How long does a typical house will last is a question all prefab and stick build house owners ask themselves. But with such a huge variety in style, building methods, and materials it seems to be hard to determine. However, as the construction field got a lot better and as a higher quality of building can be achieved, most houses will last for at least 35 years while a well-maintained house can last for 100’s of years.
But do prefab homes last as long as regular homes? Yes! Thanks to the modern industrial revolution all prefab houses are now more durable than ever.
Meaning a prefab house will be able to last for 35 years, while houses that are built with higher quality both in materials and labor will last for far more than 35 years. Judging by the American house market – houses can last forever. One must take into consideration the regular maintenance needed for all houses to withstand the test of time.
One great real-world example for houses durability – In the U.S half of the houses have been built during the 1980s which means they are already 30-40 years old.
In addition, 38% of houses in America are from the 1970s which makes them 40-50 years old.
Judging only by those two stunning facts one can understand that houses are built to last.
In the American house market, the building method that seems to be working well is a concrete foundation with a wooden structure. Those materials have proved to be durable and last for ages, given the right maintenance.
For that reason, most prefab houses across North America are produced with the same materials and as a result, will last for as long as a normal site-built house will.
In the early 1900s, a boom in the prefab house industry occurred in the U.S thanks to the industrial revolution, with several companies trying to answer the growing demand for housing near central industrial cities.
Surprisingly some of those early and innovative kit houses have lasted till these days and are a symbol of what people can accomplish using the new tools of the industrial world.
With that said, one can understand that the life expectancy of a house is up to building materials quality, building process, the assembly quality, and its yearly maintenance. As those are the only factors that we have control over then there is no reason that a well-built prefab house won’t last even longer than all other regular houses around it.
Why prefab houses last just as long as stick-built houses
As mentioned above prefab houses are now using the same materials as in other types of house-building methods. As the building materials market is what will determine future building trends all builders, site and prefab alike, will have to adjust accordingly.
However, prefab houses manufacturers are not restrained to local products and can be more flexible about the materials they use. For example, as most of their work in the factory is planned ahead and the houses offered are pre-planned as well, materials are being ordered in advance and are available for use when needed.
This process can be achieved only by industrialized companies and not by most average home builders, which makes a great difference regarding the overall house quality as materials are in many cases ordered way ahead of time and some times are destroyed on-site.
When it comes to stick-built houses there can even be shortages in supplies that will either make the building process longer or will make you choose to sacrifice quality using available materials. In some cases going with different materials might mean losing quality.
This difference in our eyes makes a huge advantage in favor of prefabs as quality will almost never be sacrificed due to the manufacturing supply chain. As a result prefab house’s ability to withstand the trials of time and nature will usually outperform a stick-built house’s ability.
This one thing will make or break any house
There is one factor for both stick-built houses and prefabricated houses that can make a huge difference in the house durability. This would be the house foundations, if built in a poorly manner the house will not last long.
Two things can impact house foundation, the first element is the soil type in your lot, if not taken into consideration when planning it might have devastating results.
While the second issue would be water presents under and around your future house.
If one wishes to have the best home foundation a ground survey must be done in advance, and supporting documentation must be presented at the end of this process.
Now with this ground survey document, the process of planning and getting the best result is in your hands, as now you have the full picture regarding what you are dealing with.
Each type of ground will expose either prefab house or stick-built house to different hazards and failure mechanisms. As such, learning about your environment will benefit you as the house will be much more sustainable and durable in the future.
Water is an issue of its own, though still counts as part of the environment, water is much more alive than other parts of nature. This behavior must be taken into consideration when planning your future home.
Under-ground water will be seen while surveying the ground type, while groundwater is usually the result of the lot position in regards to hills, rivers, lacks, etc. all in the surrounding environment.
As water holds the power to change their surroundings it is important to learn as much as possible on the local extreme weather phenomena so while planning you could plan for the worst (if comes to it).
Additionally, groundwater can change as well over time, and with that change how the ground behaves under the house, however, a well designed and built foundation can eliminate future problems.
Overall just like other fields in life, putting the right foundations will help build upon a great structure of any kind.
Quality control is way better in prefab houses
The industrial world is well known for its ability to produce high-quality products with a high level of precision.
This fact has made our lifestyle possible with large supply chains that run across the world and high-end products that are shipped each day to all corners of our globe.
But the biggest jump from hand made products with each one having its unique flaws was controlling the process with machines and human quality control.
In house building controlling all factors all day long is very demanding, however, move this process into a plant and you got yourself an industrial process with all its benefits.
Industrializing home building can improve our ability to control what’s done at each station as the process is for the most part repetitive and in direct correlation to the next stage.
Meaning that once the next stage in the process begins the workers or computer will notice a missing part as their work is in continuation of the previous stage.
In addition, it is highly common to put “checkpoints” along the production process.
In an industrial house factory, certain stages are crucial and must be checked before advancing in the production. An example of that can be the installment of insulation materials inside the walls before closing them if this stage has been missed or poorly performed it will impact future ability to properly thermally insulate the house.
There are more key stages to a house building and making sure that all will be kept in check is what will make or break a house.
Lastly, a house will only be as durable and sustainable as was its building process, if the house is poorly built so will the quality of life in it will be, and eventually its ability to “survive” longer will be disappointing.
Prefab houses are designed to last
Prefab houses companies are highly into sustainable and green building, as it may sound like a trendy fashion that companies wave us with, it actually improves the structure’s integrity for years to come.
But why building green and sustainably is so important for the house durability?
Best I’ll explain it with an example from a different part of our life, electronics, as much as those two things are miles apart there are some similarities regarding our perception.
Firstly, when considering buying a new phone what’s important for most of us is that it is a new development, meaning it is better then what we had previously owned.
Secondly, and only rising in our collective awareness for the last couple of years its impact on the environment – how did its materials were gathered, will it harm us and the environment in the future, etc.
Thirdly, ok the materials are new and better, does this mean it will last longer? Well that we all know to be true, in recent years as technology got better our phones survive way better than their predecessors.
In conclusion, having a newer designed and manufactured phone will be better and last longer. The same goes for houses, choosing to go with newer and innovative house design and production (not building :)) will improve our lives, improve our happiness, and will in fact improve the house’s durability.
Prefab houses require less maintenance
Due to the fact that those prefab houses are built with complete mindfulness and intention the result is lower maintenance requirements throughout their life cycle.
Starting with structural integrity those houses are well built and can support high loads, multiple floors, and withstand the elements.
As there are fewer possibilities for the structure to be computerized so do the chance for related problems to accrue are lower.
For example, keeping your home airtight can be hard if the structure moves over time, this can lead to gaps opening and air leaks which will impact thermal performance.
As many of the prefab houses are newer the materials that are being used are far more advanced than those of the traditional building industry. Of course, not all houses are built with high-tech materials, however, their application inside a factory rather than outdoors at the job site makes the built quality higher and with fewer future problems.
One common problem many new households face is the lack of or wrong surface grading and drainage.
Luckily prefab house owners only have to check it once, at the foundation stage, after that the house is just being installed at the site. Having a problem with surface grading can keep the roof from draining properly or even lock excess water from draining from inside the house.
Additionally, having a pre-planned house where all the needs are predetermined makes it less likely to have problems due to changes during work.
Many times changes are made during the process of traditional house building, as a result, problems may arise involving several systems inside the house, which we all understand where they might lead.
Overall, any house would need proper maintenance to prolong its life spend. However, as the owners, we wish to have more time for our hobbies rather than house maintenance. Keeping the house healthy will increase its chances of sustaining through time and the elements.
The real reason houses are not lasting more than 35 years
Well, this is no secret that many of us love newer things, among them are houses. As old houses are associated with higher maintenance costs people tend to prefer newer houses over older ones.
In North America and especially in the U.S people will either refurbish or demolish an old house in hopes that it will prevent future expenses over maintenance.
As a result, many of the statistics are not really pointing at the real reason houses last for about 35 years but rather shows human preference patterns.
With that said, many are still living in houses that are older than 35 years, making sure to maintain them properly which keeps the house fresh and standing for years and even decades.
For example, there is a community living in New-Mexico that lives in houses built at 1150 A.D. Those houses in Acoma Pueblo are constructed from adobe brick with beams across the roof that were covered with poles, brush, and then plaster. Shocking isn’t it? But it proves that a well constructed and maintained house can last forever (in terms of human lives).
In addition, there are many houses still standing after 400 years that were built from wood. Those houses are a great example that a well-maintained house can last for as long as it gets some love.
Prefab houses will last as long as normal houses
To conclude our journey regarding the durability of prefab houses I will say this – Prefab house is the best of all housing technology that existed before its time, and as such it will be the sum of all lessons learned and truly their best form.
Prefab houses use the best materials available world-wide and not only locally, with high building quality, with lower exposure to the forces of nature during the construction period, and finally a much faster process from start to finish in all aspects.
Prefab houses can last for many years and have proven to do so in many cases throughout the last 120 years with kit houses lasting for more than 100 years and many modular house companies that built houses in the late 1960 and their houses are still standing firmly.
Lastly, a prefab house will last as long as a regular house will and more if the right amount of love will be put into it. Just make sure to keep the house maintained when needed.
please feel free to let me know what would you like to read about more on my site and I’ll be happy to write about it.
Until next time
My Alternative House