Pre-fab homes can be earth-friendly

Modular homes don't have
to be cheap and boring.

When you think of your dream home, would you think of a prefab house?

Probably not. After a brief heyday of kit homes offered by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and other vendors in the early 1900s, most people would agree that factory-built houses — also called prefab or modular homes — went cheap and boring.

Most were little more than self-contained cartons for shelter, and their humdrum looks involved a lot of plastics, formaldehyde-gassing wood panels and other non-eco-friendly features.

Now that “green” materials, sustainability and customized design are among the new buzzwords of home construction, prefab homes would seem to be more outdated than ever – but it turns out that they can meet these requirements.

Good design decisions are the foundation for a “green” home, and the environmental benefits of doing most of the actual fabrication in a controlled indoor space far outweigh the virtues of on-site construction.

While there are many variations on the theme of a “green” home, some core tenets always apply, including

• Responsible use of materials and natural resources,
• Low energy consumption,
• First-rate indoor air quality and
• Good site stewardship (especially soil and water management).

According to Michelle Kaufman, author of the book “Prefab Green”, it’s best to design a home around five key “eco-principles”:

• Smart design: Use common sense. Keep the size modest and plan/allow multiple uses for spaces. Choose a site placement that lets you manage the sunlight, prevailing winds, water issues and so on. And always keep technological features accessible so you can upgrade or adapt to new technologies later.
• Eco-materials: Of course, renewable or recycled materials score big points here. Consider a product’s complete life cycle — where it originated, how it was processed and transported, how durable it is, what maintenance requirements are and what happens to it when it wears out or needs replacement.
• Energy efficiency: Since the 1970s, energy use issues have been front and center in residential design. Now, recent developments such as nontoxic foam insulation and advanced window glazing can create an efficient “envelope” that reduces energy consumption. Also, good natural ventilation reduces the need for air conditioning.
• Water conservation: While we often take it for granted, clean healthy water is at the heart of any ecosystem. A home’s design should encourage wise use and re-use, whether through low-flow plumbing fixtures or a system to catch and use rainwater.
• Healthy indoor environment: Indoor air that is clean of toxins or carcinogens is another critical component in a healthy home. Avoid the use of paints and solvents containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and don’t install engineered wood products or carpeting made with urea-formaldehyde resins, which can off-gas for months and contaminate the air.

Source: Bill Lahay, Universal Press

Electrocorp has designed air filtration systems with activated carbon and HEPA filters that can be used before, during and after construction and renovations to minimize exposure to toxic airborne pollutants. For residential and office air purifiers, have a look at the wide range of products offered by AllerAir Industries.