*Article sponsored by Kastnerlab UK design specialists*
Prefab Home: Prefabricated homes, often referred to as “prefab homes” or simply prefabs, are specialist dwelling types of prefabricated building, which are manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled.
Purchasing your own home is considered a milestone in any person’s life. Since buying your own home is going to be a significant investment, even if it’s a prefab one, it pays to make sure you keep your home properly maintained. Similar to a regular home, prefab homes also come with their own set of challenges with time. Also, similar to regular homes, these homes need proper upkeep with scheduled maintenance. This not only makes sure that your home looks great for longer, but it will also increase the resale value of a home if you wish to sell it someday. If you have been wondering about how to keep your prefab home properly maintained, then you have come to the right place. You can read more here to find out what’s involved in home maintenance.
Is Your Home Leveled?
While the walk from the living room to the kitchen will not feel like an“uphill battle” for you, when it comes to manufactured homes, one of the most common problems that homeowners face with time is the level of their home. Keeping that in mind, the smart thing for every prefab homeowner to do is to make sure that their home remains in level. So, how does one go about doing that? The easy way is to inspect your home each year to make sure that it has properly settled.
If a home has not properly leveled, it could lead to some serious problems down the line. For instance, a prefab home that’s not in level can cause several issues that could easily make life living in one annoying, such as, doors jamming and windows not shutting properly, leaking pipes due to unleveled flooring and cracks on the walls, which can have a negative impact on the aesthetics of your home.
Plumbing Issues
Needless to say, the plumbing of a prefab home is going to differ from the plumbing of a regularly constructed home. But, the good news is, that the same concepts apply to both. As in, the plumbing system will have a water supply line along with a drainage line. Similar to the piping of a regular house, the piping of prefab homes also need to have enough space to breathe in order to function properly.
The homes that have been purchased by larger established companies will always have a shut-off valve that’s located at every water feature. This is to make sure you can turn off the water manually should an issue with the piping arise.
Also, these shut-off valves should also be located close to the toilets or faucets that are in the kitchen and bathroom. Homeowners are advised to make sure they know the exact location of the main shut-off valve of their home too for emergencies. While you’re at it, make sure that all the faucets are fitted properly and are not leaking.
Roofing Maintenance Issues
When it comes to prefab homes, one of the main issues that often arises has got to do with the roofing. If you are living in a home with flat roofing then chances are, you are going to need to re-coat or re-seal it on a regular basis. This is especially important if you live in an area where it rains constantly. Regardless of where you live, a flat roof home needs a re-seal or re-coat at least once a year.
Also, homeowners should make sure the flashing is in good condition and there are no signs of cracked caulking or soft spots on the roof. It is also important to make sure that the right coating is used for the roof. For instance, one of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make is to use aluminum or asphalt coating for rubber or PVC roofs. You can also contact the company you had purchased the prefab house from to get advice on how to properly maintain your home so that it lasts longer.
Measure Your Home
Before you grab the tape measure and start measuring the walls, the reason for knowing the measurements of your home is because the homes that were built after the 70s, do not use the same big-box-store sizes of earlier iterations of these homes. In other words, certain features of prefab homes of today are significantly different from previously manufactured homes, such as bathrooms being smaller and doors and windows being of different sizes as compared to your regular home.
Another reason why it’s good to have the measurements of various features of your home is that these measurements will come in handy for you if you want to replace a stove, window, door or some other feature of your home. Since much of the products, such as table tops or other features available at the hardware store are designed for regular homes, knowing the exact size of a feature of your home will help you get the perfect fit without any hassle.
Get Knowledge
While doing a DIY inspection of your home is certainly not to be substituted for getting a professional home inspection from time to time, it pays to get a better understanding of the home you’re living in. carrying out a thorough homeowner inspection at least once a year will make sure any visible issues are noticed and repaired.
Sometimes, visible signs are symptoms of an underlying issue which if left unchecked can lead to more expense further down the road. When it comes to carrying out a quick inspection of your prefab home, one of the problems that most homeowners face involves not knowing what to look for during the inspection.
Some of the most common issues with a prefab home that even a homeowner can check themselves is if the I-beams of their home are straight or bent? Or is the wood damaged or showing signs of rot? Are the masonry piers intact or chipped? You can also go online to find the things that need to be inspected during a DIY inspection of your home.
