembly and permanent
  installation.

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Factory Built Housing

• Modular Buildings
• built in different modules or sections.
• meets state building and local codes.

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Modular
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Hard to believe, this is a Modular
The roof is being installed
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This a Modular Home!!!!
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Factory Built Housing

• Panelized Building
• whole wall with windows, doors, wiring, etc.,
• meets state building and local codes.

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Factory Built Housing

• Pre-cut Buildings
• kit, log, and concrete,
• meets state building and local codes.

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Factory Built Housing

• Modular Recognition

• very difficult to tell if factory or site built,
• uses same framing, heating and cooling
  materials,
• value the same as site built structures,
• can be multi-storied.

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Factory Built Housing

• Modular buildings have unique features
• there may be larger than expected,
• concealed void spaces between each of the
  modules,
• in multi-story modular buildings, there is
  typically a void space between each story and
  cavities in the walls, these voids are larger
  than site built structures.

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Factory Built Housing

• Modular building are constructed using adhesives
  instead of nails or screws to attach drywall to
  the ceiling and wall studs.
• possibility of adhesive failure due to fire
  behind the wall,
• heat conducted through the drywall could cause
  adhesive to fail.

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MANUFACTURED HOMES
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Factory Built Housing

• Manufactured Building
• may be single or multi-section,
• code requires that sections be built on a
  permanent chassis,
• does not require a permanent foundation,
• immune to local building codes,
• may be governed by local Zoning laws,
• must comply with Code of Federal Regulations,
  Title 24 (CFR 24), Part 3280 Manufactured Home
  Construction and Safety Standards which
  supersedes local codes. (HUD)

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Factory Built Housing
Chassis and wheels
Skirt covering chassis and sometimes the wheels,
if they havent been removed
Manufactured Homes used to be called Mobile
Homes
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Factory Built Housing

• Manufactured Homes aka Prefabricated Homes
• The term Mobil Homes was used prior to 1976
  HUD Code Enactment
• strong trailer frames, axles, wheels tow
  hitch.
• Post 1976 units bear a label certifying
  compliance with HUD standards.

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Factory Built Housing

• The Certification Label is permanently affixed
  to the exterior of each transportable section.
  The label is located one foot (1') up and away
  from the left rear corner (facing forward the
  tow bar end indicates the front of the section).

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Factory Built Housing

• Manufactured units come in two major home sizes
• Single-wides
• Double-wides

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Factory Built Housing

• Single-wides
• are 18 feet (5.5 m) or less in width and 90 feet
  (27 m) or less in length and can be towed to
  their site as a single unit.
• Double-wides
• are twenty feet or more wide and are 90 feet in
  length or less and are towed to their site in two
  separate units, which are then joined together.
• There are Triple-wides and even homes with four,
  five, or more units are also built, although not
  as common.

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Factory Built Housing

• Zoning regulations usually restrict their
  placement.
• If you think your community is free of
  manufactured units, check around for construction
  trailers.
• Smaller units have a single egress and small
  windows.

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Factory Built Housing

• May also be used for
• Temporary Office Space,
• Education Childcare,
• Disaster Relief or Material storage.
• Not held to same code review and update as
  modular homes.
• New housing units now require
• Hard wired or 10 yr battery source,
  interconnected smoke alarms.
• Provisions for special devices for hearing/visual
  impaired.

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Factory Built Housing
Frame
Interior Walls
Roof
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Factory Built Housing
FEMA Homes
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Factory Built Housing
Trailer Park
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Factory Built Housing

• Tornadoes and hurricanes often inflict their
  worst damage on trailer parks, usually because
  the structures were not secured to the ground and
  their construction is significantly less able to
  withstand high wind forces than regular houses.
• However, most modern manufactured homes are
  built to withstand high winds as well as a
  mainstream home, using hurricane straps and
  proper foundations.

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Hazards Related to the Manufactured Home

• Can be extremely hazardous occupancies.
• Lightweight wood truss construction.
• Lightweight steel framing.
• Combustible finishes and furnishings.
• Electrical distribution equipment is the 1
  cause of fires.
• Construction is typically less sturdy than other
  buildings of lightweight construction.

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Hazards Related to the Manufactured Home

• Debris and combustible items under the unit.
• Older units have plywood wall paneling and wood
  based ceiling panels.
• Mobile Homes are extremely vulnerable during
  hurricanes and tornados.
• Most are found in rural areas and in areas with
  scarce water supply, insufficient FD manpower on
  the initial alarm and longer FD response times.

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Firefighting

• Walls can be breached easy for victim access.
• Owner may have attached wood to the exterior.
• Some may have a brick veneer.
• Advancing hose lines can be difficult.
• Flammable liquids may be stored under the
  skirting.
• An additional roof may have been built above.
• Smaller space can hinder search and rescue ops.
• Propane usage.
• Exposures, especially in a mobile home park.
• Hard to save if heavy fire on arrival.

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Summation

• Modulars
• difficult to tell if site or factory built.
• have concealed spaces.
• use of adhesives to install drywalls.
• Manufactured
• extremely dangerous during hurricane or tornado
  events.
• lightweight construction.
• storage under skirting of flammable or
  combustibles.

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• Prepared by Thomas Bartsch
• Chief Fire Inspector (ret)