One of the key benefits of purchasing a modular home is that you acquire a brand new house without the intensive labor. You get the fun of picking out all the exterior and interior finishes, and then the factory works for the next few months to bring your design to life!
If we take a step back and consider the scope of a modular home project, we’ll discover that many decisions need to be made from top to bottom. For the sake of simplicity, we will review just a couple interior and exterior material options.
Modular Roof
On average, a modular roof pitch will be between 5/12 and 7/12. Let’s review an asphalt roof. When contemplating the best type of shingle, we want to factor in the environment. Is there heavy snow or heavy storms? I recommend using an asphalt shingle with at least a thirty year warranty. Within this type of shingle, you’ll find a variety of colors to choose from.
The other roofing option is a metal roof. This roofing option boasts of savings and minimal maintenance in the long run, but you will pay at least double up front and will have to endure the noise that comes with it. If you think the investment is worth the longevity, a metal roof may be an option worth considering.
Siding Options
The most common type of siding used for a modular home today is traditional vinyl or dutch lap vinyl. Vinyl siding is lightweight, affordable, and durable. The traditional style is fairly simple and standard. The dutch lap provides more dimension, style, and just a little more strength and weather resistance. Another option that’s worth considering, is hardie board siding. Hardie board is a fiber cement siding option and it’s as durable as it sounds. It’s significantly more expensive than its vinyl counterpart, but it comes in many different appealing style options and its longevity is a worthy investment.
Modular Home’s Interior
The flooring is one of the most important decisions to consider. Will your house have a lot of traffic? Do you own several indoor animals? How often is the environment where you live wet and snowy? Vinyl plank flooring is arguably the most durable, water proof, and pet friendly flooring available. There are varying degrees of quality that you can invest in as a homeowner. I consider vinyl plank flooring to be the most efficient and affordable option for a home with lots of traffic, pet activity, and water interaction.
Kitchen Countertop
We’ll keep it simple and compare two main countertops – quartz and laminate. Quartz is undeniably the most pleasing to look at with its smooth hard glossy surface and upscale design. It is the most durable hard surface countertop available. It doesn’t have pores like granite, and it’s more stain resistant than other hard surface options. However, it is susceptible to heat damage, and spills should be cleaned up quickly. If the cost makes your heart skip a beat and you have serious doubts about your family members treating it with tender loving care, I would recommend the laminate option. Laminate countertops are basically composed of particle board with a thin but very durable composite layer laminated onto the top, but don’t let that deter you. There are high resolution laminate options with attractive designs and sheen like surfaces. Laminate is very forgiving with spills, heat, and moderate use. As long as you keep your sharp heavy tools off the counter like you should, a laminate countertop will treat your family well. Its affordability and variety of designs make it a solid choice for any home.
Kitchen Cabinets
Depending on what the modular manufacturer has to offer, I recommend investing in higher end cabinetry that is made of hardwood components as opposed to a less expensive option made of wood fragments pressed together. The soft close drawer option does provide a little more longevity to the life of your cabinets. The color of your cabinets is also a valid consideration in the long run. Who wants to repaint their cabinets? Are you wanting something contemporary or neutral that will blend with the changing fads? How bright do you want your kitchen to be? Or how dark? The color of the flooring and cabinets should be decided at the same time to guarantee aesthetic fluidity to your home.
I hope you’ve been equipped with a little more information on how to pick materials for your next modular home! If you’d like to review our modular homes, please click here.
